On "Creative writers and day-dreaming" by Sigmund Freud (1908)
| Abstract |
Relatively early in his career, Freud wrote a short text on
creativity, arguing that, far from being the privilege of a few
artists, it was part of a process naturally developing as a
continuation of children’s play. After presenting that text, this
chapter discusses it in the light of past and recent developments,
focusing on the idea that creativity is a process. British
psychoanalysis has examined that idea, with an emphasis on what may
hinder creativity and its variations. In Russia, however, Vygotsky’s
work, without quoting them explicitly, has largely drawn on Freud’s
intuitions, yet including them in a more socioculturally aware
psychology. Three ideas need further theoretical and empirical
investigation: the continuum between child and adult creativity;
the nuances between daydream, imagination, and creativity; and the
role of emotions and personal motives in any creative endeavor. |
| Keywords |
Imagination; creativity; psychoanalysis; art |
| Citation | Zittoun, T. (2019). On "Creative writers and day-dreaming" by Sigmund Freud (1908). In V. P. Glaveanu (Ed.), The creativity reader (pp. 339-351). New Yrok: Oxford University Press. |
| Type | Book chapter (English) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Editor | Vlad Petre Glaveanu |
| Book title | The creativity reader |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (New Yrok) |
| Pages | 339-351 |
| Related project | Imagination |