I love the creative process. Yet I hate it, too.
Creativity is almost always a love/hate/love relationship.
Creativity is a glorious, and frustrating, and absurdly difficult but infinitely rewarding process of transforming a boring idea into a fascinating one.
Why is it so glorious, yet so frustrating?
In my experience, every creative process has 5 emotional stages.
From the start of a project all the way through execution, you’ll probably hit all 5 stages along the way. I’ll show you why there’s one stage that’s more critical— and more brutally frustrating— than all the other stages put together.
Here’s how to diagnose which of the 5 stages you’re in
Stage 1: Possibility
You’re coming up with all the easy stuff. You might have some interesting starter ideas, but really, you probably have nothing. It feels like fun, free-range exploration. You’re probably saying to yourself, “Here’s a cool idea. Here’s another one. And another. Man, I’m pretty good.”
Stage 2: Doubt
As you begin to look at your ideas more closely, you realize, um… they’re actually not that great. Doubt sets in and uncertainty set in. You might become defensive, and start questioning the process, and yourself.
Stage 3: Agony
The most grueling of all steps in the creative process, this stage is a red-blooded struggle. Nothing seems to work. Your co-workers get stressed by the perceived lack of progress. You worry that you’ll be exposed as a hack. Ughhh. Suddenly, the whole project seriously sucks.
Stage 4: Epiphany
You’ve done it! You’ve just invented a big, new idea. With a burst of energy and relief, your breakthrough has happened.
Stage 5: Finesse
Now you’re crafting the raw idea to be more strategic and purposeful. Your skill and training really begins to shine through, as you hone and refine your concept into the best possible execution. Now you gain momentum with focused, purposeful engagement. The goal is in sight.Here’s what to teach your clients about the creative process:
Before the process begins, tell your team (including your partners and boss):
“I realize we have a limited timeline, and that we need to craft our solution ASAP. But if we truly want the best result, we can’t shortcut the process so drastically that we end up presenting and producing a lame idea. Lame ideas are expensive. They cost as much to execute as a brilliant idea, yet generally get pretty mediocre results.”
Then, before the creative process begins, build in enough space to embrace the struggle of the Agony— time to get past the quick and easy ideas, and actually bring your clients something that will be persuasive and memorable enough to deliver the results that everyone needs achieve on this project.
What helps YOU be your most creative? Any tips you can share with the rest of us?
Leave a comment, below!
My creativity is driven by people. I try to keep in touch with actions and thoughts blowing in the wind. Then I like to blend a captured idea with something that is not normally connected with the topic but yet has the same attributes or differences,
Thanks, Sally! I love how this fits perfectly with the concept behind Seth Godin's book The Dip. We have to face every idea and venture with two things in mind: 1. The Agony/Dip will occur. 2. Will we do what it takes -- or is the reward on the other side big enough -- to push ourselves past the Agony/Dip when it occurs? It's too easy to be enamored with the magic of it all in the beginning (the "honeymoon phase") and forget to ask ourselves, "When this becomes a real slog and I'm experiencing resistance from every direction, will I truly care enough about this idea to see it through?" If we can be honest with this self-assessment ahead of time, we can spare ourselves a lot of energy spent on pursuits we truly were never going to see through to the other side. And that energy can then be put toward those pursuits that we genuinely are willing to fulfill. But boy, is that difficult to assess in Stage 1!
I've seen it spelled out in shorthand: "This is AWESOME"...... "This is OK, but"... "This Sucks"..... "I Suck"..... "Well, Maybe"...."This is AWESOME!"
Sally, you must be telepathic! I am sitting in front of my laptop and a storyboard of copious images, quotes and disjointed ideas...and my third mug of coffee in 2 hours. I am in the 'Agony-on-the-fringe-of-Epiphany stage. AGAIN! Thank you for the reminder that this is part of the process and this is journey is what makes the end result great - even fascinating. I have learnt to save the raw ideas discarded at the Doubt and Agony stages. What is 'junk' for one project could just be that stellar idea for another - creative energy stored and up-cycled. P.S I love the script to explain the creative process to my clients - bonus appreciated.
Enjoy your blogs, Sally. Fresh, creative, daring, succinct, and, in this case timely and reassuring since I just this morning bounced out of AGONY! Many blessings upon you and your innovative work!
Great article. Helps me understand why I do not alway move forward with ideas. Not to mention perfection gets in the way.
I am coming out on the other side of the agony stage for an idea that is taking shape. What strikes me about the process as you've outlined it is that it is spot on for the "Provocateur." I wonder what types of visuals would resonate for other Fascination types. If you haven't done so already, this might make for a new project!
Very similar to this Poorly Drawn Lines comic about the creative process (posted on my cubicle wall!): http://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/the-process/ Both interpretations are highly accurate.
All of us have an aversion to change, especially when things appear to be going reasonably well. Sally- - thanks for outlining the creative process, which I align with the change process. Speaking from a faith-based leader’s perspective, we serve a God who makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). Truly, change and innovation are vital components of both biological and spiritual growth. Author Ken Boa writes, “The Bible focuses more on process than on product, because all believers are in a process (whether we resist it or not) of becoming the people God meant us to be. Without change, growth is impossible. Jesus was an innovator, a change-agent. So is every effective leader.” Your outline coincides with the process of change described through the Scriptures with the ultimate change (creative) agent being God Himself. Keep up the good work…it’s very practical and valuable.
Sally, I go through these stages while composing music. The final stage is release and accept. Releasing puts your ideas into the public forum where it will be judged and critiqued outside of your initial circle of friends and fans. Accepting the results of that and continuing to create is the most important stage in the creative process. Peace, Josh