The Four Stages of a Creative Process Illustrated
Spark your creativity.
Almost 100 years ago, all the way back in 1926, Graham Wallas wrote an insightful book titled The Art of Thought. His theory outlining the four stages of the creative process stood the test of time and is still relevant today.
Take a look at those four stages below and you’ll see they are a perfect blend of conscious and unconscious work. And one of the problems we face today is that we forget that creativity requires both. Constantly thinking and absorbing new information won’t get you far. Mixing intense brain activity with some downtime most likely will.
Try following and trusting the process completely. Who knows, but maybe a bit of structure and understanding about how creativity really works will inspire you to create your next masterpiece.
“The better we get at getting better, the faster we will get better.” — Douglas Engelbart
1. Preparation
Preparation, which usually includes research and studying the work of others, is the first stepping stone. Contrary…
