Date: Tuesday Sept 9, 2025 at 2am Central Daylight Time (CDT in the USA)
Facilitator: Francine Smolucha
Summary: Two different activities that can lead to increased creativity and be used as assessment techniques are presented. This research was originally presented in 1983 at the International Conference in Psychology and the Arts in Cardiff, Wales by Larry and Francine Smolucha. The Smolucha Creativity Test consists of 8 blocks in four basic shapes and can be used to assess divergent thinking and visual isomorphisms in subjects aged two years and older. The second activity (designed by Larry Smolucha) is an exercise in learning to see and use visual isomorphisms in visual art. Visual isomorphisms are shape resemblances such as a ribbon and a road that (often referred to as visual metaphors) that underlie linguistic metaphors. Seeing things from different perspectives could facilitate “seeing” different points of view in conflict situations (flexibility in changing frames of reference). A proposal for a research project in the field of International Relations will be put forth for discussion.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/98564124237
Meeting ID: 985 6412 4237
Passcode: Vygotsky
Readings:
Smolucha, L. and Smolucha, F. (1983) The Creative Process in Art. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED260008.pdf [files.eric.ed.gov]
Supplemental Readings:
Smolucha, L. & Smolucha, F. (1984) Creativity as a Maturation of Symbolic Play.
https://philpapers.org/rec/SMOCAA [philpapers.org]
Contact: lsmolucha@hotmail.com for a copy
Smolucha, L. and Smolucha, F. (1985). A Fifth Piagetian Stage: The Collaboration Between Analogical Thinking and Logical Thinking in Artistic Creativity. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20715603 [jstor.org]
Contact: lsmolucha@hotmail.com for a copy
Sefer, J. (2013). Symbolic Play and Analogy: A Way to Foster Children’s Creativity.
https://cdn.aaai.org/ocs/5796/5796-24500-1-PB.pdf [cdn.aaai.org]