6. The Collaborative Personality Quiz

The limited choices in grouping of individuals meant there was no interview style assessment of capabilities for this project. At first envious of the cherry-picked prior planned super group, I then considered that responding to a variety of skills and experiences effectively was more of an achievement than clubbing together the elite.  The action research I undertook and personality perceptions from meetings was not only to gain knowledge of subject specific practices but also an insight to Individual working style.

Getting to know team members meant skills were utilised, linked to tasks, and called upon where necessary. As stated in the book Group Genius, the flow of creativity is more likely to happen when the strengths and weaknesses of team members are known, understood, and worked with to achieve the desired goal (Sawyer, K. 2007). Initially I thought it would be best if those with similar skills grouped together but it became apparent that Caitlyn and I had the vision to create something edgy and aspirational. My interpretation of ‘creative innovation’, was to push ourselves and learn new skills. Therefore, as discussed with Caitlyn, we mixed up the disciplines of the team to expand our creative thinking.

Christine produced weekly content for media and communications and collaborating with Damian on branding and cohesion of graphic styling. Olivia curated the content of the Zine going on to partner with Damian in graphics and branding also collaborating with Caitlyn and I in 360 photography, photography and video for art content. Caitlyn then worked further developing artwork, writing for the Zine, modelling furniture, putting together the interim presentation, and co-writing the script.

I worked with Shinto to generate ideas for the building and going through logistics and functionality of layout and interior, then he was responsible for rendering the interior. Zaki was responsible for designing the bar area and working with Aqeel on the 3D element of the project, but their software’s were incompatible. So with some advice from Zaki, Aqeel helped with the 360 photography, researching software needed and creating the Gifs and mp4 files. Aqeel also acted as general assistant alongside producing his own 3D artwork for the ArtBar. Myself, Caitlyn and Aqeel worked together to work out how the lighting rigs worked in the create lab, caitlyn curating the atmosphere and Aqeel taking on the resposibility of scene changes for the presentatyion. I worked on content creation; the art/fashion for the podiums, drawings, writing, digital artwork for the Zine. I was curated the menus and worked with Aqeel on making a frame for the art/fashion piece. All the while overseeing the group work and closely collaborating with Caitlyn on writing the script for the visual podcast and maintaining Creative Direction.

“…conventions and novelty, structure and innovation, critical and analytical mind and the freewheeling outside the box mind…” (Sawyer, K. 2007, p56)

Combining our working styles in this way aided the group flow and working methodologies became apparent as time went on. The ideology of the 9 – 5 clocking-on clocking-off highly organised individuals is often seen as being the best working method, something to aspire to. Our marketing and communications participant Christine exemplified this with her consistent level of working and sharing of progress, helping to maintain the backbone of visual development of the project. Most of the group also completed tasks efficiently in the time frame, sharing progress and keeping up with communications. Not wishing to hinder the rest of the group and their needs, enhanced my working practice and determination to make decisive choices to complete the work and help solve problems occurring.

For the blog entries, I find if I maintain a weekly commentary, the detail is too in depth and ultimately becomes a mammoth editing task. Making notes and underlining apt quotes is more effective for myself in a concise writing up process. The intensity of total immersion stabilises the train of thought and maintains a peripheral comprehension of content – a preference to the procrastinating ruminations of a long stretch of time ahead. To avoid deadline stress, rather than setting off panic thinking by recounting a long list of tasks, I use future thinking beyond a deadline to envisage all the enjoyable things you will do once work is complete. Those with the on point methodical style maintaining consistency, may struggle with brittle anticipation at the idea of the cramming persistent intense push to deadline that others thrive off with enhanced creativity. Some just leave it too late, with a knock-on adverse effect on the whole group.

There was an aim to find a balance between management and autonomy, with subgroup meetings checking in on the progress of micro projects. Some members appeared unwilling to share their work and I had to push for this several times, tactfully asking Zaki to adapt his bar designs as they were confusingly jarring to the unified aesthetic of ergonomy, despite supplying moodboard images cohesive to the immersive art experience. He seemed to have diverted towards his own agenda on styling.

