Psyche’s In-Sight: Illumination in Creation Myth and the Creative Process

Remember some of your Aha moments? Your very own Eureka, when a brilliant answer arrived out of nowhere? Those are your moments of insight, or illumination, like when Archimedes leaped from his bath.

Creativity researchers tell us that insight, or illumination, is one stage in the creative process. Many creation myths depict creative illumination, but they do so metaphorically, when light appears during the creation of the world. Through the imagery of light, creation myth conveys the same feelings of awe, brightness, and surprise that accompany insight. C. G. Jung describes a similar process in what he calls the transcendent function, where a psychological problem that seems impossible suddenly gives way to a perfect solution.

This talk examines illumination in the creative process, creation myth, and depth psychology. Join us to exercise your creative imagination by entering the magical world of creation myth, and along the way learn more about your own creative process.

About the Speaker

Joanna Gardner is a writer, mythologist, and magical realist. She co-founded and co-leads the Fates and Graces Mythologium, an annual conference for mythologists and friends of myth. Joanna serves as Managing Editor on the Educational Task Force of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and as a thought leader with the think-tank iRewild, where she works on the EcoStories initiative. Joanna’s research focuses on creation myth and the creative process. Her publications appear in a variety of venues, many of which you can find on her website, joannagardner.com.