The Creative Process is something I thought I had a good understanding of after all it is something I use on a day to day basis in not only my career but also my personal life. I was never taught it, it was just always there and I guess that because I see it a very personal thing and something I feel I just developed on my own. It felt like it was always there.
But now I doubt myself when it comes to the creative process all the time, because in every new corner I turn I seem to find new and interesting ways of doing it. I did not use a sketchbook until about 10 years ago, so that is a relatively new tool added to my process.
While watching our content for this week I was introduced to the ICEDIP method, devised by Geoff Petty, during a lecture by Tanya Krzywinska titled ‘What is creativity’. It was something I had not heard of before a huge surprise to me as its Geoff Petty, and with me being an educator should have been something I was aware of.
The ICEDIP method consists of six blocks that can be used in order to explore and assess a creative idea while alongside aid in generating a wider range of creativity while solving any problem. The six blocks are titled
- Inspiration
- Clarification
- Evaluation
- Distillation
- Incubation
- Perspiration
So each stage defines a point in the process but in fact are an attempt to put a different mind set on the process. Petty (n.d) describes “One of the main difficulties for creative people is that the different phases require radically different, even opposite ‘mind-sets’, each of which is difficult to sustain without deliberate effort“. So this process uses these mindsets as stage labels in order to ensure that all options can be and are explored.
So delving in further to the process we can look at each stage as a unique strategy.
Inspiration
This is the stage where you can come up with lots and lots of ideas, do lots and lots of research, and basically gather as much input in your creativity as possible. There are no good or bad aspects as this point and everything is relevant because you are exploring possibilities. This mindset involves being invested and obviously without this investment the ability to generate a lot of ideas will be restricted, however alongside being invested you also need to be fearless and not afraid to fail.
Clarification
The process of taking stock of all that has come before. This is where you can begin to ask questions about the problem you are trying to solve, think about what you are trying to achieve or communicate, add some clarity the purpose of what you are doing. This will aid those that are not really invested in the problem as it will allow them to focus their method and define a strategic aspect to it.
Evaluation
The review phase where you can look back over your work and evaluate in many ways. Look for strengths, look for weaknesses, assess suitability, but basically evaluate. This is where iteration can be brought in to your mindsets, its not finished it is just at a stage that you can do something about it, that may mean switching back to another mindset for a while to develop things further.
Distillation
The filter of the process and a chance to make decisions on what you have. Time to pick something to work on so you will need to use judgement and criticality in order chose your best ideas in order to move forward with them. Remember do not discard anything just move it to the side so that you can concentrate on one thing for now.
Incubation
The calm before the storm, a time to just let things cook. Take your mindset off the problem and do something else, let it just microwave there in the back of your mind, subconsciously develop into something potentially better, more efficient, cost effective, whatever may come of it really.
Perspiration
Where the real actually bread and butter work is done. This is not necessarily an outcome stage it is just a mindset that allows you to focus on doing. Your are enthusiastic and responsive, eager to produce a result.
So as you can see these mindsets are quite clearly defined but it is important to understand these are just mindsets to use during the creative process. You do not have to do them in order, and in fact some will need to be revisited often at different stages of whatever your personal creative process is.
They are there to encourage disruption in your creative process but allow you the opportunity to be able to understand how this disruption is supporting your process.
References
Krzywinska, T (2021) ‘What is creativity’ [online] Available at [https://flex.falmouth.ac.uk/courses/912/pages/week-2-what-is-creativity?module_item_id=54079/] (Accessed 7th June 2021)
Petty, G. (n.d) Creativity – Geoff Petty. [online] Available at: [https://geoffpetty.com/creativity/] (Accessed 12 June 2021).
Petty, G. (n.d) Mind Sets – Geoff Petty. [online] Geoff Petty. Available at: [https://geoffpetty.com/creativity/mind-sets/] (Accessed 12 June 2021).
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