Creative Women's Developmental Patterns Through Age Thirty-Five

This article summarizes the results of a research study designed to examine the developmental patterns of highly creative female artists. Eleven women, ages 26 through 33, representing various art areas were selected to participate in the study. All of the artists have been recognized for significant accomplishments at an early age. An in-depth phenomenological analysis was used to examine the subjects' perceptions of events and driving forces that lie behind outwardly manifested human behaviors and actions. The study examined the impact of societal influences on the creative development of these talented women in the following areas: formal educational experiences, familial support, the role played by mentors, and the artists' views about the development of their own creative processes. Results indicated that despite negative formal educational experiences, the women generally had supportive families and the benefit of at least one influential mentor in their lives. The women selected their art area at a very young age and found societal pressures to be minimal in pursuit of their creative interests. Each woman experienced a strong personal drive to create and need to share their products with appropriate audiences.