The Micro-genesis of Improvisational Co-creation

Recent voices in creativity research emphasize the vital role that processes of active engagement and interaction play. These distributed, interactivity-based, ecological accounts critique reduction to mental mechanisms eschew methodological individualism underlies this view. Instead, they elevate socio-material couplings a genuine causal mechanism, hereby explaining why others “are good be creative with” beyond mutual inspiration or mere constraints on creativity. With improvised dance duets as our example, we introduce micro-analysis unpacks these from first-person viewpoint: We describe how embodied communication at sub-second scale, continuous “give take” between dancers, mediates co-creation process reciprocal micro-actions cumulate into more complex effects. Secondly, distinguish convergent divergent dynamics, degrees playful exploration vs. adaptive pressures, individual autonomy. Thirdly, argue mix external constraints, joint exploration, ideation provides fertile mechanism for co-creation. Finally, discuss forms vision respect exploit dynamic ecology, which can manifest immediate micro-inspirations, but also subtle modulations ongoing process, “cultivating” wider system ways benefit novelty.