ABSTRACT
Inspiration has been regarded as an important phenomenon in research into artistic creation and art learning (Tyler & Likova, 2012; Chemi, Jensen & Hersted, 2015). Active art appreciation inspires people and facilitates the creativity of art-making, as shown by psychological experiments on drawing (Okada & Ishibashi, 2016). Our recent studies on inspiration in artistic activities have shown that the core of inspiration through art appreciation (ITA) is a dual focus on the artwork (and artist) and the viewer’s own art-making. In this chapter, we outline our model of the psychological process of ITA. We list factors that promote ITA, in particular, those inducing a dual focus in the context of educational practice. Some factors – instruction, methods of appreciation, and methods of selecting and showing artworks – may contribute to educational interventions in museums and schools. Finally, we described a case of art educational practice for undergraduates, designed to promote inspiration.
