Creative Process

I recently finished a creative project for a friend and presented it to her last weekend. Letting go of this creation was difficult, as I'd spent the last several weeks working on it.

This all got me to thinking about the creative process and how each of us has our own style for completing projects.

Typically, the creative process is defined as follows:

1. Preparation (defining what you will create, researching and studying possibilities)


2. Incubation (stepping away from your project and letting your mind rest)


3. Illumination (when the idea explosion occurs)


4. Verification (testing the final product)

But like so many prescriptions for creativity, there is no set way that the process must flow. Some of us may spend all of our time on the preparation while others may still be waiting for illumination.

• What's your creative process?