the creative process ( in a nutshell ) Below is an excerpt from this often referenced book on creativity . I will explore further on why we fall for brainstorming techniques instead of the synthesis of ideas . According to Csikszentmihalyi , the creative process has traditionally been described as taking five steps .
1 . Immersion
The first is a period of preparation , becoming immersed - consciously or not - in a set of problematic issues that are interesting and arouse curiosity .
2 . Incubation
The second phase of the creative process is a period of incubation , during which ideas churn around below the threshold of consciousness . It is during this time that unusual connections are likely to be made . When we intend to solve a problem consciously , we process information in a linear , logical fashion . But when ideas call to each other on their own , without leading them down a straight and narrow path , unexpected combinations may come into being .
3 . Insight
The third component of the creative process is insight , sometimes called the “ Aha !” moment , the instant when Archimedes cried “ Eureka !” as he stepped into the bath , when the pieces of the puzzle fall together .
4 . Evaluation
The fourth component is evaluation , when the person must decide whether the insight is valuable and worth pursuing . This is often the emotionally trying part of the process , when one feels the most uncertain and insecure . This is also when the internalized criteria of the domain , and the internalized opinion of the field , usually become prominent . Is this idea really novel or is it obvious ? It is a period of selfcriticism and soul-searching .
5 . Elaboration
The fifth and last component of the process is elaboration . It is probably the one that takes the most time and involves the hardest work . This is what Edison was referring to when he said creativity consists of 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration .
But this classical framework leading from preparation to elaboration gives a severely distorted picture of the creative process if it is taken too literally .
A person who makes a creative contribution never just slogs through to the long last stage of elaboration . This part of the process is constantly interrupted by periods of incubation and is punctuated by small epiphanies . Many fresh insights emerge as the person is putting the finishing touches on the initial insight .
In real life , there may be several insights interspersed with periods of incubation , evaluation and elaboration . Thus the creative process is less linear than recursive . How many iterations it goes through , how many loops are involved , how many insights are needed , depends on the depth and breadth of the issues dealt with . Sometimes incubation lasts for years ; sometimes it takes a few hours . Sometimes the creative idea includes one deep insight and innumerable small ones . 1
From Creativity – Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention , by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
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