This month has brought many highs and lows. This has always been a common theme for me. The more I have learnt about neurodiversity, its traits and potential strategies, the more ability I have to accept that this is a part me.

“People with neurodivergent characteristics have a richer tapestry of experiences thanks to their sensory sensitivity and improved perception, which enables them to immerse themselves more fully in the sensory symphony of life. “

Source: https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/10-common-neurodivergent-traits-you-may-have/)

Immersing myself “fully in the sensory symphony of life” may sound a bit pretentious to some readers, but I like it as a visual metaphor. If you can, try and visualise a full orchestra and imagine yourself the conductor. If you have been able to do that, when you are ready, I want you to try and read each descriptor below for 4 of the 9 levels of creative ability. 

Level of Creative Ability	Volition	Motivation	Action
Competitive Participation	Directed towards self-actualization, transcending the self.	Motivated by self-actualization. Driven by the need to contribute more, do better than or differently to others. Able to withstand failure, evaluate situation and try again.	Generates competitive products and systems. Innovative problem solving, continuous improvement/development of products. Able to plan and implement strategies to obtain short and long term goals and overcome obstacles.

Level of Creative Ability	Volition	Motivation	Action
Active Participation	Directed towards transcending the self within personal context and area of productivity	Directed to achieving norms in an individualistic way; willingness to contribute and to compete in terms of evaluation of own actions and abilities and comparing to others (role models)	Original action. Action transcends norms, individualistic and inventive with originality. Competition with norms, attempt to improve on standards and add own authenticity to the outcome. Action is product/process/system centred.

Level of Creative Ability	Volition	Motivation	Action
Imitative Participation	Directed towards productive participation with norm compliance	Preparedness to participate in all areas of occupational performance. Motivation to perform according to set norms and standards in specific contexts.	Product-centered norm compliant action. Imitates norms and standards with insight/understanding of outcome; with compliance to production and social norms.

Level of Creative Ability	Volition	Motivation	Action
Passive Participation	Directed towards productive participation with norm awareness.	Motivation to produce tangible or intangible product. Discovering how to participate effectively in all areas of occupational performance.	Experimental action to develop norm awareness, self-identity, social acceptance, productivity. Action directed towards constructive action but inconsistent, hesitant and unsure of eventual outcome. Action is product-centered.

I could imagine wanting to pay money to go to hear the orchestra conducted by the individual on the “Competitive Participation” level of creative ability. I do not imagine the conductor on the level of “Passive Participation” would have the necessary skills and competence to command their orchestra yet.

Applying this to my quest to implement the VdTMoCA into my place of work, has given me the opportunity to remind myself about the guidance given to practitioners about how to determine what level of creative ability an individual is at:

• The person as an individual – a totality of mind, body and spirit; his will to be; and his motivation to direct his own life. This includes meaningful occupation to the individual, his occupational identity, his past and present occupational performance, and the person factors, performance patterns and skills that support or limit his occupational performance. 

• The environment, contexts and situations in which the person lives and performs occupations, and how these enable, challenge and influence occupational performance. 

To inform treatment and intervention, assessment is of an individual’s current creative ability. The occupational therapist aims to understand the relationship between the person’s volition, motivation and action.

( the grasp this concept please refer to the very useful illustration of the motivation-action-motivation-action loop on p67 of the book referenced below)

In so doing, the purpose of the VdTMoCA assessment is to determine a person’s most consistent level and phase of creative ability, taking into consideration all occupational performance areas.

Source: Van der Reyden,Casteleijn,Sherwood, de Witt “ Origins, Constructs, Principles and application in Occupational Therapy” 2019, pp151

Applying this to me, I understand better now that it would require more information than just how able I am to have the necessary skills and competence to implement the VdTMoCA where I work.