A Creative Process for Everyone, Part 2: The Artist
Photo courtesy SXC.hu
Last week I wrote a post titled “A Creative Process for Everyone” that sparked a lot of feedback and Twitter retweets. It generated more conversation than I expected, and so I promised to flesh it out more this week.
If you remember, we compared the artist’s creative process with that of a manager or leader. Per the Wallace Model, the artist’s process looks a bit like this:
- Preparation—definition and research
- Incubation—setting the matter aside
- Illumination—the sudden appearance of a solution
- Verification—testing the solution
Basically, the difference comes down to a difference in goals. The artist is focused on creating art and the process of creating art, while the business leader has a goal to meet, be it a PR goal, a financial goal, or a product development goal.
A reader on Twitter helped me see this more clearly when she said, “Process is my thing.” I went on to read a blog post she had written on this topic, and I realized that for her, creating is about the process of discovery and seeing where the art takes her. She doesn’t work with a predestined idea of how the art should be. Instead, she lets it take her where it wants or needs to go.
Her friend, with whom she argues these kinds of points, is more of my persuasion. I must work with an end in mind. I get my supplies together, I do my research, I begin with a sketch and then wait for the concept to become clear before I fill in the details. My steps are rather defined, as I work through the process rationally.
At first I wondered whether my creative process is less like an artist and more like a leader or manager. However, I’ve come to realize that even though the individual elements of my creative process may be more defined, if you look closely at the “process” person’s creative process, you’ll see the same elements – the loose creation of a color palette, painting slowly for a bit, stepping back to see where the art is going, and then vigorously moving forward as the direction becomes clear, refining along the way. Preparation, incubation, illumination, verification.
I have never participated in an intuitive painting or art class, but I’ve read about many of my online friends’ experiences, and I’ve considered how freeing the experience might be. In my everyday life, I must have a plan, and I’ve applied the same approach to my art. I’m curious to know – As an artist or creative, are you a process person, or are the elements of your creative process more defined?
More on this topic to come next week!
A Creative Process for Everyone
I love reading about other artists’ creative process. Whether you’re a traditional artist, writer, a designer, a creative director, or a marketing guru, how you approach the process of creating a new idea, product, or concept will be unique to you. I learn from others all the time and am constantly adapting my creative workflow.
Understanding the creative process is valuable because it can help you maximize your own creativity and personal approach. However, sometimes understanding the elements of the creative process can be confusing. There has been an ongoing attempt to break this very individualistic process down into doable steps so that it can be leveraged more effectively in a business environment. If you Google “steps of the creative process” or “creative thinking models,” you’ll receive a wide variety of results that can be a bit difficult to sort through and break down in an applicable way. In my research, I’ve noticed two lines of emphasis: the artist’s model and the business leader’s model.
Photo by GERAS, Courtesy SXC.hu
The Artist’s Creative Process
An artist’s creative process rarely follows a defined order of steps. Creating is a right-brained activity that occasionally taps into the left side of the brain. However, creativity requires an ability to suspend disbelief, the ability to be irrational, and overall a greater freedom than the left side of the brain typically prefers. Back in 1926 Graham Wallace proposed a model for this process that is still widely taught today:
- Preparation—definition and research
- Incubation—setting the matter aside
- Illumination—the sudden appearance of a solution
- Verification—testing the solution
In the real world, this may be the process by which a clothing designer researches trends, decides he or she wants to develop a new line of dresses, lets the idea rest and works on something else until a new idea occurs to him or her, and then begins the process of creating the idea and testing it in the marketplace. Many times, however, these steps run into each other and are not so easily defined.
Photo Courtesy iStockPhoto
The Manager’s Creative Process
As the world descended into a global recession last year, business leaders quickly recognized that greater creativity and innovation would be needed to pull the economy out of the rut into which it had been dug. Thus, managers and creative directors the world over are looking for ways to leverage the creative process in an organizational model. Many different creativity models for the organizational environment have been developed and tweaked since Wallace’s first model was published; however, the one I have noticed to be most referenced in business texts today is Koberg and Bagnall’s Universal Traveler Model (1981).
- Accept the situation (as a challenge)
- Analyze (to discover the “world of the problem”)
- Define (the main issues and goals)
- Ideate (to generate options)
- Select (to choose among options)
- Implement (to give physical form to the idea)
- Evaluate (to review and plan again)
In this scenario, a manager may call his team together, present a challenge and begin a brainstorming session. After the best idea is chosen, the team will work to implement and evaluate it.
In the next few weeks we’ll break down and compare these two models and see what we can learn and how we can benefit from them. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what your personal creative process looks like. Is it more like the artist model or the manager model?
(For a fuller explanation of the progressive definition of the creative process, please visit http://www.directedcreativity.com/pages/WPModels.html)
I Tagged a Pole
Be Creative Everyday
A friend I follow on Twitter often comments, “Sending art out into the world.” This is usually just after she has shipped a new series of commissioned art or prints out to her customers.
To me, sending art out into the world is the heart and philosophy behind guerrilla art. There are also added benefits of watching people’s reactions or sharing an important social justice message.
