The Creative Process: A Roadmap
Here is my secret not-so-secret obsession:
Understanding the creative process.
I mean this in the nerdiest way possible – not because I am trying to find a shortcut or a hack. No, no, nope.
Because here is what’s up:
There ain’t any hacks, my friend.
This article is just a tiny glimpse into my nerdy brain. You will get more glimpses soon in future articles.
There is so much to unpack when it comes to the creative process. This is only the beginning.
The creative process: frameworks
I have done quite a bit of research and I cannot find a resource on the creative process that feels satisfying to my brain.
There are a couple of frameworks out there, but I don’t find them very helpful – or necessarily true.
There is one that keeps popping up – it is by political scientist and psychologist Graham Wallas, who divided the creative process into four stages and came up with this framework:
Preparation
Incubation
Illumination
Verification
It might all sound sophisticated, but it’s too simple for my taste.
Most other resources you find on the creative process are mainly based on Wallas’ work.
The only unique one I found that inspired me is by Scott Jeffrey, who came up with four archetypes that correspond with each of Wallas’ four stages:
The Student = Preparation
The Wanderer = Incubation
The Light = Illumination
The Scientist = Verification
I believe that the reason it’s so hard to create a truly valuable framework for the creative process is because it’s a complex and messy one.
“Creative people have messy minds. Creative people also tend to have messy processes.”
– Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire
Creativity is many things but it’s definitely not linear.
This is why I don’t believe in a step-by-step approach or a clean framework to explain the creative process.
Also, I find existing frameworks very simplified and well, to be honest: boring.
It’s not rocket science to understand that first, we need an idea, which we then prepare and elaborate on to then take action.
Different creative ideas have different needs
Every idea and every craft has a different way it wants to be treated:
Sometimes an idea starts out small and incubates into something huge.
Sometimes it starts out small and stays small.
Sometimes it starts out big and ends up small or medium.
Sometimes an idea marinates for a few minutes, other times for weeks and months. Some even more years!
Often, our ideas are subject to and influenced by limiting beliefs and fears in the process and end up getting stuck in the pipeline.
So, you can’t tell me that the creative process is a straightforward concept.
It’s everything but.
What is the creative process really?
It is a journey that takes you from nothing to something; from no idea to the finished creation.
It is a sequence of thoughts and actions that lead to a creative product that you can share with the world. Or not. Whatever floats your boat.
It’s the act of making new connections between old ideas and then turning these into something tangible.
The process is like undertaking an adventure that involves a whole lot of exploration, experimentation and walking into the unknown.
It could be the creative process of:
writing an article (like this one)
creating a YouTube video or client video project
designing a workshop, course or coaching program
composing a piece of music
creating an app or a website
designing a logo or other graphics
creating photographs
Ingredients of the creative process
Instead of suggesting another framework, I propose a bunch of “creative process ingredients”.
Even though what I am about to outline here is technically a list, don’t see it as a series of steps or stages.
Be aware that there is a certain sequence of things, but that eventually the different stages start to overlap and you go back and forth between different ones.
The creative process is messy after all. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be creative.
Also, this is all very general and general is usually not very practical. Hence, keep reading.
Idea Inception
Information intake
An open brain
The Hunch
Flash of insight and eureka moments in the brain —> combining old ideas – connecting already existing ideas or to improve existing ideas – this usually happens when we least expect it
Note-taking system and apps
Incubation and marination
Talk about it
Be a sponge – soaking up lots of ideas around the idea
What’s my Why? What’s my mission with this? How will it help people?
Do I need to learn something new to create the thing?
For bigger projects: How do I validate my idea?
Taking in inspiration
Research
Optional – comes with pros and cons
Before and just before doing the work and during
Setting the environment
Computer or offline
Place and surroundings
Music
What tools/apps will I need?
Workspace rituals
Doing the work
Outline and formulate own ideas about the thing
Write out steps to take and timeframe / deadline
Make it, build it, create it
Brain dump – no editing
Focus and attention
Edit
Usually takes place over several days or weeks
The creative shadow
Confusion / Fear / Darkness
Doubts
Self-confidence and imposter syndrome
Breathe and step away
Let it all marinate more
Get feedback from trusted friends etc.
Give yourself and the project space
Breakthroughs and new ideas
Change/ Adjust
Add on new ideas
Edit more
Completion
Know when you’re done and finish the thing
Take your deadline seriously
Ship the thing
Publish
Launch
Share with the world
Get feedback from the world
Reflect on the process
[This not-a-list list would probably work well as a mindmap. I might create one soon.]
Mapping the creative process for a project
Even if you are now aware of what the general creative process entails, the big scary part is actually doing the work and implementing the ingredients – especially if it’s your first time creating a particular thing. Doing it for the second or third time will be THIS much easier, I promise.
I see so many people get hung up on getting started because they don’t know how to start or feel overwhelmed.
This is due to several reasons, but a big one is that they don’t map out the exact steps they have to take from little or big idea seed to finished creation and sharing it with the world.
This is also where all the theories around the creative process fall short.
They are all highly theoretical but lack practical steps to take, which is probably why they are called theories and not practical steps. (Duh, Conni!)
But seriously – if you want to be a successful creator, then you have got to start with mapping out your creative process for the project idea that you have.
What I mean by this is:
You have to write out all the necessary steps you have to take. At best, you go into a lot of detail with all the little steps.
For example, when I signed a contract to write a book with a publisher, I was intimated and procrastinated to start writing for ages, because “writing a book” sounds absolutely overwhelming and scary AF.
BUT writing 1000 words a day sounds totally doable. That was my simple (but not easy) plan.
Or, let’s say I have an idea for an online program I want to launch.
It’s too easy to procrastinate on the idea without a detailed creative roadmap.
So I sit down and create one, possibly like this:
Identify mission and learning outcomes
Outline and research course
Gather ideas and content for each module
Write out content and create PPT
Record content and edit
Set up an online platform and upload content
Create a sales page
Plan pre-launch and launch and create launch content
Post-launch strategy
These are still very rough steps and in actuality, I would include even smaller steps.
Examples of different creative processes
Here is a little selection of resources outlining processes for various creative projects:
How to Write a Book in 2020 – A Definitive Guide for Writers
How to Create and Host a Live Workshop or Event (in 10 Steps)
These are all very tutorial-style and step-by-step-ish, thus leaving out a lot of ingredients I outlined in my list above.
For whatever you create, I highly recommend that you map out your own creative roadmap by doing some research around your specific creative idea and google eg. “How to create a short documentary” or “steps to write a book”. YouTube is also an amazing resource do go deeper.
In addition, there are a ton of online courses out there that teach you entire creative processes from start to finish in lots of details – let it be from indie creators or platforms like Skillshare and Udemy.
No course, tutorial, and framework can replace your personal unique creative process. It is as individual as we are as humans.
The more you create, the more you learn about yourself and how your creative brain and energies work (or not work – and procrastinate).
Eventually, you create workflows and systems that keep you creative and productive on a regular basis. For me, my system is: create something every day. That’s it.
And even when I have a nice established workflow for my videos or podcasts – each one is different.
There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter process for any project because if it existed, we would take the “creative” out of “the creative process”. Which would leave us with a mere process, which is something we can outsource to robots and artificial intelligence and then that would be the end of art and humanity.
Creativity is one of the most important skills going forward. As of right now, robots don’t have this ability, which is why it’s a little like magic.
Create your heart out.
With love,
Conni.