Exploring the Attitudes of Students and Artists towards Creativity in Visual Expression

Dunja Pivac*, Ivona Pupačić, Bojan Vondra

*Arts Academy University of Split

dunja.pivac@outlook.com

The importance of art education for the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children and youth

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the attitudes of students and artists regarding the factors influencing creativity in visual expression. The random sample consisted of 105 students from the Fine Arts Department of the Arts Academy in Split, and 50 visual artists. A questionnaire with 21 statements about the factors influencing creativity in visual expression and Likert scale for self-assessment was used as the measuring instrument. The results were analysed using Fisher's test and the Z-test for two proportions.

The results indicated that for most statements, statistically significant differences were not found in the attitudes of students from different study groups within the Fine Arts Department, nor between the attitudes of students and artists. Significant differences between study groups were observed in statements: social engagement and social awareness drive my creative process, where the Painting group expressed the least agreement; acquiring fundamental professional skills is as important as fostering creativity, where the Conservation and Restoration group were more positive compared to others; and extracurricular communication and collaboration with colleagues stimulate my creativity, where the Painting group predominantly held a positive attitude. Furthermore, significant differences between the attitudes of students and artists were identified in statements: social engagement and social awareness drive my creative process, and a specific artistic medium inspires my creative process, where artists exhibited more pronounced negative attitudes than students for both statements.

The research results contribute to understanding the influence of various factors on fostering creativity in visual expression, especially among students of fine arts academies.

Key words

creative personality; creative process; creative product; visual arts