The process of creativity
Creativity is not a ‘talent’, but a cognitive skill that can be learned and nurtured, hence empowering individuals to express themselves creatively within the community in which they live.
This article dissects the creative process into five steps that combine intuitive inspiration with logical structure. They employ the full spectrum of cognitive and empirical faculties that focuses one’s cognitive ability by engaging the unconscious to produce superior solutions of both novelty and worth.
This model builds upon the insights of pioneer theorists Graham Wallas (The Art of Thought, 1926) and James Webb Young (A Technique For Producing Ideas, 1965), and outlines the importance of emotion in realising inspiration as practical form.
The model of creativity is as follows:
INCEPTION: Understand the task at hand
The first stage of the creative process commences by establishing the brief or the scope of the task. Through properly defining the task at hand one is able to pinpoint the problem that requires solving and determine the paths that may lead to a solution.
Once the task is identified, we must analyse and absorb all relevant information. This allows us to intimately understand the individual components that concern our subject. Study the conventional approaches and ask why those conventions exist. Don’t be afraid to question their validity.
When research is concluded, test your immediate assumptions by conducting some preliminary ideation. Write down or sketch these thoughts without prejudice. It is important not to censor your thinking as you will place limits on your creativity. All thoughts have potential.
INCUBATION: Push the task out of your immediate attention
Once the problem has been defined, research completed and preliminary ideation has commenced, push the task out of your immediate attention. Quite simply—forget about it.
To understand why this is important, we must understand the relationship between the conscious and unconscious modes of ‘thinking’.
Consciousness is thought with attention. Unfortunately consciousness by necessity only uses a small subset of available information as it schematically imposes a pattern on complex reality to assist in explaining it. Our consciousness essentially thinks within the box.
Unconscious ‘thought’, however works aschematically to weight the relative importance of various attributes. This unconscious process may be called intuition. It is the mind’s ability to laterally access cognitive resources (ie. knowledge, past experiences and emotions) to formulate inferences.
Disengaging conscious attention allows the unconscious to efficiently process a mass of data.
ILLUMINATION: Inspiration is revealed in the form of an intuited notion
When discussing creativity with artists and designers, most agree that there is an urge to change their "mental state" at the point of creativity. Whether it is to find a quiet space, turn on music or change the surroundings, it is fundamentally an effort to find focus and enhance the brain's cognitive reception of intuited notions.
An experienced creative will become aware that a glimmer of an idea is about to emerge through a ‘feeling’ they have. Emotion is essential because it creates a chain of associations that lead expectation. Such ‘feelings’ enable the use of past experiences to subjectively recognise the potential of certain directions.
Inspiration is revealed in the form of an intuited notion that illuminates our consciousness. This notion however is intangible; it is structured as an abstract synthesis of emotion, memory and imagination.
REALISATION: Give your inspiration context and structure
Intuited notions are fleeting thoughts; they have neither context nor structure. Therefore, intuited notions need to be seized and brought into reality. Transform imagination into a tangible form by taking out what is distracting, leaving only what is pertinent, to create a finite form that can be put into action.
What separates a great artist and designer from the mediocre is not the quality of the inspiration, but the ability to realise what others could not. It is about seeing potential where others see only ambiguity.
VERIFICATION: Analyse the result against the original objectives
It is essential to test all ideas against the strategy of the brief and proposed outcomes. By exposing the idea to analysis and synthesis, we are able to assess its validity and judge the result.
Ideas that we create are highly personal due to the nature of their creation. Therefore it is important to be as impartial as possible when assessing your ideas. Invite critique from others.
All ideas must report back to the reason that motivated their creation. If the idea does not sufficiently answer the brief, take what is appropriate and discard what obscure and go back to stage one to begin the sequence again.
Creativity is a uniquely human ability that provides us with amazing potential and allows us to achieve designs—from the most glorious, to the most heinous. We create the world we live in.
David Gill is managing director of Qualia Creative.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Latest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.