Creativity's Balancing Act

I began by writing a paragraph about ways to include creativity in one’s everyday life, as if creativity is somehow apart from regular living. It is not, and I found the sentences sounding like a recycled article in a monthly “better living” magazine. I heard the objections from busy people, saying “No, no, no, I cannot add another thing to my daily routine!” The better approach, I decided, is to outline the steps in creative process and suggests ways to balance and integrate. Most of us go through these steps every day, many times, dealing with a variety of issues and rarely associate them with creativity. Just because you’re not painting murals or composing symphonies doesn’t mean the creative process is not at work in your life. To quote John Cleese, “Creativity is not a talent, it is a way of operating.”

Analysis. The first step is to recognize a “problem”, analyze it, collect and absorb information that may offer possible “solutions”. At work in this step is the conscious, rational mind. No mystery here. Information collection can include research by reading, internet, talking/listening, classes, etc. The broader the subject material the more likely the solution will be original. As, Louis Pasteur famously said, “Chance favors the prepared mind”.

2.     Incubation. Detachment is necessary in order for the information/analysis and the intuition/imagination to combine and work together. This occurs in the realm of the unconscious and does not require your rational thinking, but it does require real downtime, contemplation or playfulness. Going for a walk is one of the time-honored ways to encourage incubation. Sitting in a café, laughing with friends, journaling, gardening, singing in the shower, meditation…are some of my favorites.

3.     Illumination. That flash of inspiration strikes when the incubation process (which may have taken a few minutes or a few years) is complete, and presents itself to your conscious mind once again. Keep in mind that it may come on the heels of incubation during one of those quiet, contemplative or playful spaces. The poet William Carlos Williams was a doctor who often jotted poetic flashes on the back of prescription pads in those few moments between seeing patients.

4.     Verification. The final step is to apply the creative idea and see if it solves the problem, or is otherwise useful. It may require some tweaking or going through another round of the creative process if the problem or project is complicated. 

If your “way of operating” is not as creative and productive as you’d like, you might ask yourself which of these steps need attention in your life. Are you mindful of problems and take steps to analyze and gather information? For many people the contemplative or playful step gets shortchanged. What do you do when inspiration strikes? Do you ignore it or take the time to acknowledge and verify it? Find the balance and you will experience your creative best! For some serious fun watch John Cleese's talk on creativity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMpdPrm6Ul4