Phases of Creativity
As we approach the end of the year, I know that there is a certain amount of anxiety that arises in all of us that we didn’t finish the creative projects we had hoped to accomplish this year. We have folders of unfinished beats, voice memos of song ideas, graphics that are still just concepts, photos we still haven’t edited, and the list goes on.
But don’t be discouraged.
You are not alone.
I want to share a little about 4 stages of the creative process that could help you in the new year to actually finish those projects that you dream about, start, and then can’t seem to complete.
STAGE 1: HOPE
Something within us stirs and we can’t ignore it. It’s a song we hear in our head, it’s a business idea, it’s an abstract scene, a character we can’t stop thinking about, etc… but we can’t ignore it. So we start dreaming about it. What could it be, where could it go, who would hear it or see it or experience it and what would they think?
We even imagine it doing well. How would it change our lives? Would people finally respect us? Would it win an award? A Grammy? A Tony? A Webby? Would our friends and parents be proud of us? Would our kids think we’re cool? :)
Better yet would we be able to make a living doing this?! Just maybe!
We are filled with excitement for the idea and that inspiration lets hope build within us in all kinds of ways.
So maybe we say…
“That’s it… I’m making this movie.”
“I’m making this album”
“I’m writing this book”
THE POISON: Plans fail in the HOPE phase for a few potential reasons.
We haven’t given ourselves space to dream.
We don’t believe in ourselves enough.
We’ve passed this phase before and never found success so we quit before we start.
THE ANTIDOTE: Here are some ways you can enjoy and pass the HOPE phase.
Take a day or a half of a day or a few days and just let yourself dream… schedule it… find a place that inspires you and do something during that time that inspires you. Grab a coffee, take a walk, but don’t work, don’t plan… just dream.
Find people who believe in you and tell them what you hope to accomplish. Let them speak life into you and let their belief in you fuel your excitement.
Forget the past. You aren’t the same person you were when you failed the last time. Remember your lessons, but forget your failures.
And now… there is an expectation that we have placed on ourselves to make it happen.
STAGE 2: EXPECTATION
Now we feel the excitement and we try to start the journey. Maybe we start to make a few calls and connect with people who we need to help us. Maybe we start to make a schedule. Maybe we start to sketch a few ideas, come up with a few characters, or an outline.
Maybe we start to measure what this creative endeavor is going to cost us. Do I have the time? Do I have the financial resources to make this happen? Do I have the equipment that I need? Do I know people who can help?
This is the first wave of what author Steven Pressfield calls “the resistance”.
We start to see the actual work on the other side of our hopeful dreams and reality begins to set in. We start to work on the story and get discouraged. We start to write the song and everything just seems to suck. We start to put color on the canvas and realize the size of the project in front of us.
So maybe we say…
“I suck at this.”
“This is going to harder than I thought.”
“I’m not sure this is worth it.”
THE POISON: Our projects fail in the EXPECTATION phase for a few reasons
We don’t set goals that are small enough that we don’t get overwhelmed.
We don’t create rhythms that work with our existing life responsibilities.
We don’t identify the potential roadblocks we could face and prepare as well as we can for them.
THE ANTIDOTE: Here are some ways you can enjoy and pass the EXPECTATION phase
Make sure and set some early progress points that you can celebrate.
Take appropriate time away from the project to make sure you don’t burn out.
Don’t focus on the end goal at this point. Simply let the project come alive and you may find that it informs you and excites you in a way that you didn’t anticipate.
STAGE 3: ACTION
This is the longest and toughest stage of them all for most of us. It’s the season where we are doing the work. It’s the grind of creativity. It’s writing 40 songs we need to make a 10 song album. It’s creating 10 rough drafts to find the one that gets us excited. It’s trying hundreds of fonts to find the one that makes us sit up in our chair.
We can stall out at a moments notice and be incredibly excited all in the same day. It’s a bit of a roller coaster emotionally and practically.
We could discover that the long term rhythms we planned on aren’t working with our lifestyle. We could hit a point where a lack of resources sidelines us or we find a circumstance shifting in our lives that causes us to take a pause.
We could also just get lazy. It happens. But that is another reason to surround ourselves with the right people for the journey. You’re going to need encouragement and accountability in this phase more than any other so that you can make the long journey. Very few incredible things have been created alone.
We could easily reach a point in this phase where we say…
“I’m too busy/tired to do this.”
“I give up.”
“What if I finish this and it’s terrible?”
THE POISON: Our projects fail in the ACTION phase for a few reasons
We don’t celebrate well along the way.
We don’t give ourselves permission to pivot the end goal.
We let the outside noise get to us.
THE ANTIDOTE: Here are some ways you can enjoy and pass the ACTION phase
Be willing to adjust the frequency of your rhythms without feeling like a failure. For example, instead of working on it 3 times a week go to twice a week.
Take a day to look back and celebrate every small win you can remember. It helps to keep a progress journal and record the small wins you have, like a great rough draft of a character, a great chorus of a song, or finding just the right color in a design.
Go back to your initial idea and remember why you got excited in the first place. Spend a moment or a day back in the HOPE phase and find your passion for the project again.
STAGE 4: COMPLETION
This is the stage we’re all working toward and it feels amazing to hit send on the final draft of your book or push submit to distribute your record to streaming services. However, it also feels scary. After all, we do all this work and finish the project, we’ve worked hard and done our best, and then come all the thoughts and feelings…
“Is this really that great?”
“Everyone is going to hate this.”
We can feel excited and afraid in the same moment and only those who have been here before can understand. It could be a website you’ve designed for a client, a song that you poured your heart into, or a screen play you’ve literally worked on for years. Finishing any piece of art is as heavy as it is glorious.
The key is to celebrate… after all…
YOU DID IT.
So many people don’t finish, but you did.
All you can do is your best and finish. Be proud of what you did. Gather the people who have helped you along the way and celebrate the finish line. So many people stall out, give up, or through no fault of their own just don’t have the opportunity to finish. So celebrate and celebrate well.
THE POISON: Our projects fail in the COMPLETION phase for a few reasons
We create rhythms that are too intense and rob us from the joy of finishing the project.
We surround ourselves with the wrong people.
We lose confidence in the finish product.
THE ANTIDOTE: Here are some ways to better ensure that you will enjoy the COMPLETION
Don’t call it finished until you love it.
Throw a party with the people that have supported you along the way.
Make sure you have a plan to promote, share, and/or sell the finished product.
The creative journey is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve created something big or small you’ve been on this journey and you know this to be true. Don’t suppress your excitement when it swells. Don’t let the reality of expectation discourage you. Don’t let the grind exhaust you to the point of giving up. Then don’t forget to celebrate well when you cross the finish line.
It’s not easy, but the world needs your art.
