In 1926, Graham Wallas, an English scholar and co-founder of the London School of Economics, published The Art of Thought. In it, he explained how he drew inspiration from scientists and mathematicians who described their experiences with breakthroughs. This influenced him to craft the creative process steps that many artists, writers, and content creators today follow for success. 

Table of Contents

Why the Need for Steps in the Creative Process?

It’s true that creativity thrives on spontaneity and free thinking. However, it’s also essential to have a roadmap to guide you in your journey. The creative process can sometimes be unpredictable, with sudden bursts of inspiration. And sometimes, it can be moments upon moments of frustrating lulls. 

These five creative process steps offer a structured approach to organizing your thoughts, overcoming roadblocks, and using your time efficiently. Following this structure fosters better ideas, keeps you motivated, and guides you to the end. Whether you’re an entrepreneur building marketing strategies or an artist honing your craft, these steps can significantly enhance your creative process.

Solve Your Design Dilemma for Good

Try Penji risk-free for 30 days and get all your design projects done

Watch Quick Demo

1. Immersion: Preparation

The first step is the most crucial as it is the part where the generation of ideas happens. This is where you gather fuel for your imagination. You begin by getting a good grasp of your subject. The more deeply you understand, the richer and more innovative your ideas will be. 

Immersion means doing more than just traditional research by way of perusing books, articles, and other online resources. You can observe the experts in your field and those with firsthand experience. You can attend masterclasses, interview them, or even travel to places that represent the essence of your subject.

The long and short of it is to engage your senses and create a well-rounded understanding of your subject that goes beyond textbook knowledge.

2. Incubation: Letting Go

After filling our creative toolbox with the arsenal we need in the immersion step, it’s time for the incubation stage. This is when you allow your mind to take a break from all that brainstorming. It has been actively chasing solutions with research and exploration and needs some time to recuperate.

Doing nothing can seem counterproductive, but sometimes, forcing an idea into existence can stifle its potential. Detach your mind from the task at hand by reading a book, going for a walk, or listening to music. When we allow ourselves a few moments of idleness, we create space for that spark of innovation to happen.

3. Illumination: The “Aha!” Moment

When we watch cartoons, we often see a lightbulb flashing every time a great idea comes to a character’s mind. This is the “aha!” moment every creative person is waiting for. The exact reason it is called the illumination step. This is when our subconscious processing from incubating explodes into conscious realization. This could come in the form of a solution to the problem, a new perspective on an old idea, or a totally new concept you have yet to think of.

These sparks of brilliance can sometimes come fleetingly, so be prepared to catch them. Have a notepad or a voice recorder handy to capture these seeds of inspiration that often strike at odd and unexpected times. Don’t let them vanish in the air.

4. Evaluation: Refining the Idea

Once you have that eureka moment, it’s time to shape that rough diamond into a polished gem. Let’s step back and be critical of your subject, putting it under close scrutiny. We must be objective by separating ourselves from that initial excitement and assessing the idea’s feasibility. A brilliant idea does not always mean it will translate well into reality.

Ask yourself, can this be implemented realistically with the resources I have on hand? Will it solve a genuine problem or need? You may want to consider seeking the opinion of a colleague, friend, or family member. Look for similar ideas to see how yours stack up. Analyzing your idea can strengthen it and ensure it’s ready for the next and final creative process step.

5. Verification: Making It Real

While Graham Wallas’s creative process only had four steps, we’re going a bit further by adding the verification stage. This is the time you take your evaluated idea and convert it from theory to reality. It can be both exciting and nerve-wracking as you put your creation out for the world to see.

Testing and prototyping are two of the best ways to see if your project takes flight. Build a basic model, conduct a pilot program, or run a small-scale experiment. The end goal is to get feedback from a real audience and see what works and what needs improvement. 

After this, be prepared to take in the positives and the negatives and start editing, modifying, and tweaking. This is about putting in hard work, learning from your mistakes, and even pivoting if necessary. 

Additional Tips to Enhance Creativity

Here’s an additional list of tools you can add to your creative arsenal:

  • Fuel Your Curiosity: Always ask questions. Never get tired of exploring. Break free from routine. Remember, curiosity ignites creativity.
  • Beat the Blockage: Set achievable goals, take breaks to refresh your mind, and practice mindfulness to reduce stress and enhance focus.
  • Flow with the Structure: Schedule a time for focused work, dedicate a space for your creative endeavors, and embrace unexpected inspiration.

Final Thoughts

The creative process can be as wild or as calm as it can be. Even the ones who breeze through also fall into slumber once in a while. So, it helps to have a step-by-step guide that you can follow during these downtimes. But once these creative process steps are ingrained in your mind, your innovative ideas will come to life easily and quickly.
If you suffer from a mental block when crafting art and design for your business, there’s Penji. Watch our demo video here to learn how we can spark that innovation for your business. Click here to get our designers started.

Boost your business with unlimited graphic design

Get all the graphics you need with Penji

Watch Quick Demo