Creativity and the throne of agony

How do breakthroughs happen?

Last week you learned about the 5 emotional stages of the creative process.

(Most of which are pretty fun.)

One stage is decidedly not fun. I call this stage “the Agony.”

Yet if you try to shortcut the Agony, you’re skipping the most critical stage of all– the stage where breakthroughs are born. (There’s a reason it’s called a “breakthrough.” You have to actually break through something.)

Want to create your own breakthroughs? In this slide presentation, I’ll show you…

  • How to improve your creativity
  • When to recognize you’re on the cusp of a breakthrough
  • What to say in a meeting

Click on the slides below to get started!

If you can anticipate that the agony will be part of the process, you can approach it with the purpose and respect it deserves. 

TWEETABLE BITS

Just because it’s difficult, doesn’t mean it’s wrong http://bit.ly/1esDIm7 (Tweet this!)

The Agony is a valuable, healthy, and necessary part of creating anything worthwhile http://bit.ly/1esDIm7 (Tweet this!)

There’s a reason it’s called a “breakthrough.” You have to actually BREAK THROUGH something. http://bit.ly/1esDIm7 (Tweet this!)

If you want an epiphany, you need to sit in the Throne of Agony http://bit.ly/1esDIm7 (Tweet this!)

 

TELL US IN THE COMMENTS: How do you get out of The Agony stage? Any tips for the rest of us?

 

Don’t miss a single fascinating tip!

Sign up to receive updates on our latest blog posts, offers, and more.

Blog post email and popup form

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About the author

Sally Hogshead

Sally skyrocketed to the top of the advertising world in her early 20s, fascinating millions of consumers for clients such as MINI Cooper and Coca-Cola. Since then, she’s published two New York Times bestsellers on the science of fascination, and is one of only 172 living members in the Speaker Hall of Fame. Over a million professionals have taken the Fascination Advantage® personality test to discover how others perceive their communication.

Recent Posts
What’s your Halloween personality? Are you devilish or angelic? Ghoulish or glamorous? Normally, we show you how to be more authentic. But Halloween is different. For one night, you can unleash your secret streak of...
A quick story from the archives… Oliver is a consultant for the food industry. He advises business owners on ways to make their brand more profitable. In this excerpt of a coaching session with Sally,...
You only have seconds to make a meaningful first impression in-person or on the phone. How much time do you have in the virtual world to make your introduction? Your Personal Brand is your key...
Related Posts
What’s your Halloween personality? Are you devilish or angelic? Ghoulish or glamorous? Normally, we show you how to be more authentic. But Halloween is different. For one night, you can unleash your secret streak of...
Your level of influence as a professional will be measured by your ability to get others to listen and take action. Your level of influence can be measured. And, it can be improved. If you’re...
Why do some teams get extraordinary results, while others struggle just to finish mundane tasks? Why do certain teams glide to victory, while others can’t even cross the finish line?  What’s the difference? Here you...
Send this to a friend