Creating Creativity
Image by Eberhard Grossgasteiger
People have been creating for thousands of years, and yet, the creative process itself remains a bit of a mystery. While there are countless craft books and articles on the particulars of making specific types of art, at the end of the day everyone has their own unique way of approaching their work – with different techniques, habits, and sources of inspiration. This is what makes our art, ours
Image by Taelynn Christopher
While some may be quick to dismiss art as frivolous, in truth, creativity is a fundamental aspect of human expression, and it manifests itself in a variety of ways. And whether it’s sculpting or painting, writing or needlepoint, heck, even pickling vegetables – when it comes to creating, people tend to have unique processes that guide their work.
Some people prefer to operate within a set structure and make concrete plans that often involve intense research and preparation before the creative work itself even begins (I’m looking at you ‘plotters’). Others find their best work comes from improvisation and spontaneity (this is where the ‘pantsers’ lie on the spectrum of planning and execution). They may experiment with different materials, ideas, and techniques, following their instincts and allowing the process to take them into unexpected directions.
For some creators, their emotional state is everything when it comes time to create. They might use their art to process and/or express their feelings by channeling their emotions into their work. Some people prefer to work alone, and others thrive in a collaborative environment where ideas are being bounced off others, resources may be shared, and tasks may be divided to create a final product. Some don’t favor a specific path and instead blend various ways of doing and being.
Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong way to approach creativity. Each creator’s process is unique to them and what works for one person may not work for another. Even our sources of inspiration vary based on a variety of factors from personal experiences to world views. I find it fascinating that discovering our own creative processes is, in itself, a creative process. We may try on other people’s ways of doing – perhaps writing every day, or listening to certain music, or working in certain environments or patterns. Perhaps it’s a technique or a skill someone else does well that inspires us to try it out.
It’s all exploration.
Creation itself is an iterative process, so it makes sense that our own ways of creating will have their iterations too. And, what worked for us at one point in our lives, may not work for us in this particular season or moment. For example, I used to prefer music and bustle while working and could often be found at a café in the thick of things and happily creating. At this point in my life, more often than not, I prefer silence – it helps me hear and focus on what the creation itself wants and needs. I get SO much more done and am able to go deeper with the art in my own quiet spaces than I do in a coffee shop in this season of my life. But, I still enjoy café vibes so I make sure to schedule time to go, I just go with friends now and don’t plan to actively work on my art there. But, I wouldn’t have known how I work best right now if I hadn’t experimented.
Here’s to the experimentation – not just in and with our art, but in our creative processes as well. To playing and exploring, to trying on and trying out. To embracing the iterative process of our own processes and finding what feels authentic to us in this season of our lives, allowing for our fullest creative expression. Today.