Arja Veerman: Creative Research Methodology

Postdoc researcher Arja Veerman is leading the research project Creative Research Methodology. How do you do creative research? How do we acquire usable knowledge about creative processes? These are key questions in the research. Read more about the postdoc research project on this page.

Postdoc research Creative Research Methodology

Much of the knowledge of artists and creative designers is implicit and personal to the maker. That is difficult, as we want to use this knowledge in our education and research. So we need a methodology that makes artists’ creative processes visible. Arja Veerman is developing such a methodology in her postdoc research project Creative Research Methodology. Together with makers, lecturers and researchers, she makes creative processes visible and brings together approaches, work forms and knowledge that can be used in education and in practice.

Approach to the research

The research question is: Which methodology for creative research can be deduced from the established practices of creative research, in which research is conducted for, by and into creative processes?
A design approach is taken to this research. The research follows a cyclic process, focusing on the development of a creative research methodology. In addition, work forms, case studies and tools are developed for use in education, in collaboration with the makers-lecturers involved in the project. The work proceeds from small to large: starting with the research areas and education within HKU, and proceeding to art education in the Netherlands and beyond. Research, education and practice are linked together throughout.

Collaboration

Arja Veerman is working with maker-lecturers from the following HKU schools.

The makers involved are all lecturers or working in educational practice in some other way (e.g. course leader, curriculum developer). This creates a natural connection between the creative research and the use of results in practice.

In January 2020, an intensive collaboration will also start with HKU Media, under the name Media Creative Research Workshop. In this workshop, makers, lecturers and course leaders from all the pathways will work together on reinforcing creative research in their educational practice.

More information

To find out more about the postdoc project Creative Research Methodology, get in touch with Arja Veerman through arja.veerman@hku.nl.

Or take a look at the weblog Makersmanieren, (Makers’ Ways), where you can find a wide range of ways of working in creative practice and the knowledge generated by them. The project will build on this knowledge – in the field of creative processes, but also in relation to: how do you do creative research?