
Although memories can be deceptive Alison James recalls being a highly creative child when her age was still in single figures, but from some point onwards - was her secondary education a coincidence? - this creativity seemed to be gradually suffocated. Whether this was from external forces or intrinsic factors such as a fear of embarrassment or lack of confidence in drawing and other creative practices, is murky territory. Part of it might even have been the expectation - inculcated in her schooling - that creativity was what you engaged in if you were less good at Maths, English, History and so on. What is clear however is that creativity has re-emerged as the central spine to Alison's later professional and personal activities in many guises, not least in terms of how we teach and learn and what creativity means and looks like in different contexts. Part of this reawakening has been shaped by a trajectory which took her through various occupations before she 'found' education, and also by her shift from having studied traditional academic subjects, in traditional, text-bound environments to then teaching these subjects -and more - within the context of the creative arts, and feeling her own ways of seeing, believing, understanding and operating change exponentially as a result of being immersed in the creativity of others.
Alison has written about her commitment to teaching and learning creatively in many publications, from early work on autobiography and personal development planning in the creative arts, to her present day interests in creativity, imagination and play in higher education pedagogy - most specifically for reflective practice. She co-authored Engaging imagination: helping students become creative and reflective thinkers with Professor Stephen Brookfield (2014) and more about Alison and her work can be found at the companion website http://www.engagingimagination.com Alison was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2014.
Alison has written about her commitment to teaching and learning creatively in many publications, from early work on autobiography and personal development planning in the creative arts, to her present day interests in creativity, imagination and play in higher education pedagogy - most specifically for reflective practice. She co-authored Engaging imagination: helping students become creative and reflective thinkers with Professor Stephen Brookfield (2014) and more about Alison and her work can be found at the companion website http://www.engagingimagination.com Alison was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2014.