Finding the Muse: A Sociopsychological Inquiry into the Conditions of Artistic Creativity

Finding the Muse explores the lives of a group of aspiring fine artists from the mid-1960s, when they completed art school, to the mid-1980s. It focuses on problems of artistic creativity as they relate to such issues as the mystique of the artist, the challenge of establishing community among artists, the place of the art market in the construction of artistic identity, and the limits and possibilities of modern and postmodern art itself. By identifying the salient problems of artistic creativity, the author provides a realistic portrayal of the contemporary artist and some useful suggestions for addressing the problems that curb creativity. Focusing on problems of creativity that have arisen in recent years, the book articulates the more optimal conditions within which the process of artistic creation might occur. Part psychology of creativity, part sociology of art, and part cultural criticism, the book will be of interest to psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, art historians, art educators and especially aspiring artists.

• An accessible guide to the social and psychological aspects of being an artist • Emphasizes the importance of social context in artistic creativity • Suggests directions for achieving more optimal conditions of creativity

Acknowledgements; 1. Social reality and the space of creativity; 2. To be an artist; 3. In the company of others; 4. Creativity and the market; 5. The dream of artistic freedom; 6. The conditions of creativity; Appendix: the Artists Project; References; Index.