Almost all great ideas go through a similar creative process, which is explained in this article. Understanding this is critical because one of the most useful skills you can have is the ability to think creatively. Innovative solutions, lateral thinking, and creative ideas can help with almost any problem you face at work or in life. These five steps can help anyone learn to be more creative. That isn't to say that being creative is simple. It takes courage and a lot of practice to discover your creative genius. This five-step method, on the other hand, should help to demystify the creative process and illuminate the path to more innovative thinking. Let me tell you a short story to demonstrate how this process works.
A Creative Solution is needed to solve a problem
Newspapers and printers in the 1870s faced a very specific and costly problem. At the time, photography was a novel and exciting medium. More pictures were requested by readers, but no one could figure out how to print images quickly and cheaply. In the 1870s, for example, if a newspaper wanted to print an image, they had to hire an engraver to hand-etch a copy of the photograph onto a steel plate. These plates were used to press the image onto the page, but after only a few uses, they would often break. You can imagine how time-consuming and expensive the photoengraving process was. The man who invented a solution to this problem was named Frederic Eugene Ives. He went on to become a trailblazer in the field of photography and held over 70 patents by the end of his career. His story of creativity and innovation, which I will share now, is a useful case study for understanding the 5 key steps of the creative process. In Ithaca, New York, Ives began his career as a printer's apprentice. He began managing the photographic laboratory at nearby Cornell University after two years of learning the ins and outs of the printing process. He spent the rest of the decade learning about cameras, printers, and optics while experimenting with new photography techniques. In 1881, Ives had an epiphany about a better printing technique. “I studied the problem of halftone process while operating my photostereotype process in Ithaca,” Ives said. “I went to bed one night in a state of brain fog over the problem, and when I awoke the next morning, I saw the completely worked out process and equipment in operation before me, apparently projected on the ceiling.” In 1881, Ives patented his printing method after quickly translating his vision into reality. He spent the rest of the decade honing his craft. By 1885, he'd developed a more efficient method that produced even better results. The Ives Process, as it became known, cut the cost of printing images by 15 times and became the industry standard for the next 80 years. Now, let's talk about what we can learn about the creative process from Ives.
The 5 Phases of the Creative Mind
A Technique for Producing Ideas, written by James Webb Young, an advertising executive, was published in 1940. He made a simple but profound statement about generating creative ideas in this guide. According to Young, innovative ideas emerge when old elements are combined in new ways. To put it another way, creative thinking isn't about coming up with something new from scratch; it's about taking what's already there and putting it together in a way that hasn't been done before. Most importantly, your ability to see the connections between concepts is critical to creating new combinations. You've done something creative if you can make a new connection between two old ideas.
Young believed that the creative connection process followed a five-step process.
Gather New Material. You learn at first. During this stage, you should concentrate on 1) learning specific material directly related to your task and 2) learning general material by becoming fascinated with a variety of concepts.
In your mind, go over the materials again and again. During this stage, you examine what you've learned by looking at the facts from various perspectives and experimenting with combining different ideas.
Take a step back from the Issue. Then you go do something else that excites and energizes you, completely forgetting about the problem.
Allow your idea to come back to you. Your idea will come back to you with a flash of insight and renewed energy at some point after you have stopped thinking about it.
Based on feedback, shape and develop your concept. Any idea that wants to succeed must be put out into the world, subjected to criticism, and tweaked as needed.
The Concept in Action
Frederic Eugene Ives' creative process is a perfect example of these five steps in action. Ives began by gathering new information. He worked as a printer's apprentice for two years before taking over the photographic laboratory at Cornell University for four years. These encounters provided him with a wealth of material from which to draw and make connections between photography and printing. Second, Ives began to go over everything he had learned in his head. By 1878, Ives had dedicated almost all of his time to experimenting with new methods. He was always tinkering and experimenting with new ways to put concepts together. Third, Ives took a step back from the issue. He went to sleep for a few hours before having a flash of insight in this case. It's also possible to let creative challenges sit for longer periods of time. Whatever length of time you take a break, you must do something that interests you and diverts your attention away from the problem. Fourth, his concept came back to him. Ives awoke with the answer to his problem right in front of him. (On a personal note, I frequently have creative ideas while lying down to sleep.) The solution appears quickly after I give my brain permission to stop working for the day.) Finally, Ives spent years revising his concept. He improved so many aspects of the process that he needed to file a second patent. This is an important point that is frequently overlooked. It's easy to fall in love with the first version of your concept, but great ideas evolve over time.
Making new connections between old ideas is what the creative process is all about. As a result, we might define creative thinking as the process of recognizing connections between ideas. The five-step process of 1) gathering material, 2) intensely working over the material in your mind, 3) stepping away from the problem, 4) allowing the idea to come back to you naturally, and 5) testing your idea in the real world and adjusting it based on feedback is one way to approach creative challenges. Being creative does not imply being the first (or only) person to come up with a concept. More often than not, creativity is about putting ideas together.
