Does Creativity Actually “Strike”?

When I want to be creative I can’t. When I least expect it, I am. So–is there a method to the madness? Or is creativity out of my control, leaving me in fear of being out of computer range when lightening strikes? Admittedly, I didn’t begin thinking about this randomly. I am 3/4 of the way through Jon Steel’s The Perfect Pitch. (Try it.)

Realization: To deliver great ideas with meat to them, I need a combination of process and freedom to bring it all together. How many of your best ideas did you hatch while pounding away at your desk? Conversely–how many great ideas came to you before background knowledge of the client and their ultimate goals? Answering for myself: Zero and Zero.

So, Monday through Friday we’re supposed to sit at our desks, being creative while simultaneously keeping meeting schedules and answering email from clients. It’s not easy. (I won’t say I never get ideas sitting at my desk. I do. But they tend to come when I am at work before everyone else.)

I know I am stating the obvious but seriously until this week, I never gave thought to the process for good ideas. It’s not by accident at all! Nope, nope–it’s actually the result of a ton of hard work. Here’s how I do it. It’s pretty similar to Mr. Steel’s, but I swear I didn’t copy. I think maybe most of us have a similar approach? Let me know!

1. Brainstorm the creative brief, including clients position, needs and goals with the team. Come up with some off the wall ideas and just talk about the client in general.No rules, no specific outcome.
2. Take those juicy details and research the hell out of the client, their competition, their market and any half-baked directions we’ve considered. During this research period, I almost always have a few “ah ha!” moments with new ideas, also half-baked. Add them in.
3. Look at everything and feel worse off. Jon Steel references this phase of strategy so well. There’s a point at which the puzzle pieces are scattered around and you feel out of control, aimless, and maybe even a little hopeless. It’s not so much fun.
4. But then there’s the payoff. And this is a point Mr. Steel drove home for me, because the payoff NEVER happens at the desk! My payoffs happen in three places, typically: a) walking the dog, b) in the shower, or c), at 2 a.m.
5. These are never convenient moments to write anything down. But I’ve learned the hard way: No matter how perfect the solution is I’ve just come up with, somehow I’ll forget if I don’t record it right away. So I carry a note pad. Typically a few quick thoughts are enough to pick up my train of thought at a more convenient time.

So there you have it. There’s absolutely a process to creativity and it takes practice. Yes, friends, this week I learned that creative people are not unlike dancers, athletes, and musicians. They make it look pretty easy, seemingly born with a natural talent the rest of us lack. But in truth, they work their asses off. What does it also mean? Probably that more of us are more creative than we give ourselves credit for, we just don’t try hard enough.

This article was contributed by Sarah Szilagyi, VP of Client Services at Elevator.