This chapter describes how UxD learning can be thought of as a form of creative learning and how the result of UxD learning experiences can be thought of principled contributions to oneself and others.

Creative endeavors are inherently uncertain. Consequently, it is not surprising that when engaging in such efforts one will encounter obstacles, setbacks, and failures along the way. Such setbacks are emotionally laden and can elicit such profoundly negative emotions that people may experience a state of creative mortification. Creative mortification results in people abandoning or indefinitely suspending their creative efforts and aspirations. The aim of this chapter is to explore an alternative and more adaptive outcome to creative setbacks, even emotionally painful setbacks. Specifically, this chapter will outline how creative curricular experiences can serve as a vehicle for students to learn how to navigate uncertainty and difficult emotions toward creative expression and development. In particular, we will introduce a process model that can help researchers and educators conceptualize the roles creative self-beliefs and emotions play in shaping different pathways that students can take when they encounter uncertainties and setbacks and in their movement toward creative expression and development. Implications and future directions for research and practice will also be discussed.

Outside of the home environment, classrooms represent one of the most persistent and frequented settings where young people spend their time. Classrooms thereby hold much potential for creative identity development. “Creative identity development” refers here to the crystallization of creative interests (“I like writing short stories”) and aspiration (“I want to be short story writer”) into more stable beliefs about one’s broader identity (“I am a creative short story writer”) and sense of self (Beghetto, 2013; Beghetto & Dilley, 2016). Given that some young people also go on to become teachers, classrooms represent a site where adults can continue to develop and express their creativity in the domain of teaching (Beghetto, 2017). How then might school and classroom experiences support students’ and teachers’ creative identity development? The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of factors involved in creative identity development.