ABSTRACT
This chapter, on the processuality of composing, discusses the intertwining of exploring, understanding, valuing and making. All these activities are simultaneously corporeal and cognitive, a fusion perfectly articulated by the expression embodied mind. It concentrates on forms of knowledge that shape the composing agency. The practice of composing is anchored in cultural traditions, past experiences and habituated modes of thinking. That does not mean that it is predetermined. After all, present-day actions take shape within their specific situations. The concept of knowledge, however, should not tempt towards implicit ontological beliefs. Many psychologists emphasise the importance of being gifted and talented, characteristics which are usually mentioned in the subject literature alongside the physiological requirements for top-level sports and for the arts. Frequently, composing processes contain complex tasks that indicate challenging achievements. This is why these creative processes often take months. During that time, various work modes occur: intuitive and reflective, exploratory and systematic.
