5 Steps to Getting Your Creative Juices Flowing

When you look at creative work, you might be amazed at how simple they are, their beauty and their effectiveness. You might wonder how they came up with the idea. How can you use that creative process in your work and life?

Creativity is not magic. It’s a mixture of influence, imitation and your own interpretation. It can be more predominate in some people, but everyone can train themselves to be more creative. It’s not just restricted to art or music or inventors. It comes down to training yourself in the creative process.

The creative process is different for everyone yet has the same basic 5 steps. Each step will be different depending on the person, job, industry, creative medium or other factors. It might take days, weeks or months to get an outcome. The creative process is not predictable or linear. And don't worry, everyone comes up agaist creative blocks sometimes! Just remember to keep going!

Preparation Getting ready is really important for coming up with new and creative ideas. It's like getting all the tools you need before building something awesome. In the preparation stage, you collect a lot of information. You are able to really dig deep into the things you are working on. You do research to learn more. Look at who you're making things for, check out the brand, and get ideas from different places.

Why is getting ready important for being creative? Well, when you know a lot about what you're doing, it helps your brain think up creative and unique things. Imagine your brain is like a garden, and preparation is like planting seeds. The more you know and understand, the more seeds you plant. These seeds grow into new and special ideas.

When you're getting ready, you learn about the topic and gather all sorts of facts and details. This information is like the building blocks for your creativity. It helps you make connections between different things, and that's where cool ideas come from. Research is like exploring a treasure chest of ideas that can inspire you.

Understanding the people you're making things for and the place where your work will be, is also part of preparation. It's like knowing your audience and the rules of the game. This way, what you create fits just right and makes a real impact.

So, getting ready is like preparing the soil before planting seeds. It helps your creativity grow into something amazing!

Incubation Incubation is a critical phase in the creative process, and it's the part where the real magic starts to unfold. Once you've soaked in all the information from the initial preparation stage, you enter the incubation stage, a period that demands time and patience. This is where the seeds of creativity germinate and sprout into innovative ideas.

During incubation, your mind becomes a workshop of sorts, where concepts are dissected, examined from various angles, and experimented with to see how they might fit together in unique ways. It's a stage where ideas marinate, evolving and taking shape in the recesses of your thoughts. Interestingly, this mental activity can occur both consciously, during focused brainstorming sessions, and subconsciously, when your mind is at work behind the scenes, even when you're doing unrelated activities.

The importance of incubation to creativity lies in its ability to facilitate deep exploration and experimentation. By stepping back from the immediate problem or challenge, you allow your mind the space it needs to wander and make unexpected connections. Sometimes, the best ideas come when you're not actively thinking about the problem. Engaging in activities that energize and excite you during this stage can provide the mental break needed for fresh perspectives.

Incubation is like letting a stew simmer to enhance its flavor. It allows your thoughts to mingle and develop in a way that goes beyond straightforward logic. This process often results in the emergence of novel solutions and creative breakthroughs. In essence, incubation is the incubator for creativity, allowing ideas to evolve, mature, and eventually hatch into something truly innovative and extraordinary.

Illumination is like the "Wow!" moment, or when a super cool idea pops into your head. It's like a light turning on—suddenly, everything makes sense. This part is super important in being creative because it's when you have a big breakthrough. It usually happens when you least expect it, maybe when you're doing something completely different.

Imagine you're solving a puzzle, and suddenly, you find the missing piece. That's what illumination is like in creativity. It's when all the bits and pieces of information you learned and played around with in your mind finally come together in a snap.

The "Aha!" moment is special because it brings clarity and helps you see your creative project in a new and awesome way. It's like a burst of excitement that makes you want to jump up and do something right away. To make sure you don't forget this fantastic idea, it's a good idea to grab a notebook or some paper and quickly write it down.

In a nutshell, illumination is the most exciting part of being creative. It's when your ideas go from being a bit fuzzy to super clear. Without this "Eureka!" moment, creativity would be like a puzzle missing its most important piece, never quite complete. So, keep your eyes open for those bright ideas—they can turn your creative dreams into real-life adventures!

Now comes the Evaluation part, which is like using your thinking cap to figure out which ideas are the best. This stage is a bit tough but super important in the creative adventure. It's when you look at all the cool ideas you've got and decide which ones will work the best and which might need some tweaking.

In the Evaluation stage, you have to be a bit of a detective. You ask questions about each idea, like: Is it a good idea to keep going with? Is it something new and exciting, or has it been done a bunch of times already? Can I make some changes to make it even better? And, it's not just about what you think – you also want to know what your friends, colleagues, and clients think and feel about the idea.

Why is Evaluation important in being creative? Well, it's like having a map to guide you on your creative journey. When you evaluate your ideas, you're making sure they're strong and fit for the adventure you're on. You want to choose ideas that are worth pursuing, meaning they're really good and will make a difference. It's like picking the juiciest, ripest fruits from a tree.

Also, you check if your ideas are fresh and new or if they're a bit like things people have seen before. If an idea has been done a lot, it might not be as exciting. So, the Evaluation stage helps you pick the most exciting and unique ideas.

Lastly, it's not just about what you think is awesome. It's about getting opinions from others too. What do your friends, teachers, or whoever you're making things for think about your ideas? Their thoughts can be like a compass, helping you steer in the right direction.

In a nutshell, Evaluation is like being the captain of your creativity ship, choosing the best course for your awesome ideas. It ensures that your creative journey is filled with the most exciting and unique discoveries!

Now, let's talk about Implementation – the stage where all your planning turns into action. It's like the part of the story where the hero faces challenges and comes out victorious. This is where your idea becomes the real deal, the finished product that everyone can see and enjoy. It's the time when your skills, knowledge, and hard work blend together to create something awesome – whether it's a drawing, a project, or a business product.

Why is Implementation such a big deal in the creative process? Well, imagine you have a recipe for a super yummy cake. The Implementation stage is when you actually mix the ingredients, bake the cake, and get to enjoy the delicious result. Without this step, your idea stays in your mind like a recipe card without a cake to show for it.

Implementation is where creativity comes to life. It's the bridge between having a fantastic idea and sharing it with the world. Your skills and knowledge are the tools you use to turn your idea into something real. It's like being a superhero who doesn't just dream about saving the day but goes out and does it.

Think of an artist finishing a masterpiece or a businessperson launching a cool new product – that's Implementation at work. It's the moment when your creative vision becomes a reality that others can see, touch, or experience. Without Implementation, your creative journey remains incomplete, like a story without an ending.

So, why is Implementation important? Because it's the grand finale, the moment of glory in your creative adventure. It's where you showcase your creativity to the world and turn your awesome ideas into something tangible and impactful. It's the satisfaction of seeing your hard work pay off and knowing that your creativity has made a real difference.

Being creative is like going on an exciting adventure, and while there's no fixed path to follow, there are five important steps that can guide you through the journey. Imagine these steps as your trusty map, helping you navigate the world of creativity in both your work and daily life.

So, use these five steps as your creative guide, and watch how they help you solve problems, create new things, and add a splash of creativity to your daily life!