Creativity 101

The Creative Process

The Creative Process is the best attempt to outline the cycle of a creative endeavor. The steps of the creative process are:

  • Drawing Board
  • Incubation
  • Eureka
  • Critique
  • Testing


These steps have many other names and some people have added some more steps in between. I have tried to name the steps based on what is going on during each step.

Drawing Board

The Creative Process starts when you are confronted with a problem or when you have an idea. Information is gathered to help solve the problem or bring the idea through to the end. A plan might be outlined as to how to move forward.

Incubation

The Incubation phase is most always the longest, most in-depth phase of the Creative Process. It’s where most of the work takes place and usually involves one or more creative blocks or moments where you feel you can’t possibly finish.

Eureka

The Eureka step is more of a moment than an actual step. Many Creatives say that Eureka moments come most often after intense periods of creative blocks talked about in the Incubation phase. Eureka moments are categorized by the “Ah ha” feeling.

Critique

In my experience the Critique phase is the hardest phase to go through for most people because it requires you to show your work to someone else and have them comment on it. The Critique phase may be hard but it’s the most important. During the Critique phase you will hopefully gain insight from the person critiquing your work that will lead to an even better end result. (I say that you will “hopefully gain insight” because just as it’s hard for most people to accept critiques, it’s hard for most of us to give critiques. We don’t want to say something bad about someone’s work so we might lie or not say anything at all. But this is extremely destructive.)

Testing

After all your hard work you will finally put your idea or solution to the test. The testing phase can be many different things. If your end result is a solution to a problem then the testing phase will be to implement the solution to see if it works. If you created a product then the testing phase will be trying to sell it or giving it to a test group to try out.

Turn to Chapter 2 in your Creativity 101 Workbook and complete the creative exercise.



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