Re(2): originality

Katherine Goff (Katherine_Goff who-is-at ceo.cudenver.edu)
Tue, 09 Mar 1999 08:11:13 -0700

diane writes:
>so NOW what?
>
>originality is everywhere always. it depends on what you think it involves
>or means and I suppose coming from an artist perspective I see it as
>relations, drawing new relations into different positions,
>
>and seeing what that is there that just got connected.
>
>a lot of it has to do with belief - and not believing, really,
>in anything for sure, so then you are constantly receptive to
>other possibilities.
>I mean, I think that is first. Anarchic thinking.

coming from the educational/cog sci/psychology background (i'm in an
interdisciplinary program) i look at originality from the constructivist
perspective.

if we each construct our own reality/knowledge/belief system, then each
individual perspective is original, not to be repeated, never to exist
again in the universe.

our joint activities and norming/socializing processes mush the original
perspectives all together in a lump of language so we can behave as if we
are alike and as if we understand one another---we have to beleive that we
are the same in some sense so we can act as a collective/community/group.

but originality comes from the different-ness, the ways each of us see and
construct our own unique meaning(s).
the trick is to communicate my unique perspective in a way that will be
received as similar enough to the collective to be understood _and
allowed_.

so originality always dances at the edge of heresy.

kathie

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
start all over.
start all over.
we need to make new symbols,
make new signs,
make a new language,
with these we'll redefine the world
and start all over.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^tracy chapman:new beginning
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Katherine_Goff who-is-at ceo.cudenver.edu
http://ceo.cudenver.edu/~katherine_goff/index.html