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The Creative Process

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The 5 Steps In The Creative Process

When you look at creative work, you might be amazed at how simple they are, their beauty and their effectiveness. You might wonder how they came up with the idea. How can you use that creative process in your work and life? Creativity is not magic. It’s a mixture of influence, imitation and your own interpretation. It can be more predominate in some people, but everyone can train themselves to be more creative. It’s not just restricted to art or music or inventors. It comes down to training yourself in the creative process.

The creative process is different for everyone yet has the same basic 5 steps. Each step will be different depending on the person, job, industry, creative medium or other factors. It might take days, weeks or months to get an outcome. The creative process is not predictable or linear.

1. Preparation.

The preparation stage is where you gather as much information as possible. You begin becoming immersed with the material. Research is done in this step. Look at the audience, research the brand, gather information and inspiration from other sources.
For example, if you are a writer, this step is the researching facts and reading other works in the same area. If you’re an entrepreneur you’re researching your audience needs and the demand.

2. Incubation.

This is the step that will take time. It’s where the magic happens. After you absorb the information from step one, you begin to examine concepts, look at them in different ways and experiment on how the fit together. This step is when ideas are marinating in your mind. It can be consciously while you are brainstorming or subconsciously. You may have to step away from the problem to do something else that energized and excites you before you come back to it.

3. Illumination.

This is the “Aha!” moment, the lightbulb moment, the “Eureka!” moment when the perfect idea hits you. It’s the breakthrough moment. It’s often unexpected. It happens many times when you are doing a completely unrelated activity. When this moment hits, grab your notebook or sketchbook and jot it down before it gets lost in your brain.

4. Evaluation.

This is the reasoning stage. It’s the hard part where you look at all your ideas and narrow them down to the ones that will work and the ones that won’t. For each idea or solution ask:

• Is it worth pursuing?
• Is it new enough or has it been done many times before?
• Are there changes I could make?
• What do my colleagues, friends, or family think of the idea?

5. Implementation.

This is the stage where the work gets done. It’s where the idea is turned into the final product. It’s where things like your skill, knowledge, experiences and the work all come to.

10 Ways to Develop Creativity

Creativity is something we all use in some form, but many believe they aren’t creative. But the creative mind can be developed. The best way to do that is through practice.

The more you do the things, regularly, that flex your creative muscle, the more you will develop a natural ability to be creative. Developing your creative muscles helps reduce stress and improve your problem-solving ability.

Begin with these 10 steps to develop and enhance your creativity.

Be mindful and observe what others are doing around you. The way we see our surroundings and our environment helps build our creativity. Notice and appreciate everything and everyone around you. This opens your mind to new possibilities while helping you build on collection of experiences to draw from for inspiration.
Be willing to take risks in order to develop your creative skills. While you will fail, you will be boosting your creativity and building skills you can use later.
Every time you make progress with using your creativity, you are building your confidence. Reward yourself for your creativity.
When you approach a problem remember there are multiple solutions. Look for a variety of solutions instead of going with your first one. This helps build problem solving skills and your creative thinking skills.
Start to keep a creativity journal. Use it to keep track of your creative process and any ideas you come up with. Go back and reflect on what you have accomplished. Use it to try to find other solutions to any problems you may have solved already.
Use a mind map or flow chart to connect ideas and look for creative answers to any questions you are facing. For the mind map, write down the central topic or word then link the related ideas around the center word. This gives you a visual for seeing ideas and how they are linked. The flow chart can be used to track what needs to happen when in a project or event. They can also be used to visualize the final product and what needs to happen to get to that finished product.
Develop your creativity by changing your environment. This can as simple as clearing your desk, painting your walls or moving your furniture. Or you can try taking your laptop to work in a different setting such as a restaurant or park.
Fight your fear of failing. If you fear you will make a huge mistake or fail when you try doing something new, it can keep you paralyzed from being creative. Mistakes are always going to happen. The trick is to not give up and to learn from them.
Get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Do this on a regular basis to develop your creativity. Changing things and doing things outside your comfort zone boosts creativity. Start with something small if you aren’t ready to rock climb a mountain cliff.
Take time to daydream and let your mind wander. Daydreaming leads to creative problem-solving while boosting your creative thinking. As it wanders, your mind accesses memories and emotions as well as those random bits of knowledge you’ve forgotten. Focus on the area you are wanting inspiration in.

Practice is key when it comes to developing your creativity. If you don’t do your activities, regularly, whether they are mental or physical, your creativity fades. There are many ways to develop your creativity. Just find the ones that work for you.

