Essay Book Review, Affect in Artistic Creativity: Painting to Feel
I wanted to share my essay book review, which has just been published roughly a little over a year ago in 2023 in Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, a peer-reviewed academic journal that serves as a vital space for scholarship in curriculum studies.
The review discusses Jussi A. Saarinen's book, "Affect in Artistic Creativity: Painting to Feel," which delves into how artists tap into emotions and feelings during the creative process. Saarinen, a psychologist and postdoctoral researcher in philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, offers valuable insights for educators and curriculum developers. As an art and design educator, I consider the book to be a crucial read. In current times, when complex subjects are integrated into the curriculum, teachers must prioritize the emotional wellness of both themselves and their students.
As educators are planning to finish their curriculums for the spring semester and beyond, I encourage you to connect with meaningful content and topics exploring racial oppression, social justice, LGBTQIA+ issues, disability, self-care, compassion, and mental health. Connecting with curriculums in a way that both educators and students can feel is essential. Educators and curriculum studies scholars could consider investigating Saarinen's book to explore connections between "feeling" and "aliveness" and how they relate to their curriculum-building and teaching practices.
Article Abstract:
The present essay book review is on Jussi Saarinen's (2020) book, Affect in Artistic Creativity: Painting to Feel. The book makes profound connections between philosophy of emotion and aesthetics and relational psychoanalytic thought considering the dynamic relationship artists have with their painting work, focusing on the wide range of feelings generated. Many connections can be drawn and are relevant for curriculum theorizing in teaching and curriculum work. I believe Saarinen's book to be essential for scholars working in curriculum studies, whether working in visual arts education, general education, or theorizing about creativity due to the rich interdisciplinary nexus between psychoanalysis and philosophical thought of affect and creative experience. I encourage the reader to make links between Saarinen's theorization of the 'artist and painting' and the 'teacher and curriculum.'
https://journal.jctonline.org/index.php/jct/article/view/973
-BT