Reflection as creative process: Perspectives, challenges and practice

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities for embedding reflection in practice-based curricula in the arts. Following the root and branch curriculum reform project recently completed at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the paper presents a hermeneutic and analytical narrative of the challenges emerging from presenting reflection as a creative, active and interactive process. The paper outlines a working version of reflection as a creative and embodied process. In order to demonstrate that creativity and reflection are inextricably linked in the arts, and more importantly, that they are crucial to a student's practice, the term itself often needs to be humanized. While written reflection remains a crucial component of our courses, here I consider different approaches to reflection, drawn from current practice, where it becomes a practical and generative platform for creativity. In the process of exploring these practices, the paper draws on Ken Robinson's insightful exploration of the concept of creativity and articulates with Csikszentmihayli's thought-provoking study on its location.