Stages of the Creative Process

When people think of the creative process, more often than not the first thing that comes to mind is some vague thoughts of being struck by inspiration and producing world-renowned art. Thankfully, this overly romanticized impression of the creative process couldn’t be further from the truth. While each individual’s creative process might vary slightly in execution, the core of the process can be broken down into very concrete and easy-to-follow steps.

Inspiration

This is the stage where it all begins, where you formulate and come up with your initial idea. Contrary to popular belief, inspiration doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it’s not going to just magically come to you without putting something into it first. It might involve looking through your favorite artists and creatives on an image-sharing site or reading some creative writing blogs. It might be something completely unrelated to art, like meditating and clearing your mind, or going on a nature walk. Everyone draws from different sources, just get out there and try not to force an idea to come.

Take It All In

This is the more abstract step in the sequence. It’s basically where you let all those thoughts and ideas simmer a bit, giving your subconscious time to process everything. This can vary a bit from person to person. Sometimes you’ll get that eureka moment almost instantly, other times it can take hours, or even days to sort it all out. Just be patient, and occasionally revisit the topic in your mind and mull it over.

Illumination

This is the classic ‘lightbulb’ moment we all have become familiar with thanks to media and pop culture. While most people think this is where the process begins, it’s really smack dab in the middle, but it is where you start to actively work towards creating something rather than passively taking in information and letting your subconscious do the work. While this lightbulb moment might not always be an explosion of creative insight, it’ll almost always be recognizable to some degree.

Planning

Not all ideas are created equal, and this is where you put those ideas to the test. Look both inward and outward to see if your idea holds up and is of the quality you’re happy with. A few questions to ask yourself are:

• Has this been done?
• Is this something I’ll enjoy?
• Am I challenging myself?
• Does this project resonate with me?
• Can I put a personal spin on it?

Execution

Now that your idea is up to snuff, it’s time to get to work. Whether that means putting your pen to paper, grabbing your canvas and paints, or digging through your craft cabinet for supplies, you’re ready to make that idea a reality. This process can often be the longest part, requiring a lot of experimenting and reworking drafts until you get things just the way you want. Have patience and keep at it, and you’ll end up with a piece you’re proud of.