Accepting an element of an individuals creative ownership through compromises, Aqeel and I persistently worked hard with Zaki, discussing textures, colour scheme and introducing a more curved styling in the furniture and layout.  Sharing of work on the interior also had to be pushed with Shinto but there was a huge relief when he shared the parametrically inspired interior CAD design that worked so well with the concept despite not wholly top my tastes.. Although as the deadline was edging closer, the delay in sharing any further progress was building tensions. To aid the cohesion of styling and show how amazing our space could look, I made a mood board with colour scheme and super-imposed images of our work so far and to help pull together on the visual styling we had all agreed on for the Interior, art content and and furniture.

As I was responsible for the visual podcast idea and script order, group leadership alongside creative co-direction, I was trying my best to put together the presentation. Issues were being raised about adding colour to the interior, curation of artwork, and having very limited resources – awaiting images of the rendered interior that were completely missing. Caitlyn and I, dealing with terse message exchanges cutting my time to change fonts and styling or include the wording I was being pressured to add due to alleged individual unrepresentation. The lyrical script was written and approved by the group but fell apart technically in recording, disrupting timings, and having to be abandoned at the time, deciding to read aloud for the Formative Presentation. Watching the prior presentations unfold in their professionalism built a deep disappointed apprehension and the tight wording, so tense to read, and difficult to hear, pinnacled the pressures – a precursor to the post feedback fallout.

References

Sawyer, K. (2007). Group Genius. Basic Books.

Images

1. Job Roles List, Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023)
2. Media and Communications 1, Gale, C. (20230 [Presentation Slide]
3. Media and Communications 2, Gale, C. (20230 [Presentation Slide]
4. Zine Curation, Strettle, O. (2023).
5. Zine cover, Witkos, D. (2023)
6. Interim presentation, Matthews, C. (2023) [Presentation].
7. Interiors Contact Sheet, Vincent, S. (2023)
8. Bar Interior CAD drawing, Tanveer Alam, Z. (2023)
9. Artwork Curation, Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023) [Presentation]
10. Drawing Gallery Format, Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023) [Presentation Slide]
11. Digital Artwork Gallery Format, Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023) [Presentation Slide]
12. Jacture 360 Photography 1. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023).
13. Jacture 360 Photography 2. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023).
14. Sculpdress 360 Photography 1. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023).
15. Sculpdress 360 Photography 2. Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023).
16. Sivinska, McCartan, Zadi Batool, A. (2023) Jacture [Photograph], Huddersfield.
17. Sivinska, McCartan, Zadi Batool, A. (2023) Sculpdresse [Gif], Huddersfield.
18. Writing for Zine, The Body, Sivinska McCartan, C.  (2023)
19. Writing for Zine, The Craft of Creativity, Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022)
20. Diarrt Slide, Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023) [Presentation Slide].
21. Bar Interior, Tanveer Alam, Z. (2023) [CAD Render Image].
22. Bar Interior, Tanveer Alam, Z. (2023) [CAD Render Image].
23. Pulling Together Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023) [Presentation]
24. Pulling Together Sivinska McCartan, C. (2023) [Presentation Slide]
25. ArtBar Presentation, Cathie Sivinska mccartan, C. Atelier. (2023) [Presentation].

Appenices

Adapted from Drawings Blog post, Creative Studio, Sivinska McCartan (2022).Sivinska » 3. Drawing

The body has a beauty of sensation on multiple levels. The physical, conceptual, and creative fascination is explored through physical and artistic practice. Observations of model and self are made with a kinesthetic contemplation of haptic and physical sensation. A meditative self-awareness has been developed through a sustained enhancement of core strength and stability. Stretching, toning, and tightening of physicality leads to a cognition of the nuances of intricate anatomical complexities, intertwined musculature, and the power of somaesthetics and the body/mind connection. The regenerative movement of extended lines of the body is a physical gesture that has parallels to the introspective observational practice of drawing the female form. This connectivity enhances the hand/eye co-ordination to explore the subconscious autonomation of expression.

