Open in app

Sign in

Write

Sign in

Mastodon

Mapping Strategic Moves #6: Before, Role Models, and After

Oliver Ding
CALL4
Published in
29 min read4 days ago

--

Using the House of Project Engagement as a Strategic Map

This is part of the series of Mapping Strategic Moves.

The previous articles use my four creative journeys between 2019 to 2024 to test the House of Project Engagement as a strategic map. The #5 article returns to the map itself and discusses three thematic rooms.

Today I will focus on “Before”, “Role Models’, and “After” thematic rooms.

By combining the themes of “Before,” “Role Models,” and “After,” we can trace a foundational path for the development of subjectivity, which is closely linked to agency, self, and identity.

For further discussion, I focus on Building A Creative Identity by introducing three ideas as Models to understand it.

Contents

1. Social Landscape: The House of Project Engagement

1.1 Thematic Room: Boundary, Symbol, and Key Term
1.2 The “Before” Thematic Room
1.3 The “Role Models” Thematic Room
1.4 The “After” Thematic Room

2. Building A Creative Identity

3. The Being-by-doing Principle

3.1 Degrees of Freedom
3.2 Being vs. Doing

4. The “GAP” projects

4.1 The Concept of GAP Projects
4.2 Case Studies of GAP Projects
4.3 Structural Choice in Timing

5. The Thematic Identity Curation Toolkit

5.1 Thematic Echo
5.2 Thematic Blend
5.3 Thematic Integration
5.4 Creative Projects
5.5 Identity Development

6. The “Before — Role Models — After” Path

1. Social Landscape: The House of Project Engagement

In May, I developed version 3.0 of the Project Engagement approach. While version 1.0 focused on the Developmental Project Model, version 3.0 expanded on this by curating a range of knowledge frameworks to explore project-oriented social ecology.

This is a comprehensive theoretical toolkit, as illustrated in the diagram below.

The diagram consists of two key components:

  • The top section represents a Map.
  • The bottom section showcases several knowledge frameworks.

Between May and June, I collaborated with friends to test this theoretical toolkit in various fields, including higher education teaching, life narrative practices, and youth developmental discovery.

To support a friend’s workshop in June, I simplified the Project Engagement approach (v3.0) by selecting only its Map component. This led to the creation of the House of Project Engagement.

Designed as a Map, the House of Project Engagement uses a “Museum” metaphor to represent space. The House is organized into 12 thematic rooms, each representing a distinct type of social landscape. Together, these rooms depict the following themes:

  • Before
  • Role Models
  • Ideas
  • Possible Project
  • Meet with Others
  • Actual Project
  • Settings
  • Supportive Platform
  • Public Square
  • Network of Project
  • Conflict
  • After

In the previous article, I discussed three thematic rooms: Ideas, Possible Project, and Actual Project. In this article, I will focus on Before, Role Models, and After.

1.1 Thematic Room: Boundary, Symbol, and Key Term

Each thematic room is constructed around three key elements: Boundary, Symbol, and Key Term.

The seed of this idea is the sign of Creative Life Theory, illustrated below.

The above image was designed with three components: a square, a circle, and a sandglass. Each of these elements represents a key aspect of the Creative Life Theory.

The Square is used to design 12 thematic rooms for the House of Project Engagement. To reflect additional aspects of human life and the social landscape, I introduced various symbols inspired by the Developmental Project Model diagram.

As a Map for strategic narratives and life narrative practices, I use simple words as Key Terms to highlight the uniqueness of each thematic room. There are no strict rules for interpreting these key terms; they are meant to trigger recall, association, and discussion.

1.2 The “Before” Thematic Room

The Key Term “Before” refers to a temporal state prior to the start of a journey.

On an abstract level, it represents a thematic space where Subjectivity takes center stage, while Socialization is suspended.

The above picture presents relevant data from the previous four case studies.

A1

I have been fascinated with creativity and discovery for many years.

B1

In 2014, I reflected on my career development and began studying various theories, including Activity Theory.

C1

From 2014 to 2018, I studied various theoretical frameworks, with a special focus on Ecological Psychology. During this time, I developed several ideas, including the concept of Attachance, aiming to extend Ecological Psychology into a broader social theory.

D1

In 2019, I completed a book draft titled Curativity: The Ecological Approach to General Curation Practice. Knowledge Curation is a case study of Curativity Analysis in the book.

As noted earlier, “…There are no strict rules for interpreting these key terms; they are meant to trigger recall, association, and discussion.” In these four notes, I used varying time scales.

