About:
This Project
Two semesters ago I came across a TedTalk that sparked my curiosity about creativity. Unfortunately however, my curiosity had to be postponed due to a concussion, but I was not deterred. At the beginning of this semester I proposed an independent study through the Dance Department and the Mellon Scholars Program looking at the connection between the unpressured artist and creativity. Over the course of my research on this topic I became very interested in the idea of a relative relaxed state being able to produce greater amounts of creativity. This was sparked by the finding that the brain produces gamma waves - waves present in relaxed states of mind - just before making creative leaps in problem solving. This finding combined with a previous introduction to the idea that an unpressured artist may be a more creative artist and perhaps a happier artist has brought me to an interest to study the creative habits of my peers in search of something that allows them to find a state of relaxed thinking and whether it produces greater likelihood of creativity.
In order to look at this I sent a proposal to Professor Linda Graham and Professor and Dance Department Chair Matt Farmer detailing a semester long study of interviews and journaling with a small group of my peers about their creative habits with the goal of seeing if there is anything behind this potential connection. I also proposed formatting the findings of my research as a website. This was specifically for the larger goal of this project: to contribute to the creative experience by helping creative people understand what helps them do what they do best, and it was important to me that the information be able to reach people of different background and disciplines and hold their attention without being too dry.
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My proposal was accepted, and Linda and I set off on what has come to be a very rewarding and enlightening experience the results of which you will find on this website.
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Although I address it more formally later in this website I feel it is important to acknowledge upfront that this study is merely a drop in a very large ocean and is far from complete.
Professor Linda Graham
Professor Mary Linda Graham began working at Hope in 1983 and has been the Dorothy Wiley DeLong Professor of Dance since 2014. She studied dance at the National Academy of Dance in Champaign, Illinois. She went on to earn her BFA in theatre at University of Illinois and her MFA in Choreography/Performance from University of Illinois.
Professor Graham currently teaches Dance History Survey, Historical Social Dance, Career Skills and Ballet. She has also taught all levels of ballet; jazz; repertory; production; folk, social, and swing dance; accompaniment for dance and improvisation.
A former member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Linda has also worked in New York City with various companies under the direction of choreographers such as Anna Sokolow, Mary Anthony, Ulysses Dove and Lynne Taylor-Corbett.
Linda co-founded and co-directed Aerial Dance Theatre, an affiliate of the Hope Department of Dance.
Linda enjoys experiential learning about history and training, specifically exploring the commonalities between classical training for dancers, horses and dogs, and the relationship between communication, creativity and physical discipline.
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for more about Linda Graham visit
The Mellon Scholars
"The mission of the Mellon Scholars Program is to create a culture of research and production in the arts and humanities using digital tools to transform the career paths of students.
By providing resources, mentorship and equipment, the program supports students who want to follow their passions for the arts and humanities, while at the same time equipping them with high-demand training in web-based platforms, public speaking, critical thinking and project management. The program’s centerpiece is the close faculty mentoring students receive as they develop and publish their research projects and creative works. Students graduating from the program have high acceptance rates in graduate school and employment, due to their developed academic and communication skills geared to practical application and problem-solving."
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For more information about the Mellon Scholars Program at Hope College visit
https://hope.edu/academics/mellon-scholars/about-program/index.html
Me: Raven Bouvier
Raven Bouvier is a Hope College Senior from St. Louis, Missouri. She is majoring in Dance Production with an emphasis in Stage Management. As a Mellon Scholar she is excited about what the digital arts and humanities can bring to artists and creators everywhere. After graduation Raven will be pursuing her MA in Theatre Education at Emerson College and hopes to go on to share her love and knowledge of production and theatre and dance through teaching.