Useful Tricks to Improve Creative Thinking

There might be times you find yourself lacking in creativity. The cause for your lack of creativity can be for different reasons. It could be you haven’t been using your creative muscles regularly and they’ve become hidden. There are many tricks you can use to improve your creative thinking.
One of the best ways to keep yourself inspired to create every day is to have rituals in place that you use regularly and routinely. Having routines that inspire you conditions your brain to tap into your creativity easily.

Some examples of a ritual might be to:

Read in the morning.
Listen to music every day.
Meditating for 5 minutes.
Deep breathe throughout the day.

Creating something every day, even if you only have 5 or 10 minutes to do so, keeps your creativity alive and inspired. You don’t have to create a masterpiece. Write a short article. Draw mind maps in meetings. Develop new product ideas. Creatively re-arrange and organize your files. Take photographs of the sunset.

Take breaks often. Especially when you feel stuck with a problem and can’t find the solution. Taking breaks allows your mind to focus on something else while getting inspiration. It’s also good to take a break from all the digital chatter in our lives regularly. Get outside and unplug at least once a week, preferably daily, to build your creative thinking muscle.

Whenever you feel inspired, make a list of those ideas in a small notebook or note app in your phone. Use these ideas as launching pads for new ways of doing things, new products or whatever inspires you.

Have fun regularly. Go out with friends or colleagues for some time away from the routines that are keeping your stuck. Laughing, good conversation and bouncing ideas off each other builds and inspires your creativity while helping you relax and have fun.

Use the “Three Ifs” to ask clever questions to inspire your thoughts on a concept. Build your creative thinking by asking questions like these:

- What would happen if I change it?
- What would I change or improve about it?
- How exactly could I improve it?

These questions or ones like them, can be powerful tools to help you think differently. Repeatedly use the three questions test in all types of the situations. Ideas will begin to flow and enable you to think more creatively.

Take advantage of the peak hours that you feel most productive and creative when you need to find a solution. Some people are more creative during times of emotional stress. Whatever that time is, use it to let your creative juices flow. Put on some music, surround yourself with inspiring things and just be creative.

Interact with creative and inspiring people on a regular basis to get fresh ideas and perspectives. These interactions and exchange of ideas can help you re-focus on the creative ideas that work best for you and help you narrow down your options.

Finally, don’t be afraid to take risks to improve your creative thinking. When you avoid taking risks you end up suppressing your ideas. Risks give you permission to think outside the box and embrace your creative ideas. Some people are more creative than others, naturally. But everyone can be a creative thinker. Build your creativity in ways that help you be inspired and creative all the time.

You can get a free Creativity Tip Sheet here.

For more information read these:

For a More Creative Brain Follow These 5 Steps

The creative process: definition, steps, benefits and tips

6 Artists Talk about Their Creative Processes

The Creative Process Read More »

Tips to Loosen up your Art

Leave a Comment / Art, creativity, Painting / admin

If you are an artist you may need to loosen up your art work. You know it can be easy to get stuck in a rut and feel like your work is lacking energy or spontaneity. I frequently find myself trying to change my focus and loosen up my style. It seems to be a never ending saga for me. So I decided that if I have this problem, others probably do to. I recently tried doodling to change up and loosen up. You can see that post here.

One way to break out of this is to try change up your style and approach to creating art and here are some tips to help you do just that:

Tips to Try:

Use larger tools:

Switching to larger brushes, pencils, or markers can encourage you to make bigger, more sweeping gestures that are less controlled than what you might create with smaller tools. Using larger tools can be a great way to break out of a rigid, controlled style and encourage more fluid, gestural marks. Here are a few examples of larger tools you can try using:

Bigger paintbrushes: Switching to a larger brush can help you make broader, more sweeping strokes that are less precise than what you might create with a smaller brush. When you change to a larger brush, you find you are unable to get the detail that you can with your smaller brushes, but that is exactly what you are going for. With big brushes, you can capture the big picture without all the detail. Just that will definitely loosen up your work!
Large markers: Using large markers, such as chisel or broad-tipped markers, can help you create bold lines and blocks of color with minimal effort. This is a great way to experiment with graphic, abstract styles.
Charcoal sticks: Charcoal sticks come in a variety of sizes, including larger ones that can be used for expressive, sweeping marks. They’re also great for experimenting with different textures and blending techniques.
Wide-tip pens: Similar to large markers, wide-tip pens can be used to create bold, graphic lines and shapes with minimal effort. They’re particularly effective when used on smooth surfaces like paper or illustration board.

When working with larger tools, it’s important to remember that you may need to adjust your technique accordingly. Using larger tools may cause you to hold your implements differently and that may feel uncomfortable at first. Artists everywhere claim that just by holding their paint brushes back toward the end of the handle helps them loosen up considerably. You might try that first.

