The Twists and Turns of a Creative Process

The Squiggle by Damien Newman

Creative processes can feel like anything between the inner workings of a Swiss cuckoo clock and eating spaghetti with a white shirt on. Sometimes it’s über messy and overwhelming, other times the idea is so clear, you’d have to be blind as a naked mole rat not figure it out.

Creative processes involve many phases which, depending on the project, occur in different orders. There’s the information gathering part where research and observation play a major part, and experiences are harnessed. The brainstorming phase is that intense period where ideas fly all over the place, and everything between heaven and earth seems like a jolly good idea – even the floor plan for the Burj Khalifa.

At some point the creative endeavour needs to be defined, narrowed down and specified. A prototype, plan, blueprint or such might be crafted in order to see how the innovation might work in practise. The early release is demoed and tested, feedback is gathered and the project goes through a facelift – maybe even a knee surgery.

Although all of this sounds relatively straightforward and simple, anyone who has been part of a creative process knows that very often it’s far from it. Instead, it can be full of overthinking, small budgets, crazy deadlines and too many afterthoughts.

Nevertheless, creative processes are extremely rewarding. The process of generating new concepts, collaborating with other enthusiasts and connecting to the source of inspiration, all of it is exhilarating – sometimes even pure magic! So, even if the process occasionally is like Damien Newman’s Squiggle, keep calm and create on :)