5 Phases of the Creative Process

Ask any creative person to tell you about their process, and they will probably have plenty to say. While some makers, crafters, and artists have a defined creative process, others may take a more fluid approach, allowing thoughts and ideas to flow before pinning one down to act on. Whatever your process looks like, it likely involves nuanced behaviors and practices, or even special rituals that get your creative juices flowing.

To help you refine or better understand your own creative process, we’ve broken it down into five basic phases. While these phases may be presented here in a neat and tidy order, we all know the creative process can be messy, chaotic, and cyclical, with phases almost never occurring in the same order twice. As an artist, you get to decide what your creative process looks like, but this list might help you get started.

1. Inspiration

For makers, crafters, and artists, this is one of the most exciting moments in the creative process. Few things compare to that euphoric feeling when inspiration strikes.

But where does inspiration come from? Creatives everywhere have sought out this answer for centuries. If only we could channel inspiration at will, we could unlock our truest potential and never experience those frustrating periods we know as creative blocks. If you’re lucky, a wave of creativity can seem to come out of nowhere. Wherever ideas come from, they have an uncanny way of striking when you least expect them.

Try this: Seek What Inspires You
Watching a film or contemplating a piece of fine art that inspires you can be effective ways to break through a creative lull. For many, drawing inspiration from nature or an event that has occurred in your life is also useful.

2. Percolation

While you may be eager to act on your brilliant idea as soon as possible, the “percolation” period is vital to the creative process. This is the time between inspiration and action, allowing the idea to cement and develop before bringing it to life.

This can involve refining your idea with a journal full of sketches, visualizing the finished product in your head, or creating rough versions to determine how you will go about your creation. For some, it’s just a matter of giving an idea time to germinate.

Some artists and makers take months or years before even beginning to turn their dream into a reality. This doesn’t mean it’s been forgotten or that they’re resting on their laurels. It is simply part of the process of waiting until the idea is ready. You wouldn’t take a pie out of the oven before it’s done baking!

Try this: Talk it Out
If you’re having a hard time deciding how to go about your project, talking to a friend, partner, or family member can help. Even if they may not have any advice for you, the simple act of discussing it out loud can get the gears turning.

3. Preparation

Preparation can sometimes be confused with the percolation phase. While the percolation phase is full of mental planning, the preparation phase involves active steps toward the physical creation of your idea. You’ve settled on your vision and decided how you’d like to proceed. Now, it’s time to make it happen.

Preparation may include the time spent obtaining supplies, organizing your workstation, or creating a list of steps that will lead to your finished product. This can be one of the most fun and enjoyable phases, as you’ll begin to see your idea taking shape.

Try this: Create a Vision Board of Supplies
Take a trip to the craft or art supply store and let your mind wander without pressuring yourself to make decisions just yet. Instead, spend time touching the different types of yarn, feeling various paper textures, comparing paints, etc. Make a physical list and take pictures of the supplies you may want to purchase later.

4. Creation

It’s time to bring your dream to life! The creation phase can be rewarding, frustrating, exciting, and generally emotional for us creatives. While it can be chaotic, you are in your element, and there’s nowhere you would rather be.

The process of creation can take many forms depending on your artistic style and your medium. For some, the process may be quite short with much of the work having been done in the previous phases. For others, it may take many hours, days, or weeks to achieve the vision you have in your head, requiring painstaking efforts to get it “just right.”

It is important to remember that the creation phase also involves rest periods, when stepping away from your work can give you the clarity or patience you may need to complete your piece. It takes a lot of energy—mental and physical—to create something that never existed before! Giving yourself breaks is key for creative success.

Try this: Feeling frustrated with your work? If things aren’t going quite right or your process is feeling forced, try taking a short walk or going out for a cup of coffee. Doing something you enjoy will clear your mind and allow you to be more productive when you return to your work.

5. Reflection

In the wake of your finished creation, a period of reflection often occurs. This phase often takes a different form after every completed project. Coming to the end of something you’ve spent so much time, thought, and energy on can trigger a diverse range of emotions. For some, this is a time to celebrate and enjoy the piece you’ve worked so hard to bring to life! For others, particularly if a piece did not turn out the way you had hoped, a wave of disappointment may wash over you, and you may feel a sort of post-creative emptiness. This is natural, and does not dictate your creative ability! It is simply an opportunity to learn and grow as an artist.

Try this: Keep a Reflection Journal
Capture the feelings you experience after finishing your project and make note of the things that worked or what you would do differently if you could. Reference these notes the next time you start a similar project. You’ll thank yourself for it!

Regardless of how you feel about your finished creation, its completion is something you should be proud of. You brought something to life that began as only a dream in your head, growing your skills in the process and probably learning a thing or two as well. Well done!