Embrace imperfection:

Remember that not every line needs to be perfect or precise. Let yourself make mistakes and embrace the happy accidents that occur when you’re not trying to be too precise. Some of the best artists alive will actually make errors on purpose just to create a sense of tension in the piece. Perfection is not what you seek as an artist, if you want perfection, take a photograph. You are trying to capture the mood, impression, or what you see when you look at something, not what actually presents itself.

Change your perspective:

Sometimes, getting out of your comfort zone and seeing things from a new angle can help you loosen up and create more freely. Here are some ways you can change your perspective:

Draw from life: Instead of drawing from a photograph or your imagination, try drawing from real life. This can help you see things from a new angle and capture the energy and movement of your subject.
Try a new medium: If you typically work with paint, try using markers or pastels. If you usually draw with pencils, try using charcoal or ink. Switching to a new medium can help you see your subject in a new way and create more spontaneously.
Work with a limited color palette: Instead of using every color in the rainbow, try working with a limited palette of three or four colors. This can help you focus on value and form, rather than getting caught up in the details.
Work on a new surface: Instead of using your usual sketchbook or canvas, try working on a new surface like toned paper, wood, or fabric. This can help you create marks that feel fresh and unexpected.
Draw with your non-dominant hand: This might sound counterintuitive, but drawing with your non-dominant hand can be a great way to loosen up and create more gestural marks. Because you’re not as comfortable or in control, you may be more likely to create marks that are spontaneous and expressive.

Work quickly: timer

Set a timer for a short amount of time (say, 5 or 10 minutes) and challenge yourself to create a complete piece of art within that timeframe. This will force you to work quickly and instinctively, without overthinking each detail and help you focus on the most important elements . Setting a timer can be a great way to create a sense of urgency and encourage more spontaneous, gestural marks. When you’re working against the clock, you may be more willing to take risks and try new things. Finally, working with a timer can help you develop a more efficient workflow, which can be helpful if you tend to get bogged down in the details.

Step back: Take breaks during the creative process to step back and look at your work from a distance. This can help you get a better sense of the overall composition and see where you might want to loosen up or add more energy.
Try a warm-up exercise: Before diving into a larger piece, try doing a quick warm-up exercise such as blind contour drawing or scribbling with a large marker. This can help you get into a looser, more relaxed mindset before tackling a more complex piece.
Use short bursts of time: If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to your art, try working in short bursts of 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day. This can help you create more frequently and develop a habit of working regularly.
Try timed challenges: There are many online challenges and prompts that involve creating art within a set time limit. You can find many such opportunities online, or if that is not your thing, you can set up your own challenges to help you loosen up

Create a strong underpainting (This is your road map):

When you have a very strong and accurate underpainting, you can be more confident and adventurous with the brushstrokes that
you lay on top of it because you have a map to follow. Choose a color that complements the color combinations that will be placed on top of it. This layer should be defining your subject. It will show light vs. dark and show crisp vs. loose to make your work easier for you.

Just stop blending!

Walk away from the painting! Get yourself a cup of coffee. Run an errand. Just give yourself some time away so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes. We all know the horror of creating mud by blending, and blending. This one thing has ruined

more artwork than any other. You think if you just do one little thing more it will fix itself. But the truth is you probably have already done too much. So, just stop. Put your brushes down. Walk away. Come back later with a better perspective. This can sometimes save your work.

Remember, there’s no one “right” way to create art. Loosening up your style can be a great way to inject new life into your work. It will help you rediscover the joy of creating. Art is totally subjective and it really doesn’t matter if anyone else likes it. If you get satisfaction and pleasure from it, you have done a great job. We should not be painting for acceptance from others, rather we paint because it feeds our souls

and makes us happy. That is enough.

Here is an artist you may find helpful in your pursuit of loose brush strokes: Ali Kay Studio on YouTube. Her work is beautiful but is not tight and detailed. She has paint-alongs on her channel that are fun and easy. She is a very good teacher and explains her process so anyone can understand it.

Another great artist to check out is Sandi Hester on YouTube. Her work is very loose and fun. She just goes with what she feels and sees when painting and it turns out beautifully.

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How to deal with the fear in creating art

Leave a Comment / Art, creativity, Painting / admin

People who create have to deal daily with fears–fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the blank page, fear of running out of ideas, fear that others will not like their art, etc. With all of these fears, it is a wonder that any art gets made.