Feel free to interpret it loosely, as it only offers a backdrop for mapping a journey.

1.3 The “Role Models” Thematic Room

The Key Term “Role Models” refers to ideal figures or models that individuals look up to in their lives.

On an abstract level, it reflects a personal preference for cultural development, as role models symbolize cultural-historical evolution.

The above picture presents relevant data from the previous four case studies.

A2

Creative scholar Howard Gruber has been my role model since 2017, although I haven’t conducted any projects using his historical-cognitive approach.

B2

As a digital interaction researcher and designer, I found Bonnie A. Nardi’s books particularly relevant, as she serves as a key bridge between Activity Theory and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

C2

The key intellectual figures who inspired me on this journey were a small group of interconnected psychologists: James J. Gibson, Kurt Lewin, Fritz Heider, and Roger G. Barker. I also deeply admired Harry Heft’s work in connecting Gibson, Barker, and William James.

D?

I didn’t mention the “Role Models” in Journey D, Exploring Knowledge Engagement because I wanted to craft a unique path of a case study.

There’s no need to reference every thematic room when mapping a journey!

However, if we were to include some figures in the “Role Models” thematic room for Journey D, I would invite you to visit HERO U — A New Framework for Knowledge Heroes, where I acknowledged the following individuals as knowledge heroes:

  • Stephen R. Covey
  • Etienne Wenger
  • BJ Fogg
  • Donald Alan Schön
  • Chris Argyris

Additionally, I mentioned a close friend, an innovative psychologist and expert on ecological, personality, and innovation psychology. Unlike traditional scholars, he has developed several theories, which he used as a basis to invent numerous patented tools and methods, instead of writing academic papers. His inventions have garnered significant interest and appeal.

Is my friend a Role Model for me?

Absolutely!

He inspired my exploration of the Theory — Practice gap, Ecological Psychology, Activity Theory, and Creativity. I also emulated his strategy to develop theoretical approaches and build a creative life.

1.4 The “After” Thematic Room

The Key Term “After” refers to a temporal state that follows the completion of a journey.

On an abstract level, it can be seen as a thematic space where Reflectivity becomes the focus, while socialization is suspended.

The above picture presents relevant data from the previous four case studies.

A9

Inspired by Mr. Lui’s creative life, I envisioned Creative Life Theory as my future vocation.

A13

In April 2024, I reflected on my five-year creative journey, during which I generated 30 books (drafts). This reflection led to a Creative Life Discovery project, generating new creative themes.

A14

In May 2024, I set a vision to develop a Strategic Development Psychology over the next five years.

B11

By the end of 2021, I chose “Strategy” and the AAS framework as the central theme for my work in 2022.

B16

In June 2024, I began thinking about the Genidentity of Activity Theory.

B17

In August 2024, I introduced a new tool for selecting frameworks called Applied Activity Theory.

C23

In July 2024, after returning to the U.S., I completed Project Engagement (v3.1) with a Chinese-language thesis. However, I detached the concept of Social Landscape from the thesis and developed it into a standalone framework, which I later applied to the Strategic Moves project in September 2024.

D7

From September 2020 to March 2021, I wrote three book drafts: Activity U, Project-oriented Activity Theory, and Platform for Development. In May 2021, I developed the Career-fit framework, discovering opposite themes like “Concept vs. Diagram,” representing cross-domain cognitive experiences.

D25

In May 2024, I concluded the Knowledge Center project and the Value Circle project, recognizing the journey as a creative exploration of the theory-practice connection. This reflection resulted in the book draft Center, Circle, and Genidentity, which incorporated the Evolving Knowledge Enterprise model into a framework for developing General Genidentity Theory.

D26

From May to August 2024, I refined the Project Engagement approach (v3.1). In September 2024, I returned to the Strategic Moves project, launching a new theme, “Knowledge Strategy,” which focuses on strategies for knowledge-related activities.

Some key phrases emerge from the above items:

  • Inspired…
  • Envisioned… as my future vocation
  • Reflected… generating new creative themes
  • Set a vision… over the next five years
  • Chose… as the central theme…
  • Began thinking about…
  • Introduced a new tool…
  • After returning to…
  • Completed… detached… later applied to…
  • Developed…
  • Concluded… recognizing…
  • Refined… returned… a new theme

It’s clear I was quite active in the “After” thematic room too, as it connects both the past and the future.

2. Building A Creative Identity

By combining the themes of “Before,” “Role Models,” and “After,” we can trace a foundational path for the development of subjectivity, which is closely linked to agency, self, and identity.

