Field Notes on Creative Thinking
Hi. I'm Angie Bowen. Welcome to my vaporwave digital garden. I've been building websites and creating online for almost three decades, and the colorfully creative 90s-style site designs will always hold a special place in my heart. Just because this is a site focused on science and education, doesn't mean it can't also be fun. It should be fun, because creativity is fun. Learning is fun.
The 4 Pillars of My Work
Capstone Project
For my master's capstone project, I'm developing a 6-week course teaching creative thinking to first-year university students and sharing the process here.
Personal Experiments
Because a 2-year capstone often moves slowly, I also run n=1 trials on thinking, learning, and creativity to see what actually works in practice. My first experiment is currently in progress.
Research Synthesis
As I curate research for my capstone, and my own personal development, I'll share insights on creativity and learning from cognitive science, psychology, and communication.
Creative Application
I'll be sharing tips and techniques from my personal mind garden, where I practice the generative notemaking method that drives all my work. It is one of the most profound creative thinking tools I've ever used.
Tools & Resources
The CREATE Primer
A 15-minute quick-start that goes through simplified versions of all six steps of my CREATE framework for creative thinking (Curate, Reflect, Elaborate, Associate, Transform, Express).
Current Personal Experiment
Personal (n=1) trials on creative thinking practices. Protocols, tools, and weekly lab notes.
Mind Garden Starter Kit
A complete vault for Obsidian from a previous phase of the project. Learn the generative notemaking method I use for all of my work. Many users have found it useful so I'm keeping it available on Gumroad, pay-what-you-want.
What is Creative Sensemaking?
Creative sensemaking (working definition). A synthesis of sensemaking (plausible explanation) and creative thinking (generating valuable novelty). Producing new and valuable ideas through the process of understanding.
Explanation without novelty is analysis. Novelty without explanation is brainstorming. Creative sensemaking requires both.