In this thesis, I study the creative work of new media artists and computer scientists in the digital age. Using a geographical perspective, I consider creativity as a spatio-temporal process during which people, materials, and space interact to produce novel outcomes. This thesis focuses particularly on the role of digital technologies. Digital technologies, such as digital platforms, programs, or devices, can enhance creativity through faster processes, interactions in virtual spaces, and new ways of working. Thus, I scrutinise the socio-material and spatio-temporal contexts that emerge from the use of these technologies and their effect on the creative process.

The theoretical and conceptual framework of this thesis combines relevant literature from relational economic geography and digital geographies. I ask: what are the similarities and differences in the creative processes of new media artists and computer scientists; how are the participants’ creative processes enacted through spatio-temporal relations; in what ways do the technologically mediated space-time practices affect the creative processes of the participants; and how can digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, co-constitute the creative processes of the participants? I utilise interviews, daily diaries, and space-temporal mobility maps to answer these research questions.

The findings accentuate the role of digital technologies as co-constitutes in the participants’ creative processes. Digital technologies present several opportunities for the creative process, such as flexible work arrangements as well as novel tools for creative work. The results also identify challenges brought about by digital technologies, as they can disrupt creative work by reducing the time needed for ideation or by interrupting continuous workflow that facilitates concentration. I also suggest how a geographical approach to the creative process can provide a novel insight into the creative process in the digital age. I contend that organising for creativity in the digital age requires recognising the unique space-time configurations and non-human agencies present in creative work. I also call for better recognition of the inherent value of creativity in everyday life, beyond its economic utility