Where You End and I Begin: Understanding Intimate Co-creation

Creative work is a social process that requires effective collaboration between individuals. Accordingly, theories account for the ways creativity takes place in teams and groups and the role that social networks play in shaping creativity. However, scholars have largely overlooked the role that dyads play in creative work within organizations. This article builds theory on how intimate co-creation occurs and how it influences the generation of creative ideas over time. I theorize that as people create together, they engage in intimate creative interactions, which under certain circumstances lead to the development of a shared interpersonal boundary (i.e., a sense of “we”). This shared interpersonal boundary influences creativity by circumscribing a closed, safe space in which the dyad can explore divergent ideas and manage the paradoxes of creativity; it also enables shared scripts and schemas that help the dyad move through creative blocks. By integrating theories of intimate interactions, psychological ownership, and interpersonal relationships, this article advances our understanding of how dyads—specifically, intimate co-creation—influence creative work.