creative poaching and psychological act of editing
Michel de Certeau’s concept of “poaching” in The Practice of Everyday Life highlights how reworking cultural materials parallels the transformative act of editing, where fragments are reshaped into something new. Similarly, in The Art of Memoir, Mary Karr explores how editing one’s own memories through deep introspection forces a reassessment of self and past, turning the psychological act of editing into a profound tool for self-reflection and transformation. Both works frame editing as a philosophical process that redefines meaning and identity.
In Michel de Certeau’s The Practice of Everyday Life, “poaching” refers to the act of creatively reworking or repurposing cultural materials for personal use, often subverting their original intent. It emphasises how individuals navigate and resist dominant structures by transforming pre-existing cultural texts and symbols into something uniquely meaningful. This approach to creative poaching is rooted in everyday practices of reinterpretation, highlighting personal agency in reshaping culture.
While Henry Jenkins discusses “cultural poaching” in fan culture—where fans borrow from media to create new narratives—and Stuart Hall looks at resistance in media through the appropriation of dominant cultural symbols, both center on subcultures challenging mainstream media. De Certeau’s version is broader, focusing on how anyone, through everyday actions, can creatively transform cultural materials, even outside subcultural contexts.