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?

 

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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.

31 Comments

  1. Fotini

    Excellent! True! Inspiring!  We are all meant to bloom.     Well done with this presentation and thank you.  🙂

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