Six stages of the creative act - The creative process for artists

Six stages of the creative act  

Preparation, Exploration, Evaluation, Illumination, Application, Elaboration/iteration

 Once we are far enough along in our journey to learn the mechanics of creating (painting, sculpting, woodworking, etc.), we can begin to consider the mechanics of creative decision-making. For the artist, the creative problems we must solve are more internally driven.

 We aren’t inventing a new widget; we are figuring out who we are, what’s important to us, and where we want to focus our energy. And that’s much harder than solving someone else’s problem.

 Preparation

With the early stages of learning behind us, we are now better able to focus on a general direction. The training for figurative work differs from that for landscape, still life, or more contemporary considerations. The first stage of creative decision-making is determining which path to take. And if you are unsure, start anywhere. Your path will evolve as you go.  

Regardless of the direction, this first stage is about practice, searching and study. Practice to reinforce the direction and research to know what has come before. Study the arts, not just the branch you are in; all of them, to grasp the true nature of self-expression.  

Practice to refine the specific skill set until it becomes an intuitive process.  

At this stage, you have to learn to trust what interests you rather than what is popular (unless that is your heart’s desire) until, through trial and error, something presents itself that piques your curiosity.  This is the beginning of developing intent or direction in your work. 

Exploration

Creative decisions in the arts are akin to sculpting in marble. Once the initial stage of developing a strong technical foundation is complete and a general direction is chosen, the ideas still need to be chiseled out. We do this through play and variation. Exploring a lot of different ways to say the same thing to find the one that feels right. We call them studies, thumbnails, or quick sketches. We do these without judgment of good or bad, at least until we have enough under the belt to compare.

Be curious. Play with different techniques, explore and combine various materials, experiment with composition, application, and the fundamental elements of the craft, such as shape, color, edge, and form. The goal is to refine the general concept of landscape or figuration (or insert your preferred content) into a more unique approach.  

With each decision, there are mini-evaluations. Does it feel right? Is there an idea in it that excites you? Does it say too much or not enough?  As an artist of 50-plus years, I can tell you that this is the stage to really cut loose, push boundaries, and pay attention to your attention. You don’t need instructional videos for this; try stuff and learn to trust your gut. 

Illumination

In art, these stages are not just a weekend or even month-long event, nor do they necessarily occur in a specific order or with every project. This is an ongoing process applied to both small and large decisions. It never stops.  

For artists, this state is constantly engaged. Creative people are perpetually on the hunt for inspiration, whether it's for a specific problem or simply for general inspiration. The key to this kind of thinking is the ability to free-associate, the capacity to connect seemingly unrelated ideas, and find inspiration from them.  

Inspiration/illumination can come from anywhere and everywhere, not just whatever is in your creative lane. I am often inspired by my own mixing-palette, with the layers of color, random notes, textures, and color relationships. Pay attention to the world around you and not just the square canvas on your easel. 

Contemplation/evaluation

At this stage, as in the universal model, step away from the work for a while and do something else. Let the work percolate and allow the subconscious mind to simmer on it, seeking new connections (illumination). Give it time to get fresh eyes. I have often found that the things that really excited me in the moment didn’t keep that energy days later. Things that seemed flat might start speaking up. 

My go-to guide is either ‘what I have not seen before,’ which is tough, or ‘what I have not tried before,’ which is a little more realistic. Once enough ideas have been explored, they can be sorted by how they feel or by what best resolves the general intent. For example, if I wanted a more contemporary landscape vibe, I’d look for pieces that place less emphasis on landscape and more on the nature of expression, because I am more interested in seeing how far I can push an idea and still have it read. Your responses will differ because your intent will differ.  

I am often drawn to what I call the wild-card ideas, the ones that happen somewhat by accident. Don’t discount these happy accidents. More often than not, they are the foundation of new directions. If something piques my interest enough, I move on to the next stage. 

Application

Rather than launching into a large-scale expression of an idea, I will scale up in stages, progressing from small studies to mid-sized variations, in the medium best suited for the nature of the studies. And again, this is a numbers game; the more of these you do, the more comfortable you become with the application.

 When scale or medium changes, everything changes. So, this is another form of exploration and preparation for the larger versions. If enough studies are done in preparation, the application becomes more intuitive, and there is less need to reference small studies, except for the occasional glance to stay on track. 

Once the process begins to feel intuitive, it’s time to jump to a larger format. If you’re satisfied with the outcome, it’s time to move on to the next stage.

  Elaboration/iteration

Artists are rarely known by a single piece; they are recognized by a body or bodies of work. The next stage is to elaborate on and thoroughly explore the core concept through a series of pieces bound by a dominant theme, presenting a cohesive exploration of the underlying idea.

 The expansion of a central theme is evident in everything from the Star Wars franchise to Richard Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park series and James Patterson’s Alex Cross crime novel series.  

As artists, one of the best ways to witness these stages in action is to obtain a retrospective book or two on blue-chip creators, which allows you to see the evolution of their work over time.