Details

Project 1: Profile of the Creative Individual: The Interview and Essay

Description

You will plan and conduct an in-person interview with a creative individual of your choice. The outcome of this project is a polished article that profiles an artist, designer, or otherwise innovative individual, and reveals his or her relationship to creativity and the creative process. You may provide a photograph or illustration of the interviewee if you choose.

The process of creating your interview and essay includes the following:

• Carefully selecting a subject
• Researching background information
• Determining the focus of the interview
• Creating questions for the interview
• Conducting the interview (note taking, audio recording, and videotaping are all acceptable ways to record information)
• Writing at least one draft and a final copy of your article
• Discussing your process of interviewing and writing the article

Purpose

Gain the skills of researching a field of art or design. Learn how to formulate questions to understand another person’s creative process. Engage with an artist or designer by using follow-up questions and adding new insights. Gain knowledge about the principles of the creative process through the discovery of another person’s creative process. Practice writing skills, including forming sentences and paragraphs, organizing a series of ideas in a clear and logical manner, embedding direct quotes and paraphrasing, and applying proper grammatical and mechanical conventions.

Interview Tips

Excerpted from: “Beyond Question: Learning the Art of the Interview,” by Sandhya Nankani and Holly Epstein Ojalvo, The New York Times, 9/20/2010.

• Research. Read and obtain background information about the subject, source, or topic at hand before interviewing so that you can ask informed questions.
• Ask simple questions. Keep your questions short, to the point and focused. Otherwise you risk distracting or confusing your subject, or allowing him or her to answer only part of a complex question. Break down complicated questions into shorter, simpler questions.
• Limit closed-ended questions; use mostly open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions are yes-or-no questions or those that invite very basic, one-word answers. Open-ended questions often begin with “Why?” and “How?” or phrases such as “Tell me about ” or “How does that make you feel?” They invite longer, more insightful responses.
• Ask follow-up questions. An inexperienced interviewer asks a question, notes the response then moves on to the next question. Don’t stick to the script—listen to the answers and probe further before moving on to your prepared questions. Often it is during a follow-up question that the right quote falls into your lap. “Following up” can also involve a non-question, like a sympathetic response, or a gesture of surprise or admiration.
• Take notes. While having an audio recorder is helpful, always keep a notebook handy and use it to jot down quotes, statistics, or facts that strike you. You might also want to write down physical details about your environment and your subject’s appearance, facial expressions, and voice. But be sure to look up from your notebook and maintain eye contact.
• Be conversational without having a conversation. Keep the interview informal and casual, not overly scripted, and go with the flow, allowing your subject to switch directions—as long as you remain in control of the interview and are prepared to steer it back to your topic as needed.

Writing Tips

How to paraphrase your question and embed quotes:

Note: This is not a Q & A style article. It is written in narrative format. You will need to paraphrase what the interviewee said and embed direct quotes.

Here is an example of a direct quote and paraphrased quotes in an article:

When asked about his 16-foot-tall painting, actor and artist Jim Carrey, responded, “Physically, it was a tremendous challenge working on sections of it while hanging from scaffolding and with all the emotional ups and downs.” He added that he’d worked more than 400 hours on the piece in his New York studio.

Here is how the actual conversation went:

Interviewer:  Tell me about the largest painting in your show.

Carrey’s answer:  Physically it was a tremendous challenge working on sections of it while hanging from scaffolding and with all the emotional ups and downs.

Interviewer: How long did it take you?

Carrey’s answer:  Oh, I don’t know. Easily 400 hours or more in my studio, I’d say.

Remember to:

• Provide a context for the quote. (“When asked about his 16-foot-tall painting”).
• Tell us who is speaking, if it isn’t obvious, by introducing the person (“actor and artist Jim Carrey, responded”).
• Paraphrase your question so we know what the speaker is responding to (“When asked about his 16-foot-tall painting”).
• Insert the quote exactly as the person said it, using quotation marks (“Physically, it was a tremendous challenge working on sections of it while hanging from scaffolding and with all the emotional ups and downs.”).
• Follow the quote up with your own response, or some other way to complete the interaction (“He added that he’d worked more than 400 hours on the piece in his New York studio.”).

As a rule, don’t provide more than two sentences of a quote in a row. Insert your own response or an observation to keep the narrative flowing.