A newsletter article describing the author’s growth of her interest in applying the VdTMoCA to communities of people and her wish to understand the impact of the environment on creative capacity. Using a qualitative research design with reflexive ethnography the lived experience of people in the inner city of Pretoria, South Africa, is used. Through a richly painted narrative the author details the decline of a once safe and prosperous housing estate into slum like conditions and through the interaction with two residents highlights the challenging environmental factors that influenced their creative ability. She concludes highlighting the need for occupational therapists to understand the complex nature of the impact of the environment and poverty, designing treatment programmes to purposefully take these environments into account in preparing clients to better cope with their environmental challenges.
Du Plessis, R, (2010) Factors which have an influence on the creative participation of people in an inner city. Creative Ability Colloquium. South Africa.