Drawings are kept to a minimal length and multiplied. Each repeated view of a longer pose is a new frame of visual absorption linearly discerning the subtleties of light and shade of the hollows and mounts shaped by the body. Movement based sessions create pieces that expand the liberty of expression further with acutely rapid seizure of line that abandons the constraints of mark-making accuracy to give way to an instinctual psyche of sensory gesture that searches for the fluid connection of the optical and the tactile.

The Craft of Creativity

Adapted from The Craft of Creativity Blog Post, Creative Studio, Sivinska McCartan, C. (2022). Sivinska » 5. The Craft of Creativity

Being submissive to the markets of the masses of industry and under pressure to meet targets and deadlines, is diluting the genesis of love for Fashion. With an understanding of the principles of cut and construction to the nuances of physique, calculated to the millimetre, the dexterous fashioning of cloth around the body, does not come from the Fordist production line of unrecognized skillsets on the repetitious factory floor. Not only does the facilitation of this craft have spatial awareness of form and structure, but also how the cloth and body move in synchronization by conceptualising the feel of the sculpted piece on the skin of the 3D gallery of the human form. This perceived understanding is derived from the longevity and breadth of experience and often the purity of the muscle memory of knowing. In this there is great value.

As exemplified in the world of couture fashion. Describing the purpose of a couture collections as to “show what we are capable of” (Galliano, 2021), John Galliano of Maison Margiella, has to justify the eclecticism of his vision that defines the convergence between the fine and the applied arts. The richness of the research into history, culture and craft is not to apply mimesis but to create something new in the trans-configuration of talents at the couture ateliers. In speculation, would the artists’ atelier have to defend its role in society in such a way? Is there still a social hierarchical domination of ‘Fine Art’ being placed at the top of the pyramid of the Creative Industries? At what point will the multi-disciplinary Craft of Creativity be at the nucleic core of the Ecology of Culture? (Bailey, 2021)

Addressing this discrepancy is to take on living a life of the multiplicity of the creative mind.  To craft an artistic persona requires an inspired consciousness constantly looking and listening to thoughts and visions. At the point of decision making, contemplation of reason – the merging of the artistic and technical becomes key to the art/fashion pieces having the duality of being viewed as artistic works alongside providing the faceted function of clothing. Essentially taking a pivotal silhouette around the core of the body and the core of creativity, fashions conceptual parallels in an exploration of the personal relationship between somaesthetics and artistic expression through the practice of pattern cutting. There is an experimentation of overlaying and separation of drawn graphite line on paper to scribe directly onto the body form, cutting the shape of new concepts. To disseminate the sketch of gestural expression, is a constant synaptic exchange of an application of intuition to the typically rigorous technical precision of pattern and construction. The extensive cutting and slashing of paper use a spatial instinct that manifests pattern pieces defying the standardized recognition of 2D garment geometry. Consequentially this displaced objectivity diverges the function of the pattern piece to begin a cellular mitosis of artistic development and a new aesthetic application. Contradictorily enhancing non-objective creativity.

 There is an Implementation of an artistic consciousness of the process itself, photographic methodical documentation is viewed in a holistic manner of what constitutes a good photograph with golden section positioning of work and inspection of holistic lens view. The next potential developmental stage of the artistic method of research is to Investigate reworking the aesthetics of pattern shaping and digital manipulation of the image, to make new fractal formations of art/fashion pieces – ModeArte.

1. Bailey, R., Booth-Kurpnieks, C., Davies, K., & Delsante, I. (2019). Cultural Ecology and Cultural Critique. Arts; Basel, 8(4), 166. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts8040166
2. Galliano, J Maison Margiels. (2020, July 17). Stills from video, Maison Margiela Artisanal Co-Ed Collection Autumn-Winter 2020 | S.W.A.L.K. [Video]. Maison Margiela. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCnbjRlICSQ

Zaki’s original bar , Zaki’s final bar. Monochrome interioir slides

Pulling together mood board.