Honors College 195G - GW-Intersections of Creativity

What does it mean to be a working artist? This seminar will take up this question by exploring the ways different kinds of artists (writers, visual artists, musicians, film-makers) work. We will examine the various creative processes artists use to create, explore the impulses and reasons behind artistic choices, attempt to determine where "inspiration'' comes from, and discuss the ethical questions artists can face. We will begin the seminar with background readings to give us a theoretical grounding in creativity. We will then bring working artists into our seminar through guest speakers, pod-cast interviews, attending readings, performances, and films to further explore how artists work. As a way to explore these areas for themselves, throughout the semester students will develop their own "artist books" consisting of creative and academic responses to the readings and artists we encounter and the questions we raise.

Open to Freshman Commonwealth College students only.