With this in mind, a few weekends ago I spent a Saturday morning creating this macrame and Fimo tag. Later that day as my husband and I were leaving the farmer’s market, I tagged a pole in a large covered parking area. This parking area is free on the weekends and gets a lot of exposure. My little “Be Creative Everyday” tag is barely visible from a distance, but the curious observer will see my message.
It isn’t much, but it’s a start. This small experience of tagging a pole was really quite liberating and got me excited about creating more tags in themed colors, like love notes for Valentines Day and lazy day quotes on Labor Day.
Have you gotten your guerrilla art groove on yet?
Currently Reading: How to Be an Explorer of the World
How to Be an Explorer of the World by Keri Smith
I came across this book first at the Urban Outfitters in Denver last Christmas and again in Dallas a month or two ago. I didn’t buy it because I didn’t have time to really look through it, and I can be a picky book buyer. However, I was picking up a few items on Amazon and noticed I could get this book for an incredibly great deal (just putting me over the $25 Super Saver free shipping mark 
), and since I know I like Keri Smith, I thought, “Why not?” Into my cart it went.
I’m glad I decided to not be so picky and let a new book into my collection. This one is fantastic.
How to Use This Book - Instructions for Life
I especially love the instructions for reading the book. In my opinion these instructions should be applied to life as well. Treat life as an experiment! And start with whatever makes you feel a twinge of excitement.
Creativity Meets The Scientific Method
I’ll touch more on this last one over the weekend, but let me just say, Never underestimate the power of field notes, and Observe. Collect. Analyze. Report. Always.
Inspiration from Indexed
Jessica Hagy’s blog Indexed has a way of making reality poignantly clear.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have too many ideas or too much going on to focus in on one clear direction. When it comes to creative inspiration (and really, life in general), sometimes a clear view is exactly what you need.
Top 10 Go-To Websites for Your Morning Fix of Creative Inspiration
Yesterday I came across Minervity’s post “10 Websites to Start Off a Creative Day” via a link from a Twitter friend. I really enjoyed reading Minervity’s post, but I found it a little on the techy side for me. While I really liked his referrals to Silicon Alley Insider and ZDNet, most of the other sites were more informational than inspirational for me…
Which got me thinking, where do I go for my morning creative inspiration fix? After I’ve gotten the coffee going, of course…
So here’s my list of Top 10 Go-To Websites for Your Morning Fix of Creative Inspiration, in alphabetical order because that’s the order in which they appear in my feed reader, and thus in which I read them.
- ChangeOrder. When I first discovered the power of being able to aggregate my favorite blogs into a feed reader, this was one of the first sites I chose. When I need a reminder about design principles, color inspiration, or even business advice, I turn to ChangeOrder for insight. David’s longevity, wisdom, sense of humor, and insight come through in every post.
- Decor 8. Holly Becker magically provides a seemingly impossible amount of decor, design, and fashion inspiration through her Decor 8 blog each day. I am constantly amazed by her finds, as well as the depth of her reporting and her beautiful photography. Even if you’re not a home decor person, I’m sure you’ll find inspiration at Decor8.
- Design Sponge. Grace Bonney, the writer and chief creator behind Design Sponge, fills each post with creativity and insight. Some days I learn savvy business advice; others, I learn something I never knew about decoupage. Grace also posts several times a day, so my feed reader is constantly bursting at the seams with new bits of inspiration.
- E.Soule. My flirtation with Polaroid photography began eleven years ago when I earned my first paycheck as a waitress and purchased my very first Polaroid camera. However, my obsession began much more recently when I discovered Elizabeth Soule’s film photography website. Beautiful work! There simply aren’t words.
- Fast Company Blogs. Fast Company has established a reputation for keeping its finger on the pulse of (nearly!) all of the artistic and technological innovation happening across the globe. They offer blogs on several different themes. From Fashion Week to the latest Gizmodo feature, Fast Company is my go-to for creativity and inspiration news.
- Gwen Bell. I know I’ve mentioned Gwen before, but I just can’t leave her out here. From her lists of recommended reading on Delicious to her occasional but always witty and thought-provoking blog posts, Gwen’s blog is always on my morning “must check” list.
- HOW Mag. Admittedly, the HOW Mag blogs are brief. But little bits of inspiration can go a long way. Definitely makes the list.
- Marc Johns. Marc Johns is a semi-infamous illustrator of Post-it Notes. I just love his work. He has a new book out, although Amazon delivery appears to be delayed.
- Red Velvet Art. I’ve been following the Red Velvet Girls for a while now, and I just love their creative work. They have such flair, such style! And they each have their own individual perspective, which adds more dimension to the site than your average personal art blog.
- Seth Godin. Everyone knows Seth Godin – at least in principle. And if you don’t, you need to. Seth is a marketing, technology, and innovation treasure trove. Sometimes Seth’s post inspire me; most often, they challenge me to do better work and to make today more remarkable than the day before.
There are so many other amazing, inspirational sites that I cannot impress upon you enough the value of a feed reader. However, these sites have made my Top 10 list because they post often enough that I can literally visit their sites every morning and be inspired. I hope you’ll incorporate them into your own morning ritual of creative inspiration.
Facebook
Linkedin
Flickr
