Hackers and makers are curious folks. Fond of trial-and-error approaches, they tinker, try, and test. As a result, they tend to be self-driven learners. Curiosity, creativity, and learning-by-doing are therefore key to communities like hacker- and makerspaces too. And yet, learning as such is not necessarily what motivates members to join such communities. How then, are curiosity and creativity, making and learning interrelated?
This talk explores how former and current community members view and navigate the interplay between curiosity and creativity, making and learning. Drawing on their experiences and observations, based on qualitative research (interviews and a survey), I discuss how hacker- and makerspaces can foster creativity and curiosity-driven learning – while likewise raising some challenges. Despite some hackers and makers being hesitant to label what they do as learning, creativity itself is considered a skill to be nurtured in practice. Members tend to expect that such a self-directed approach to creativity is cultivated by others too. This has implications for new members and communal dynamics.