In his 1994 book In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life, developmental psychologist Robert Kegan used the metaphor “School — Curriculum — Student” to describe the relationship between “social expectations” and “mental complexity.” This serves as a concrete representation of the “Self — Other” dynamic, with “cultural demands” and “social expectations” often used interchangeably.

While Kegan focuses on general life development, my interest lies in the creative life development of knowledge creators. In the Mapping Strategic Moves method, I substitute Kegan’s “cultural demands” with “cultural inspiration” to capture the impact role models have on a creator’s development — particularly in terms of agency, character, and motivation.

For example, I was motivated by Bonnie A. Nardi’s creative life in Journey B, Engaging with Activity Theory. Nardi is an activity theorist, HCI researcher, and anthropologist known for her contributions to activity theory, interaction design, games, social media, and society and technology. In the third article of Activity U, I explored her story: Activity U (III): Bonnie Nardi’s Choices and Boundary Knowledge Work.

From Nardi, I not only learned how to apply Activity Theory to HCI field, but also adopted a mindset of Appropriating Theory in my work. I am not suggesting everyone needs to study theory; rather, I believe in the personal value of engaging with it. Nardi’s influence extends to my personal epistemology — my beliefs about knowledge and knowing.

In Mapping Strategic Moves #5: Ideas, Possible Project, and Actual Project, I mentioned three key components of the Structural Choice framework:

  • Maps
  • Models
  • Moves

The House of Project Engagement serves as a Map for mapping strategic moves, functioning independently from Models.

However, the Mapping Strategic Moves method goes beyond simply using the House of Project Engagement to narrate events. To dive deeper into the complexity of the Moves, we adopt various knowledge frameworks as Models.

The “Before — Role Models — After” path represents a key theme: Building A Creative Identity.

How do we understand the complexity and dynamics behind this theme?

“Before” and “After” represent the temporal structure of the life course, aligning the following diagram of the Path of Creative Life.

Inspired by Activity Theory, the Creative Life is viewed as the transformation between individual actions and collective culture. As noted earlier, “Role Models” acts as the cultural inspiration for creators.

From a phenomenological perspective, the above diagram echoes a classical view of time, developed by Saint Augustine (354–430).

This above diagram draws inspiration from theoretical sociologist Ping Keung Lui’s 2002 book Gaze, Action, and the Social World. Lui’s approach begins with an ontology of action, influenced by Saint Augustine (354–430), Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), and Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908–1961). Lui expresses this concept through the statement :

The body is in action, action is in the fleeting moment, the fleeting moment is in the body.

According to Lui, “This moment is Augustinian, it comprises at the same time the Present of the Past, the Present of the Present, and the Present of the Future. The actor Remembers in the present of the past, Pays Attention in the present of the present, Expects in the present of the future.” (p.235–236, 2010, The Scientific Project of Sociology)

If we revisit the Path of Creative Life diagram, we can see its connection to Lui’s notion of the fleeting moment.

  • Reflection: Remembers in the present of the past
  • Emergence: Pays Attention in the present of the present
  • Anticipation: Expects in the present of the future

Thus, the “Before” thematic room is tied to Anticipation, or the Present of the Future, while the “After” thematic room links to Reflection, or the Present of the Past.

Both Activity Theory and Ping Keung Lui’s Theoretical Sociology inspired me to develop Creative Life Theory by curating a series of knowledge frameworks.

In the sections that follow, I will introduce three new ideas from Creative Life Theory that help explain the process of Building a Creative Identity:

  • The Being-by-doing Principle
  • The GAP Projects
  • The Thematic Identity Curation Toolkit

It starts with the Being-by-doing Principle as a theoretical foundation and then branches out into two complementary practical components: the GAP Projects and the Thematic Identity Curation Toolkit. The GAP Projects focus on the “Before” projects and the “After” projects, while the Thematic Identity Curation Toolkit focuses on curating life themes into a meaningful whole for building a creative identity.

3. The Being-by-doing Principle

The Being-by-doing principle was introduced in March 2022 as part of the Life Discovery Toolkit, an application of the Life-as-Project approach.

As the first module of the Life Discovery Toolkit, the Life Discovery Orientation uses three dimensions of the concept of “Life” to explore the concept of “Freedom” in the context of individual life development. It goes further to lead a dialogue between Humanistic Psychology and Activity Theory, inspiring the Being-by-doing principle.

3.1 Degrees of Freedom

The Life Discovery Orientation model was developed using three dimensions of the concept of “Life”:

  • Life as Organism: rooted in biological theories.
  • Life as Practice: grounded in social theories.
  • Life as Ideal Type: derived from the humanities.

