Creativity in Museum Practice

by Linda Norris, Rainey Tisdale

With this book, museum professionals can learn how to unleash creative potential throughout their institution. Drawing from a wide range of research on creativity as well as insights from today’s most creative museum leaders, the authors present a set of practical principles about how museum workers at any level―not just those in “creative positions”―can make a place for creativity in their daily practice. Replete with creativity exercises and stories from the field, the book guides readers in developing an internal culture of creative learning, as well as delivering increased value to museum audiences.

Genres: Museums, Museology, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2013

Reviews

[J L R Webbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the intended audience of Creativity in Museum Practice is museum professionals, the themes and tactics covered apply to nearly all types of work environments. Fostering creativity amongst employees is not the exclusive domain of the museum field, though perhaps the public engagement aspect is a bit less universal. Linda Norris and Rainey Tisdale have put a lot of thought into their work, as evidenced by the sharing of practical suggestions for facilitating creativity in the workplace. Too often, business models rely on a strict hierarchy that stifles the skills the authors wish to encourage. Front-line interpreters and docents generally have the highest level of contact with museum patrons, so this vast resource should be integral to program development.

This book is a valuable resource for managers whether they work in a museum, theatre, or Fortune 500 company. All businesses should strive to allow creativity to flourish, as it is one of the most effective ways to increase productivity. The most effective leaders should ensure their staff has the proper tools, then step back and allow them to work. 

The “Try This” exercises sprinkled throughout provide easy-to-implement strategies to jump-start the creative process; or, to reference terminology used by the National Association of Interpretation, build “the interpreter’s toolbox. Likewise, alternative perspectives presented in the “Your Creative Practice” segments add depth. The text may not follow the standard academic citation protocols, but there are sixteen pages of references for those seeking recommendations for further reading. 

There’s not much to take issue with here; however, expectations fall somewhat short in one aspect. Though the intentions of the “Your Creative Practice” examples are sincere, the lack of cultural diversity dates the work. Understandably most contributors are from the United States, where Creativity in Museum Practice was written and published. To be precise: of the 37 stories included: 27 are from Americans, 6 from Europeans, 3 from Canadians, and 1 from an Australian. It’s possible that outside factors contributed to this discrepancy during the writing process but it seems short-sighted to go through the trouble to obtain global perspectives yet neglect most of the world in doing so.

In conclusion, Creativity in Museum Practice is an excellent resource for those in museum leadership positions. The authors provide practical suggestions to facilitate creativity and keep in mind that some institutions have limited resources. A few global perspectives are present, but the lack of cultural representation outside Europe seems a bit dated in 2022. Even so, this book remains a solid recommendation for anyone looking to improve interpretive programming and employee satisfaction.

[Lenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book - it´s full of ideas, engaging, motivational. It guides the readers on their journey into discovering and fostering creativity as a personal practice but also at the workplace and within wider community.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book written by two women who truly love museums is brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. My favorite chapter is "Tools for Creative Cultures" with its exploration of prototyping and brainstorming. The thing I didn't really like was the layout. There were a lot of interjections and sidebars that took up whole pages, so reading the main text was often disjointed.

[Mills College Library]

069.4 N856 2014