Against the Grain: How Denial Can Lead to Creativity

Description

In this paper, we introduce the notion of creative denial – the process through which individuals persist in their vision despite overwhelming opposition, using denial as a fuel to produce novel and useful outcomes. While denial is predominantly associated with negative consequences such as conspiracy theories, ideological rigidity, and cognitive fixation, we argue that, under specific conditions, denial can become a catalyst for creativity. Yet creative denial does not necessarily lead to recognized creative outcomes, that is, outcomes deemed creative beyond the social sphere of the creator. Many acts of creative denial never surface because creators lack the translation skills, social support, or material resources needed to advance their ideas. We theorize the individual, interpersonal, and institutional conditions that determine whether acts of creative denial result in broadly recognized creative outcomes or fade into obscurity.

Period	22 May 2025 → 23 May 2025
Event title	Austrian Early Scholars Workshop
Event type	Conference
Location	Linz, AustriaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International