Saturday, June 12, 2010

THE CREATIVE PROCESS


Some of us, particularly creative individuals, hear about the "Creative Process". Who of you think that it involves one process? eg. research, brainstorming, drafts, final. Well, it's time to rethink. It turns out that a creative process involves 3 core processes, David reveals this during his interesting sharing session, so read on and find out what they are.


THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Routine
Stick to the same routine everyday, it is the KEY to creative inspiration. Neuroscience has confirmed that routines create what is called "Circadian Rythms" - patterns of arousal, alertness etc. These rythms can be magnified by objects and surroundings, eg. music, drinks, food etc. which then trigger your "creative state of mind"
Action - Notice your times of alertness and focus it on your work, do it with the same surroundings and objects.

System
We all need a strong system to capture our ideas, this helps us to focus on jobs at hand, like a "to-do" list for example. A system is there to fall back on if your routine fails because it does not depend on circumstance, so nothing slips your mind and everything get done, eventually.
Action - Monitor how you spend your time, explore "productivity systems".

Spontaneity
Creativity involves spontaneity, surprise and that special "Aha!" moment. The more you work on routines and systems, the more "Aha!" moments you will get, the KEY is to let it happen naturally and not force it.
Action - Take a break from your routine (take a walk, have a drink, watch TV etc.), always be open to new things and ridiculously crazy ideas, CAPTURE (write them down, draw them out etc.)

Now let's leave you with a quote from one of the most creative writers that lived,

“There are certain things I do if I sit down to write. I have a glass of water or a cup of tea. There’s a certain time I sit down, from 8:00 to 8:30, somewhere within that half hour every morning. I have my vitamin pill and my music, sit in the same seat, and the papers are all arranged in the same places. The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon.” -Stephen King-

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