These three perspectives represent Biological Life, Sociocultural Life, and Spiritual Life. I also defined three types of Freedom.

  • Material Freedom: Independence from both Sociocultural Life and Biological Life.
  • Mental Freedom: Independence from both Spiritual Life and Biological Life.
  • Cultural Freedom: Independence from Sociocultural Life and Spiritual Life.

This model raises the question: What’s Freedom? My simple answer: Supply — Demand = Freedom.

3.2 Being vs. Doing

The concept of “Supply — Demand” is influenced by economics, but I was also inspired by developmental psychologist Robert Kegan’s In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life (1994).

In Over Our Heads focuses on the fit or lack of fit between what the culture demands of our minds and our mental capacity to meet these demands. According to Robert Kegan, “The psychological phenomenon is the evolution of consciousness, the personal unfolding of ways of organizing experience that are not simply replaced as we grow but subsumed into more complex systems of mind…The cultural phenomenon is the ‘hidden curriculum,’ the idea that to the list of artifacts and arrangements a culture creates and the social sciences study we should add the claims or demands the culture makes on the minds of its constituents.” (1994, p.9)

Kegan developed an analytic tool to understand the mental complexity inherent in social expectations. He used general words to describe his theory:

  • A philosophy-laden theory
  • A theory of the psychological evolution of meaning systems or ways of knowing
  • A theory of the development of consciousness — and using it as an analytic tool to examine contemporary culture
  • …It will enable us to consider the fit, or lack of fit, between the demands our cultural curriculum makes on our consciousness on the one hand, and our mental capacities as “students” in this ongoing school on the other.

Kegan’s “psychological—cultural” dialogue approach is the seed of my ideas on freedom, resulting in a model that connects Humanistic Psychology and Activity Theory with the Being-by-doing Principle.

  • Activity Theory: Doing represents delivering Value as Offers to others.
  • Humanistic Psychology: Being represents maintaining Equilibrium as Order for oneself.

A balance between delivering value (doing) and maintaining internal equilibrium (being) ensures a sustainable supply system for satisfying others’ demands.

4. The “GAP” projects

While Kegan focuses on mental capacities, my Project Engagement approach views social landscapes — such as projects and social contexts — as containers for developing diverse capacities.

In Project Engagement, the metaphor of “School — Curriculum — Student” is replaced by “House — Map/Model — Explorer,” positioning people as creators who explore and shape social landscapes.

The Being-by-Doing principle is further supported by incorporating GAP projects as solutions for harmonizing doing and being.

4.1 The Concept of GAP Projects

Inspired by the concept of a gap year, I developed “GAP” projects as an application of the Developmental Project model.

“GAP” project refers to informal activities between formal projects. The “After | Before” structure classifies these projects into two types:

  • The “After” Project, like Creative Life Curation
  • The “Before” Project, like Creative Life Discovery

4.2 Case Studies of GAP Projects

In 2022, I transformed my habit of reflecting on personal experiences into a professional knowledge framework, resulting in a book draft titled Creative Life Curation: Turning Experiences into Meaningful Achievements.

First-order Experience refers to normal life experiences. The girl sees the ocean. Second-order Experience refers to Creative Life Curation. We need to curate pieces of normal life experiences into a meaningful whole.

The Creative Life Curation framework involves analyzing projects, with units of analysis such as Creative Projects. Three examples include:

Case 1 is about a three-week writing project. Case 2 is about a ten-day road trip. Case 3 is about a one-year informal learning and thematic conversation project.

I followed a consistent strategy for running these Creative Life Curation projects:

Project (Actions) → Stories (Notes) → Model → Creative Work

I relied on notes as raw materials to run the creative curation process. During the process of running a project, we could write some notes about the project. After closing the project, these notes could be reused for a Creative Life Curation project.

While the “After” Project is associated with a previous project, the “Before” Project is associated with a potential project.

What does it mean?

It means the “Before” project is an informal project that doesn’t have a clear objective.

It may lead to a new project, or not.

The “Before” project is about Creative Life Discovery.

Creative Life Discovery is harder than Creative Life Curation because the former doesn’t have clear objectives, raw materials, etc while the latter has a finished project that could generate enough information for curation.

