Creativity and tourism: the use of paradoxical thinking and arts-based methods to question western research practices.

Research is a creative activity that can be carried out at different stages of the research process. Both creativity and research are concerned with seeking solutions to problems to render a subject in a distinctive way, so it can be applied in practice. The study and use of creativity presupposes a different mindset and research practices and paradoxical thinking is the approach suggested to unfreeze fixed mindsets and lead to more innovative solutions in research. My suggestion is that we could be more at ease with ambiguity and even embrace uncertainty and contradiction, that are a constant both in reality and in the use of creativity but are not yet allowed in academic research and in my perspective, the problem lies exactly here. Researchers often depend on Likert scales, and many other forms to conduct mostly quantitative evaluations of their studies. But if we negotiate with ourselves and allow a conversation between both sides of the brain and give ourselves time to play to explore paradoxical ideas, we are entering a process of paradoxical thinking. This thinking considers the two opposite sides of the brain to complement each other. Paradoxical thinking is therefore the foundation of creative thinking, of thinking outside the box. I found that creative tourism provides an inspirational bridge that brings together research and practice through artistic skills and presents an opportunity for learning how to develop personal (and perhaps group) creativity and foster a systemic change in disrupting the way we are conducting research.