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Winter Wonderland: Vintage 1940s Postcard
"Greetings from New Hampshire/The Silvery Moonlight" |
I think it is safe to say (with two weeks left until the
spring equinox) that this is the winter that wasn’t. Or, as they have been calling it at the yoga
studio I attend, our "gentle winter." While
both of those ring true, I’ll admit I've had mixed feelings about this season of
little to less snow, mild days and early-appearing perennials and it has less
to do with weather and a lot to do with the creative process.
Like many things, such as the seasons, the creative process
has four phases: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and Implementation. Each one is a vital part of the creative
process. In Preparation, we do our
research and our initial work on the idea, challenge or problem. For the painter, this means stretching and
priming the canvas. For the marketing
person, this means immersing themselves in the industry of their client. We gather information related to what we want
to accomplish. All of this goes into our
brains and, for lack of a more appealing word, churns.
This begins what is understood to be the most critical and
also the most mysterious phase of the creative process: Incubation. In Incubation our subconscious takes
over. While we are washing the dishes,
taking a nap, daydreaming as we gaze past our computer screen and out the
window, the subconscious is following leads, discarding unnecessary information
and trying out new directions. Because
this process happens outside of the guidance of our conscious mind, it is one
that can be so easily disrupted by the urgency of the everyday. The good news though, is that your subconscious
is persistent, and to a certain extent likes to have your consciousness distracted.
Which is why, when you get in the shower, are driving in the
car, or are anywhere pretty much far away from where you do the physical work
of your craft, you have the well-known lightening-strike-eureka-moment, when
the light bulb comes on and you go racing for a pen and paper. This is the Illumination phase which is known
for its sense of urgency. Illumination
waits for no man or woman, and happens only when your subconscious has fully
vetted the information. This is why you
should always have a sketchbook/idea book on you at all times, and also why in
the corporate environment the creative process is often found frustrating for
not running on schedule.
From the important and often unpredictable phase of Illumination,
which identifies exactly what is needed to solve the problem, or to craft the
idea fully, you then move into the Implementation phase. This is the phase where the idea takes shape in
the physical world, becomes tangible, and then can be fully evaluated.
The four phases of the creative process happen on their own
schedule, sometimes messily overlapping with other ideas, and can be
fragile. The process, especially the
Incubation and Illumination phases, can be easily disrupted—often by our own
unfocused actions, but frequently by our environments which are always
connected and accessible. I found a
great illustration of the importance of protecting the Illumination phase in
the recent
Entertainment Weekly article “Don of a New Era” about the return of the
series
Mad Men. Author Dan Snierson
writes of the show’s creator Mathew Weiner, “Because inspiration sometimes
strikes at 40 mph, Weiner has instituted an unofficial rule for his arrival at
the office. ‘No one can talk to me for, like, five minutes, so in case I
thought of something in the car, I can write it down,’ he chuckles. 'I have
serious pressure on my memory.'"
So what does this have
to do with my missing winter?
For me, winter is my season of incubation. The seeds of ideas and projects that often
get sidelined due to my work and teaching schedule, wait for winter. The snow slows things down. People stay in. The still magical “snow day” sometimes happens. In winter, I return to those ideas, and it is
a perfect season for a combination of preparation (reading, sketching,
planning) and the activities that foster Incubation. While I know this process runs constantly, a
fire fed by my own stoking, I have come to observed that my overall creative
process mimics the seasons: autumn is preparation; winter, incubation; spring,
illumination; and summer (my favorite), implementation, when the ideas flow
from my fingers into typed pages in the slow, hot afternoons.
So while it was a “gentle winter” it was also a very busy
winter. And now that it is almost behind
us, I feel conscious of my creative process and how it has been different. I remembered
What to Do When You are in the Dark,
and rather than trying to rush my creative process with a few projects I had
planned to work on, I took the time to fuel the preparation and incubation
process by spending some time looking, observing, and noting ideas. (This is why you will see some changes here on
The Paper Compass that I hope you will like.)
Most importantly spring is almost here, which ushers in one of the best
seasons for my favorite creative thinking and Illumination tool: walking.
How has this
season and its unusual weather patterns been different for you? Do you notice any changes in your creative
habits? Have you observed the four
phases of the creative process in your own work? What kind of seasonal pattern do you observe
with your creative process, if any? To inspire
you, especially if you are new to understanding the creative process, here are
a few things to consider and experiment with:
- Preparation:
This phase can be filled with an overwhelming combination of excitement for the
inkling of the new idea and fear. Go
slowly and tell yourself that you are just exploring. Exploring and learning are less threatening
words to your judgmental mind, than New Endeavor! Also, it is best to keep your idea to
yourself at this time. Nothing harms the
creative and the creative process as much as outside critiques. Preparation loves consistency, routine, reading,
experiencing, prepping the work “space,” learning, and keeping the “secret”
of the idea.
- Incubation: This
“mysterious” phase of the creative process does best when it is away from your
usual work space. It can be difficult to
walk away from where you are trying to work, but it is truly for the best. Incubation loves breaking out of your
routine, new experiences, napping, daydreaming, and any activity that is not
the current idea/project you are working on.
- Illumination:
The most unpredictable of the four phases, Illumination loves walking,
showering, repetitive activities such as sewing, and taking long drives.
- Implementation:
The final phase of the creative process is anything but final. It is the beginning of a lot of action, and a
lot of mini-repetitive versions of the four steps of the creative process as
many ideas often come together to make your Big Idea happen. Implementation loves urgency, being in a state
of flow, and not being interrupted.
