Question of Research: Ideas on technology and creativity

What methods can be employed to develop creativity in relation to technology and practice?

Defining technology ...

'the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry'.

'machinery and devices developed from scientific knowledge'.

'the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences'.

From looking up these definitions, I can think of several ways to approach this research question and need to empty my mind of all these thoughts!

I want to look at different types of technology used in illustration. Maybe digital drawing and the tools and programs required for it. But what is considered as technology? Maybe it's not just computers, maybe using tools as simple as pens and paper are classed as technology. Perhaps I can experiment with drawing on Photoshop within my project and compare it to my hand drawn pieces. Do you have to understand the basics of traditional art/design before transitioning to a computer?

I'm also intrigued in using technology to share creativity on social media etc. Would showing your work to the world and getting feedback to develop your practice further? I may do an experiment using a popular sight such as Instagram to see how many people my work could reach by using the most popular hashtags in comparison to what I'd usually tag my work as. I already have a stable following on Instagram so it would be interesting to see if I get responses from outside my normal contacts. I'll keep you posted!

Defining creativity...

'the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness'.

I like the word invention. To me, it has connotations of both creativity and technology. Creativity doesn't have to relate just to painting/drawing. It has many angles such as music, writing, dancing, acting etc. But what i'll be focusing on in this unit is how technology and creativity are relevant to my illustration practice. 

The internet in itself is a great piece of modern technology, a research tool to help spark ideas for creative projects and develop your already existing ideas. I'm interested in looking into the effect this has had on Illustration as a whole. Do you have to be completely original to be considered creative? Is the internet having the opposite effect and making it harder for us to create original work?

I still have too many questions to focus on, but at least with these definitions I can start to move forward with my research and start exploring.