In 2023, frameworks like Strategic Thematic Exploration and Thematic Space Theory (TST) guided my Creative Life Discovery projects. Three examples include:

  • The Mental Moves Project (Started on March 24 and closed on July 31)
  • Projectivity as Cultural Attachance (Started on Oct 20 and closed on Oct 30)
  • Discover Thematic Spaces of Creative Life and Thematic Space Theory (Started on Oct 31 and Closed on Dec 5)

Case 1 involved creating a detailed plan to edit a book on the concept of Attachance. As I progressed, I developed a model and used it to conduct case studies, one by one. The results exceeded my initial expectations, moving beyond the scope of the original plan.

Case 2 focused on embracing unexpected discoveries. Initially, I viewed the D.I.V.E. framework as a subtype of the Developmental Project model. In its visual representation, I placed D.I.V.E. within the “Theme — Content — Program” thematic space of the model. This action sparked further exploration of thematic spaces within my diagrams, which ultimately led to the development of the Thematic Space Theory (TST) Framework.

Case 3 was about navigating a messy set of ideas. In October 2023, I wrote about various concepts, including Attachance Theory, Thematic Space, Social Moves, Meaning Matrix, and Creative Diagramming, among others.

What these three cases share is the process of capturing significant insights.

I use the notion of “significant insights” in the context of Life Discovery Activities, viewing them as crucial outcomes of the process. A significant insight can directly or indirectly spark a new activity. It’s not necessary to label an insight as “significant” when it first emerges; upon reflection, we can recognize it as significant when it leads to activities that ultimately reshape our lives.

4.3 Structural Choice in Timing

The timing of “GAP” projects is a Structural Choice, either between creative projects or life journeys.

For example, a significant creative transition occurred in October 2022 between two formal projects within my creative journey:

  • Before: The Knowledge Curation Project (June 26, 2020 — Oct 18, 2022)
  • After: The Creative Life Theory (v1) Project (Nov 2, 2022 — Dec 29, 2022)

Recently, I also chose to run the GAP project. In April 2024, I ran a Creative Life Curation project, reflecting on a five-year creative journey. This journey ultimately led to a new project, Strategic Life Development, and a meta-framework for Theoretical Psychology.

Two formal projects:

  • Before: A 5-year Creative Journey (with 30 possible books) (March 16, 2019 — March 30, 2024)
  • After: The Strategic Life Development project (May 6, 2024–present)

Two “GAP” projects:

  • After: A “Creative Life Curation” Project (April 2024)
  • Before: A “Creative Life Discovery” Project (April 2024)

The diagram below represents the deep links between two “GAP” projects.

The above diagram represents the path of developing an Objective for the Strategic Life Development project and three creative themes as Objects.

If we put Oct 2022 and April 2024 together, we see a Thematic Analogy. My “Before” project in 2022 and my “Before” project in 2024 are similar. This realization led to an Anticipatory Analogy: I anticipated that my outcomes in April 2024 would echo those of October 2022, guiding my decision-making and creative direction.

It is a Structural Choice to 1) run a “GAP” project, or 2) don’t do it, after closing a creative project or a creative journey. To many people, this is a hidden choice.

More details can be found in A 5-year Creative Journey and Two “GAP” Projects.

5. The Thematic Identity Curation Toolkit

The Thematic Identity Curation framework was introduced in May 2024 by curating multiple knowledge frameworks into a cohesive whole.

“Theme” and “Identity” are two key elements of the Developmental Project Model, which forms the foundation of the Project Engagement approach. Between 2021 and 2024, I developed several knowledge frameworks focused on themes, identity, and related concepts. In May, I captured a key insight: Thematic Curation as Identity Building.

This insight led to the creation of an integration framework that curates a series of knowledge frameworks, forming a toolkit for building a creative identity. Refer to the large diagram below for details.

From the perspective of Thematic Space Theory, a person’s identity is a dynamic process of thematic curation. Individuals move between various thematic spaces over their life course.

Each thematic space contains a primary theme along with several secondary themes.

Through this journey, a person may uncover a meaningful chain of life themes, revealing connections across different thematic spaces, thus turning them into a meaningful whole. This process is what I call Thematic Identity Curation.

How does it work?

  • Understand the thematic aspects of your ideal identity.
  • Discover past life themes that align with these aspects.
  • Design new projects that emphasize these thematic aspects.
  • Use a framework to manage the entire process.

The Thematic Identity Curation framework highlights the following moments:

  • Thematic Echo
  • Thematic Blend
  • Thematic Integration
  • Creative Projects
  • Identity Development

Each of these moments is paired with a relevant knowledge framework, forming a comprehensive toolkit.

5.1 Thematic Echo

The term ECHO comes from the ECHO Way, which is both a book draft and a framework. The ECHO Way explores the fit between individuals and their environment. This fit occurs in the Echozone, the third container in the following model.

