ABSTRACT

Each culture defines what aspects of creative endeavor are (and are not) preferable in a given context (Lubart, 1999; Weiner, 2000). Culture also determines which domains of human activity are perceived as expressions of creativity. What are legitimate creative acts in some cultures may be considered unacceptable and even ethically inappropriate in other cultures. For example, in societies where freshness and originality hold no special value, the artist (e.g. mask maker) may enjoy repetitive work and reproduce the same object with no substantial innovations or changes in interpretation and representation (Ludwig, 1992). Examples of such societies are abundant. In the East Asian context, Rudowicz (2004) observes that the Chinese put less emphasis on external performance than inner experience and peace brought by familiar experiences (also see Ng, 2001; and Leong, Chapter 6). Similarly, Lubart argues that the Eastern concept of creativity is “less focused on innovative products. Instead, creativity involves a state of personal fulfillment, a connection to a primordial realm, or the expression of an inner essence or ultimate reality” (Lubart, 1999: 340). For this reason, East Asians normally underline mastering and perfecting skills through rigid training while often shrugging off new products or ideas.