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What does inspiration mean to creative amateurs? Inspiration as a concept has been hard to define in information science terms. Several theories of information-seeking behavior have also been proposed to be applicable to inspiration-seeking, but have not seen empirical testing. While previous researchers on inspiration have mostly focused on artists and designers, this essay has studied amateurs and makers engaged in creative hobbies. Based on a survey distributed to study circles organized under Swedish adult educational associations, the grounded theory analysis indicated that inspiration is important as a feeling of motivation, joy, well-being and productivity, a source of ideas, and a driving force in the creative process. The results of the survey also showed that more passive information-seeking strategies, such as serendipitous encounters, browsing, and social interaction, were more commonly associated with finding inspiration than active strategies, such as systematic searches and question-based seeking, within the group. The responses showed that the respondents’ perceptions of inspiration were somewhat idiosyncratic, and future research based on individual or focus group interviews would be needed to explore the more ambiguous concepts and answers gleaned in this study. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and information science. |
