Navigating the 4 stages of the creative process
There’s something thrilling about a having a light bulb moment. The instant everything clicks and a great idea hits you. There are all sorts of names for that flash of genius, whether its eureka moment, illumination, or aha moment. Whatever you call it, it’s common among all of us and a vital point in creation.
According to legend, the sight of a falling apple is what prompted physicist Isaac Newton’s eureka moment, leading him to develop his theory of universal gravitation in 1666.
Classic stories of great ideas that come at random times like Newton’s make it easy to believe these moments of insight come out of thin air, but psychology and cognitive science studies hint toward a deeper process behind creativity.
When it comes to breaking down the process that many artists and innovators go through to establish something new, psychologist Graham Wallas’ model of the creative process is typically referred to. In 1926, Wallas published The Art of Thought where he proposed one of the earliest models of the creative process.
Since then, the conversation around human creativity and its process has grown but for now, I’ll stick to unpacking the very basics. Let’s cruise through the four stages Wallas pinpointed in the creative process:
The Preparation Phase
It all starts with the preparation phase. Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like – preparation. Realistically, preparation is happening everywhere and anytime. You may not even realize that you’re “preparing”. When you look at the colours of the fruits and veggies in the grocery aisle your mind may be collecting inventory for your next painting. When you read an article online or scroll through your newsfeed, your mind is taking in all kinds of stimulus and information for your next project.
Preparation is all about collecting information whether that may be actively researching something you’re passionate about or seeking some inspiration to change up your perspective. During preparation, you may be playing around and experimenting with ideas and materials whether it’s reading, writing, sketching, etc. When it comes to play time and work time, the two are inseparable. This all sets the stage for the next phase.
The Incubation Phase
At this point in the process, you step away from focusing on the subject, and let ideas settle in your mind. You distract yourself by focusing on something else, or move on with your daily life. This phase could last for minutes, months or years. Though often overlooked, the incubation-sleep-on-it phase is a major part of getting to your hallelujah-eureka-moment!
This is the most elusive part of the process, because you don’t really have control. Sometimes you have to step away from the task to do a better job when you get back to it. In fact, when you procrastinate to “avoid” working, research shows you’re also allowing your subconscious to enhance ideas and make unthought-of connections. More and more studies are showing that procrastination can actually work to your benefit. You’re letting ideas incubate!
In professor Adam Grant’s book Originals, he outlines the results of a study he conducted with his former student, Jihae Shin. They asked a group of participants within a company to come up with new business ideas. They split the group in half, instructing one half to start writing down business ideas. Meanwhile, the other half spent five minutes playing around with minesweeper and solitaire before jotting down their ideas. Independent judges then evaluated the ideas and how creative they were. The half that delayed writing down ideas to play games came up with business ideas that were judged to be 28% more creative.
You can realistically use procrastination purposefully to improve your ideas. Don’t beat yourself up for “sleeping on it” or stepping away from hammering out work for a while. Instead, imagine that your subconscious is taking lead and doing some of the work for you. You’ll be able to return to work with a refreshed mindset, making new imaginative connections, ultimately leading to the illumination phase.
The Illumination Phase
This is when the magic happens. It’s the cliché but brilliant strike of inspiration that happens like a strike of lightening. Innovators and artists alike lust after these moments. Often times, it happens at what seems like the most inconvenient moment.
Why do we always hear those typical stories of people coming up with genius ideas in the shower, a dream, or sitting under a tree after an apple fell on their head?
Whenever I’m doing any design or artistic project, the best ideas don’t always come during class or colleague brainstorm sessions but when I’m at home relaxed on the couch or fresh out of the shower. The scientific explanation for these instances is simple: dopamine drives creativity.
Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that communicate information to our mind and body. The release of a magical and internet-famous neurotransmitter known as dopamine has shown to increase creativity.
Scientists have found a correlation between the release of dopamine and being psychologically “plastic”. In other words, being flexible in exploring and engaging with new ideas and behaviours. Making new unthought-of connections.
Relaxing activities like showering, colouring, and driving home, increase your dopamine flow. So when you’re all comfortable, calm, and collected you may find yourself bursting with an idea and rushing to get it onto a medium – bringing you to verification.
The Verification Stage
Once you’ve implemented the idea buzzing in your brain, you’ve hit the verification stage, completing the creative process. This may just be the most satisfying part of the process, as it comes to a close.
Of course, it’s not always a linear process. The process of creating something doesn’t always seamlessly follow these steps. You may be going back and forth between phases. On top of that, some parts may take years and others only a matter of minutes.
Breaking down the science in this way totally takes away the mysticism of creativity and makes the human more responsible and accountable for good or bad ideas – whether this is a good thing, is arguable.
When you take on a creative project, keep these main takeaways in mind:
You’re always preparing – playtime and work time are inseparable
Procrastinate strategically to let ideas incubate
Great ideas may come at unexpected times – self-care and relaxation is a key player in creativity
When you step back and look at the process, these phases that we all go through no matter what we’re creating. Since the 1920s when this was first proposed, people have suggested all sorts of additional steps and stages in the process. No matter what you go through to create brilliance, hopefully the process has been thrilling and exhilarating.