The term “echo” in Echozone refers to the connection between two containers. This connection can lead to significant insights, which may transform either Container X, Container Y, or both. The Echozone can also produce something entirely new that transcends X and Y.

I use Thematic Echo to describe significant moments that emerge from dialogue between two thematic spaces. For instance, the diagram below illustrates a thematic echo between Project-oriented Activity Theory and Curativity Theory.

In April 2021, I began learning Genre Theory. I designed a new diagram for Themes of Practice and shared it on Twitter to discuss Genre Theory. At the time, I didn’t realize the diagram provided a concrete framework for analysis.

In June 2021, I started the Career Curation project, applying the idea of Themes of Practice to create a new concept: Career Themes. This marked a shift from an abstract to a more concrete level of understanding. I realized that the diagram I had created was a powerful tool for analyzing career themes, as it structured the “Practice” part of Themes of Practice.

Later, I formalized this diagram as the Themes of Practice framework. Upon closer examination, you’ll notice several sub-dimensions in the diagram, such as “Concept”, “Project”, and “Activity”.

It’s important to note that I use “Concept”, “Project”, and “Activity” as operational components within the Themes of Practice framework. However, I also draw from Concept Theory, Activity Theory, and Project-oriented Activity Theory as theoretical resources for the framework.

This marks the third thematic echo between Project-oriented Activity Theory and the Themes of Practice framework. For more details, refer to Themes of Practice (2019–2021) and The Echoes of A Thematic Dialogue.

5.2 Thematic Blend

“Thematic Blend” refers to the process of blending several thematic echoes to uncover a cohesive creative life theme.

For instance, the diagram below illustrates a thematic dialogue between the “Activity” thematic space and the “Opportunity” thematic space, spanning from 2019 to 2022 in my creative journey.

During this period, six significant echoes emerged within the thematic dialogue.

  • Sept 29, 2020 — Echo 1: The “Hierarchy” of Human Activity
  • Dec 26, 2022 — Echo 2: “Formation of Concept” and “Themes of Practice”
  • April 2021 — Echo 3: The “Themes of Practice” Framework
  • July 20, 2022 — Echo 4: Rethinking Activity Theory
  • July 31, 2022 — Echo 5: Controversy Mapping and The Thematic Controversy Project
  • Sept 6, 2022 — Echo 6: Grow A Knowledge Enterprise

You can find further details in The “Activity — Opportunity” Thematic Dialogue and The Echoes of A Thematic Dialogue.

In this example, I used Mapping Thematic Dialogue as a method to conduct a Thematic Blend. I’ve also developed additional diagrams to demonstrate thematic blending. The image below provides an example of blending around the theme of Theoretical Integration.

In a blog post titled Meaning Discovery: The “Journey — Challenge — Response” Thematic Space (written on Jan 16, 2024), I described my experience with a thematic blend in the following way:

In the early of Oct 2023, I realized that I did the same thing in 2020.

In 2020, I didn’t know that I was doing a “Theoretical Integration” project.

If someone asked me to do a “Theoretical Integration” project at that time, I wouldn’t accept the challenge because I should believe I couldn’t do it.

In Oct 2023, I was not a Theoretical Psychologist.

I just did an exercise of playing with some techniques of theoretical integration.

I learned these techniques from theoretical sociologists and applied them to a project about curating psychological theories.

……

Today I’d like to find more projects to form a Creative Journey of “Theoretical Integration”.

The following timeline highlights key projects contributing to this creative journey:

  • 2020: The “Project Engagement” project
  • 2022: The “Creative Life Curation” project
  • 2023: The “Mindset” project
  • 2023: The “Social Moves” project

On April 14, 2024, I created several diagrams to visualize this thematic blend. The image below shows the first creative project.

All four projects share the same creative space, framed by the following four themes:

  • Theoretical Sociology
  • Activity Theory
  • Ecological Psychology
  • The Psychology of Creativity

Each project emphasizes the method of Theoretical Integration. When we blend these four projects, we observe the development of a thematic space centered around Theoretical Integration.

This blend also reflects the microdynamics of creative identity.

So, is Oliver Ding a theoretical psychologist?

The answer is less important because the focus is on becoming a theoretical psychologist — by doing what a theoretical psychologist would do.

5.3 Thematic Integration

Thematic Integration refers to curating all creative life themes and projects together to form a cohesive, meaningful whole.

I used two tools in this process: the Knowledge Discovery Canvas and the Thematic Landscape Map.

