The Creative Process

Yogesh here!

Today we will be talking about ‘The Creative Process’.

Firstly, let's break it down a bit.

We have Creative as the first word and we have Process as the second word.

So, what does creative mean? Creative means relating to or involving the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something. An example of something creative would be, making an art piece, fixing a problem in a unique way etc. Essentially, anything which is against the standard norm can be classified as being creative.

Now let’s look at the second word. Process. Process would relate to a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular goal. This word suggests that it will not be an instant result, it will require certain stages, a certain amount of time to achieve the final result.

So why is it important?

In life, there needs to be an element of creativity as it allows you to see things differently which can help you deal with situations in a better and more manageable way. It also allows you to have adaptability. It allows you to deal with the unknown more easily. These attributes combined can help you become a better problem solver which can also enable you to find quicker solutions and reach more rewarding outcomes.

The gold standard approach of creative thinking is split into 4 stages:

Stage 1: Preparation

In the preparation stage, we have to collect all the materials, gather all the information. With access to these resources, it allows us to be well equipped to carry out the process.

Stage 2: Incubation

"Then there is this important stage where you let it go," Kaufman explains, stressing that "it's really important." This stage is the one where you might actually want to climb into the bathtub or go for a walk and stop consciously thinking about the problem you're trying to solve. Research shows that letting your mind wander in this way leads to greater creativity.

Stage 3: Illumination

This is the tipping point of the process. Here, you will come up with the eureka idea. Everything just clicks. You would probably say to yourself, “Oh my God! That is the idea!'"

Stage 4: Verification

Do not get overly excited! You have to make sure that it all adds up. Hence, why the verification part is of utmost importance to make sure that it is not some daft idea that you believe to be true but in actual sense it's just some random thought. "Some of the greatest creative ideas of all time can easily be lost because they're not packaged in the right way or consumable," Kaufman warns.

Studies have shown that when you come up with creative ideas the brain activity is synchronised in the frontal cortex and parietal lobes. In a fMRI study, more creative responses were related to increased activation (or usage) of the frontal cortex in the left hemisphere. Combining the results from the patient studies and functional imaging studies, we see that there are a lot of parts of the brain involved with creative thinking.

So today, we have delved deeper into The Creative Process. I have outlined the 4 stages, related it to a bit of neuroscience et cetra. I am sure by now you have some sort of understanding, now you just have to implement it. Try it out! Next time when you are in the bath or walking down the street, you may not expect it, but an idea may just prop up!

Links:

• https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-4-stages-of-creativity.html

• https://filestage.io/blog/creative-process/

• https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-neuroscience-of-creativity-a-q-a-with-anna-abraham/

Are you ready to make that new connection?

Stay tuned for more next week!!