Workshop Review. Development of the Idea A Creative Process with Norman Cherry

Article / Workshops

Published: 05.06.2019

Author:: Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts

Edited by:: Klimt02

Edited at:: Shanghai

Edited on:: 2019

From March 27-31, 2019, Professor Norman Cherry, a British jewelry artist and seasoned educator, led a five-day creative inspiration development workshop at the Jewelry and Metals Studio at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts (Shanghai University). During the workshop, Professor Cherry guided the training from philosophy and praxis to methodology and exercise. Students were required to explore the area around the studio on campus within a radius of one kilometer and observe and record it to be the basis for their creative work for the next few days.

Through one-on-one communication and group discussions, etc, Mr. Cherry inspired us to use the right method to train thought development. During the process, we kept asking ourselves, Why? What if? Is ‘Good Enough’ good enough? Is the first idea the best idea? Do I want to do the best I can every time?…

Via inspiration and training by the professor, the students gradually understood that there are many ways to think as craftsmen, such as engaging in reading, writing, drawing, photographing, defining, analyzing, questioning, experimenting, researching, synthesizing, model making, evaluating, self-criticizing, reflecting and recording for future reference and use.

The professor always carefully communicated with the students and recorded their progress and problems at each stage. Mr. Cherry respected each student's ideas and inspired us to develop our own strengths through meticulous communication.

At the end of the project, each of the students took turns to express their bodies of work by working on a portfolio comprised of drawings, sketches, development drawings, soft models, final proposals, and prototypes for proposed designs.

Professor Cherry said that the study of creative thinking can be applied to many fields. He also emphasized that the last five days of the course was not complicated, but the most important thing is, Will students return to their previous ways of creation? Will we still try to apply this five day way of thinking to future creations? Will we try to break, rebuild, and do a lot of trials? There was so much more to these five days of workshops, much face-to-face learning that words and pictures could not convey. Thanks to the planners and participants of all of the workshops.