Narrating Creative Process

Abstract

How might stories about making things shed light on cultural theorizations of the creative process work? This essay draws on oral narratives about Vishwakarma�the �Universe Maker� and the ancestral deity of Hindu artisans�along with his sons, daughters, and legendary human descendants. In a range of localities, languages, and dialects across India, written and oral myths and legends affirm hereditary artisan castes� connections to the divine craftsman Vishwakarma, even as the individuals who retell such stories may now pursue different occupations. Such narratives, I argue, offer insights into shifting associations between deities and hereditary caste occupations in India, while also commenting on the pleasures and dangers of creativity.