For knowledge creators, the Knowledge Discovery Canvas helps define nine types of creative thematic spaces. See the picture below.

For instance, on October 31, 2023, I identified eight thematic spaces centered around the primary theme of Creative Life. More details can be found in Creative Life Curation: Discover Thematic Spaces of Creative Life.

The Thematic Landscape Map is used to gain a comprehensive view of everything related to a specific creative life theme. The diagram below shows my “Curativity” theme and its associated knowledge enterprise. Additional information is available in Mapping Thematic Landscape (Curativity, 2019–2022).

The process of Thematic Integration offers more than just an overview — it enables actions such as merging similar themes, planning new projects to bridge themes, and identifying potential new themes.

One effective technique is understanding your thematic preference. Since it’s impossible to work on all thematic spaces and projects simultaneously, you need to prioritize and select a primary thematic space for your next knowledge project.

For example, the diagram below shows my thematic preference in April 2024.

First-order Activity Analysis (DO and SAY): This category focuses on Creative Work. I categorized four thematic spaces under this because they are directly related to creative actions:

  • Value Circle
  • Theoretical Integration
  • Frame for Work
  • Life Reflection

Second-order Activity Analysis (THINK and LEARN): This category is concerned with Meta-knowledge about life and work. I placed the following four thematic spaces in this category:

  • Mental Moves
  • Social Moves
  • Diagram Blending
  • Situational Note-taking

In essence, Thematic Integration provides the foundation for making strategic moves in the development of a creative identity.

5.4 Creative Projects

A key aspect of the Thematic Identity Curation toolkit is the execution of creative projects. I employed the Developmental Project Model, a core component of the Project Engagement approach, to guide this process.

The diagram below illustrates the standard Developmental Project Model, which outlines eight elements that describe a developmental project:

  • Purpose: Why do you want to initiate or join the project?
  • Position: What is the social structure of the project?
  • Program: Does the project follow formal organizational processes?
  • Social: How do you connect with others through your participation?
  • Content: What new information and knowledge do you acquire by joining the project?
  • Action: What concrete actions do you take in the project?
  • Theme: Do you discover new and interesting themes for your life development?
  • Identity: How does your perception of your identity change before and after joining the project?

Your identity is about how others view “what you do” and “who you are”. It’s also part of your self-knowledge. From the perspective of the Project Engagement approach, Identity is an element of a Developmental Project Model and it’s related to other elements.

Your identity is shaped by how others view “what you do” and “who you are,” but it’s also a part of your self-knowledge. From the perspective of the Project Engagement approach, identity is a core element of the Developmental Project Model and is deeply interconnected with the other elements.

Every time you join or leave a project, your identity evolves. This ongoing evolution is what I refer to as the Microdynamics of Identity.

Life is a chain of projects, it is also a projection of social life. By adopting the Developmental Project Model, we gain a structured way to reflect on the development of both personal and social life, allowing us to connect psychology, sociology, and other disciplines in a single unit of analysis.

In a 2021 article titled Personal Innovation as Career-fit, I explored this model using the Activity U project as an example. I initiated the Activity U project in August 2020. The diagram below uses the Developmental Project Model to reflect on my experience throughout the project.

It began on August 19, 2020, with a simple diagram called Activity U, which was an experiment with the HERO U framework. I wrote a post explaining the diagram, originally titled Activity U: The Landscape of Activity Theory. As the project grew, I appended “(Part I)” to the title, expanding it from a single post to a series of articles.

The Activity U project became a long-term engagement with Activity Theory, marking a significant chapter in my creative journey.

5.5 Identity Development

To manage the overall process of identity development, I utilized the Persona Dynamics Framework (Oliver Ding, 2019, 2022). See the diagram below.

Traditional social psychology and sociology theories often focus on interpersonal actions or social roles as units of analysis. Inspired by interaction design and digital social practices, I adopted the term Persona from the field of User Experience (UX) to define an intermediary entity between a person and their social role:

  • Person
  • Persona
  • Social Role

The Persona Dynamics Framework (v2.0) builds upon three key components:

  • Persona Dynamics Framework (v1.0)
  • Possible Selves Theory
  • Anticipatory Activity System (AAS) framework

At the core of the framework is the concept of Possible Personas and the Persona — Activity Fit.

A person could have multiple Personas, each associated with a specific activity. Moreover, the Persona — Activity fit is often perceived by others. See the diagram below.

What’s the difference between Possible Personas and Actual Personas?