Creating art is a vulnerable experience. You pour your creativity, emotions, and time into your work, only to put it out into the world and wonder: will anyone like it? Will they appreciate my vision? What if they don’t? These fears can be paralyzing, but they don’t have to be. Here are some ways to deal with the fear that others will not like your art:

Remember that art is subjective

In the article, “3 Reasons People Don’t Like Your Art (and How to Deal)”, the author talks about the fact that sometimes people just aren’t ready, or they saw it too early in the process, or it just isn’t their thing. What one person loves, another may hate. That’s the beauty of art – it’s subjective and open to interpretation. Just because someone doesn’t like your art doesn’t mean it’s not good or that it doesn’t have value. It just means that person doesn’t connect with it in the same way you do.

Focus on the process, not the outcome

Instead of fixating on whether others will like your art or not, focus on the joy of creating it. Embrace the process, experiment, and enjoy the act of creating. When you focus on the process, you can detach from the outcome, which can ease the pressure and allow you to create without fear.

Remember the reasons you created in the first place. Does creating bring you joy? Then create. Does creating bring you feelings of relief from stress? Then create. Does creating help you distance yourself from daily anxieties? Then create. The process is what art is about, not the finished outcome. Creating is an act of self-love and self-compassion; you do it for yourself and if other like or dislike it, that is for them to decide.

Surround yourself with supportive people

Surround yourself with people who appreciate and support your art. This can include family, friends, mentors, or other artists. They can provide encouragement, constructive feedback, and a safe space to share your work without fear of judgment.

In the article, “11 Things That Scare Creative Artists (and what you can do about it)” the author lists 11 things with proactive responses to help you over the problems. One thing in this article talks about the myth that creating art is a solitary experience, “We believe, since we are artists, we have to do it all on our own. What other occupation is so opposed to help from others? What makes us so different from the rest of the world? The answer is, nothing. If we want to take our art and career to the next level, we need the help of others. “

Yes, you usually create alone, but it isn’t required. Many people chose to join groups of other artists to work in a shared space and give each other support and critiques. There is no reason you should not include friends, family members, of customers in your space to share in your creating. There are so many groups on Facebook now that you can join and show your work for support and critiques that there is no reason to feel alone anymore. With support, you will learn to deal with the fear of creating.

Build your confidence

Building your confidence can help you overcome the fear of rejection. Practice self-care, celebrate your successes (no matter how small), and remind yourself of your strengths and accomplishments. The more confident you feel, the more resilient you will be when faced with rejection.

In the article, “Overcoming the Fear of Rejection: A Guide for Artists” the author discusses why fear of rejection is a major problem for creatives and it breaks it down into 3 concrete steps to help you deal with the fear this obstacle causes. Not everyone is going to see your art the way you do and that has to be okay with you. If you have confidence in your work, negative comments will not bother you at all. You will be able to see your art from their perspective and that may help you grow as an artist. You need to be open to trial and error, experimentation, failure, success, and all the other experiences that come to you when you create art.

Embrace rejection as part of the process

Rejection is inevitable in the creative process and we need to deal with the fear. It’s not a reflection of your worth or talent as an artist. Instead of avoiding rejection, embrace it as a part of the process. Learn from it, use it to improve your craft, and keep creating. Everyone gets rejected at some time or another. You don’t die. You don’t have to go hide in a cave. You get over it and move past it. You, as a creative, need rejection to grow.

Embrace it as a learning opportunity even though it may hurt your feelings, or make you question what you are doing. Try to see the artwork through the eyes of the rejector. Ask questions like “what don’t you like about it?”, or “are there any parts that you do like?”. Getting this information will help you see that they are not rejecting you personally. That is a big problem we have as creatives–not being able to separate our person from the art piece. We put so much of ourselves into our work that it seems impossible to be impartial about it. Learn how to separate the you from the work so you can embrace rejection and grow.

Take risks

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and taking risks can be scary, but it can also lead to growth and new opportunities. Try new techniques, experiment with different mediums, or create something that feels outside of your usual style. When you take risks, you may surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.

In the article, “10 Biggest Fears For Creatives And Ways To Overcome Them “ the author lists 10 fears that every creative has to overcome with positive action steps to take. Once you recognize those fears in yourself and you free yourself from them, you will be able to take those risks that creating new work entails.

As artists, the worst thing that can happen is for you to become stuck in one pattern of work. There is no growth when you keep creating the same thing over and over again. Once you have learned all that pattern has to offer you, you need to risk moving on to something new and different.

Remember that we all have these fears and we all struggle. Sometimes knowing that helps you deal with it better. Just keep creating, no matter the fears, and remember that what you are feeling is normal. You are a creative person and you need to create to be healthy and sane. Just keep creating! Remember to do your self-care. You can read more about how to do that here.

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