the creative process is not
controlled by a switch
you can simply
turn on or off;
it's with you
all the time.
-alvin ailey
 |
| added more paisley feathers & have begun adding beads & stitching |
i am always amazed by the way creativity enters our lives. sometimes creeping quietly in with the dark. other times, crashing through the thicket with a great ruckus! but i have learned that there is definitely a process to it...
preparation: dinking around with your medium of choice; seeking out inspiration; observing
incubation: working on an idea (sometimes without even realizing it); making new connections; coalescing ideas; allowing the conscious and unconscious mind to sync
illumination: that "eureka" moment; that driving creative urge that simply can't be ignored
implementation: when the ideas and attending drives begin to "flow" and the creation manifests; when the "process" begins to shine and pull you toward the "finish line"
it seems, in my observations, that most people "mess up" their creative process in the first two steps. for me, it is usually the incubation period that gets derailed. but i am learning that by sharing my ideas. exploring them with others. that i am less likely to be derailed here. unless, of course, i begin to grasp at too many possibilities instead of just allowing them to coalesce into one distinction.
namaste'
All very true Joe. In your last para you touch on perhaps having too many ideas or possibilities. It is for that reason that I consciously add in as a third stage in the process...commitment to one idea.....otherwise I dither around way too long!
ReplyDeletewas just thinking about you....i just keep going with something each day, not always the same thing though... ha!
ReplyDeleteI find the web to be very seductive - there are so many wonderful creations to be seen and creative people to "meet" - at first, it was so inspiring! Then there was a time when it was somewhat demoralizing - with all that superior greatness out there, why should I bother to even try type of thinking. Erroneous thinking, I know, but most of us fall into it at one time or another. Now, I just feel it is all overload. It is like a wonderful, endless museum for me and my mind is so cluttered by it all that my own creative urges and desires are being suffocated. I find that I am backing off of looking at other peoples' work - I need to clear away the mess and the cobwebs and get back to being me. I also like Penny's comment - excellent advice, as well as Jude's approach - it reminds me of he advice to "show up" for work each day, whether you're feeling creative or not. Just do it.
ReplyDeleteJoe i am going to put up a tutorial soon about my tie to rose .i did make one but didn't like the sound of my voice !!I will let you know when I've made it .......x
ReplyDeletei'm more like jude in this respect, penny. "i just keep going with something each day, not always the same thing though".
ReplyDeletefor me, it is more about the journey than it is the destination, and i've always enjoyed taking a myriad little side trips along the way!