  • Possible Personas: These represent personas a person contemplates but where no actual Persona — Activity Fit has yet occurred.
  • Actual Personas: These are personas with established Persona — Activity Fits, perceived by others in real situations.

In other words, Actual Personas emphasize real actions and others’ perceptions.

How do Possible Personas differ from Possible Selves?

  • Possible Personas concern both thoughts and actions, while Possible Selves focus only on thoughts.
  • Possible Personas encompass both subjective and objective aspects, whereas Possible Selves are confined to subjective anticipation.

When we combine these two concepts, we can find a path to actualize Possible Selves. There are many possible personas, but only some can transform into actual personas. The key to this transformation is the Persona — Activity Fit.

Ultimately, some Actual Personas may evolve into social roles.

When a person reflects on their possible selves and decides to act on one particular possibility, they activate an Anticipatory Activity System (AAS).

The Anticipatory Activity System framework draws from Activity Theory, Anticipatory System Theory, Relevance Theory, and other theoretical perspectives. It models the structure of “Self, Other, Present, Future.”

An Anticipatory Activity System consists of two parts: First-order Activity and Second-order Activity. For life development, Life Discovery Activities fall under Second-order Activity, while Life Performance Activities fall under First-order Activity.

As a new approach to Activity Theory, the Anticipatory Activity System (AAS) framework provides an abstract model for understanding future-oriented activities. It’s particularly useful in managing creative projects by maintaining a balance between Life Discovery projects and Life Performance projects.

6. The “Before — Role Models — After” Path

In this article, we explored three key thematic spaces: Before, Role Models, and After. When connected, these spaces form a circular path for Building a Creative Identity. This journey engages core issues of life development, including Self, Identity, Subjectivity, and Agency.

Drawing on the works of Ping Keung Lui’s Theoretical Sociology, Activity Theory, the Project Engagement approach, and Thematic Space Theory, I introduced three new ideas: the Being-by-Doing Principle, the “GAP” Projects, and the Thematic Identity Curation toolkit. These are new components of Creative Life Theory, offering models to better understand the process of Building a Creative Identity.

Inspired by Lui’s Theoretical Sociology, the spaces of Before and After reflect the temporal structure of the life course. The Before space relates to Anticipation and the “Present of the Future,” while the After space focuses on Reflection and the “Present of the Past.”

From the perspective of Activity Theory, Creative Life is a transformative process between individual actions and the collective cultural landscape. In this sense, the Role Models thematic space provides cultural inspiration, linking creators to larger cultural practices and giving context to their identity development.

The Project Engagement approach contributes to the Being-by-Doing principle by introducing the concept of “GAP” projects. These projects, undertaken at specific points after closing a creative project or journey, serve as a structural choice to either take action or pause. The GAP projects highlight the transformative relationship between Doing and Being.

Finally, Thematic Space Theory offers a comprehensive toolkit for Thematic Identity Curation, where a person’s identity is seen as a dynamic process of curating life themes across different thematic spaces. By recognizing and integrating these themes, individuals turn the scattered parts of their life into a meaningful whole, continuously shaping their creative identity.

This strategic journey, mapped across Before, Role Models, and After, provides a deeper understanding of how identity can be actively developed through creative life processes and frameworks.

How You Can Support the Strategic Moves Project?

As an independent researcher and creator, my work is driven by curiosity, creativity, and a desire to explore new ideas. Projects like Strategic Moves, as well as others focused on creativity, social cognition, and knowledge engagement, require time, dedication, and resources.

If my work resonates with you and you find value in the ideas I’m exploring, there are several ways you can support it:

  • Visit my Ko-fi page: Your contributions help sustain ongoing research and creative development. Even small donations make a significant impact and enable me to focus on producing high-quality work.

https://ko-fi.com/oliverding

  • Engage with the content: Share my projects with your network or provide feedback. Engagement from a community of like-minded individuals helps spread the word and adds new perspectives to the work.
  • Collaborate: If you’re interested in collaboration, whether through joint projects, research, or workshops, feel free to reach out. Creative synergy can expand the scope and reach of these projects in exciting ways.

Your support, whether financial or in the form of engagement, is invaluable in helping me continue to explore and map creative landscapes, develop new frameworks, and share meaningful insights with the world.

Thank you for being part of this journey!

References

Strategy
Strategic Cognition
Mapping
Strategic Thinking
Strategy Thinking

--

--

Oliver Ding
CALL4

881 Followers
Editor for

Founder of CALL(Creative Action Learning Lab), information architect, knowledge curator.

Help

Status

About

Careers

Press

Blog

Privacy

Terms

Text to speech

Teams