Creativity and the Study of Emotions

The article discusses creativity from a methodological perspective. It takes the point of view of an International Relations scholar commenting on the constraints and possibilities of creativity in incorporating emotions, the sublime and subliminal in academic research. The article uses examples from a study of violence and compassion in Chechnya and examines emotions and open-mindedness as means to tap into something deeper than what the intellectualist model of thinking encourages. It is argued that by welcoming emotions into the field of human sciences the researcher can better harness creative sensibilities.