It goes without saying that we all have no problem being able to imagine a different life and work structure for ourselves. If memory serves me, they made a TV show out of this concept a while back called Fantasy Island. Oddly enough, the title for this show represents the point I look to exemplify. Most of what we tend to imagine for ourselves, which we’re more than capable of, all too quickly starts to look like nothing more than a fantasy. Nice thought, but not very realistic. How easily we fall to that mindset sets the stage for the problem at hand.
The Problem
You stop at some point in your day, which is not necessarily going well, and let your imagination fly with where you’d like to be at this point in your life. The imagery is vivid, and for a few moments you bask in the limelight of a life actually worth living, one that gives credence to rising a little earlier as every day is a damn good day, and you’re looking forward to it. Aristotle tabbed this as “speculating with images,” and for a moment, those images are your reality. And then, there’s the drawdown. The images fade, and all you see is your present reality back in full force. Worse yet, this is a scenario you’ve run time and time again with the same outcome – nothing changes. It’s just another quick trip to Fantasy Island. The redundancy of having this same experience with the same outcome absolutely baffles you. You’re clear something is being missed.
The Solution
Commit to taking the next step after your imaginative moment. Make the decision to go beyond speculating with images and enact “creativity” to your imaginative sessions. Some clarification is at hand.
Being creative is often seen in the same light as being imaginative. Simply stated, being “creative” involves a process and as such differs with being imaginative, a more in the moment phenomenon. When we call something a process, it indicates that there will be some sort of relationship between various elements or steps. With a certain amount of diligence, we can strive to bring these elements together to amass some kind of successful outcome. The greater point here is to see that being creative is in essence a procession of sorts, a movement of ideas toward a common goal. Therefore we can say that creativity is actually systemic by nature, specific elements inextricably tied and working together to a greater outcome.
After over four decades in the Arts, I offer you my take on the creative process, a five step program I more or less developed over the years called OPINE. It has served me well. Here is a brief description of the process.
Step 1 – Origination
Origination is the opening act of the creative process. The word origination in this context captures three fundamental elements I feel are necessary to distinguish what this first step is all about. Those elements are imagination, initiation, and originality. Your imagination is the source. This is where everything evolved from. You’ve engaged it and come up with a vision for what you’re looking to accomplish. Initiation is the subconscious element of origination. You’ve clearly made a decision on the validity of that vision, a belief that moving forward looks to be written in stone. The third element of origination is the heart of this first step, the quest for bringing originality into the equation in terms of your vision, the goal being to accomplish individuality, uniqueness, and bringing a “nonconformity” of sorts to your idea.
Step 2 – Perception
So you’ve originated an idea of a new you with your imaginative skills. You now look at your perception of the idea. When you’re clear and can evaluate how you perceived your imaginative endeavor and why, you can then apply one of the cornerstones of being creative which is looking at something from multiple perspectives to potentially improve upon the initial idea. What you’re attempting to do here at this point is look at the potential “limitations” of your initial perception, striving to see beyond your own vantage point. Your initial perception on why you do something or how you think is many times just a starting point, a preface to what might become. By looking at it from multiple perspectives you can encompass a broad range of possibilities beyond your initially perceived idea to make sure nothing has been missed as you move forward completing your creative endeavor.
Step 3 – Incubation
This is a period where you take a mental break of sorts. You relieve your conscious mind from focusing on your idea. In the simplest of terms, you’re opening up space to let the information, the idea you’ve produced swirl around in your subconscious to see if anything else appears without provocation. What has been learned through multiple cognitive studies is that information processing actually continues when we’re unaware of it. I’m sure you’ve all had an ah-ha moment that literally came out of nowhere, when you least expected it. It has been estimated that your subconscious database outweighs the conscious almost 10 million to one, which is probably the strongest piece of information I can present you with as far as considering spending some time in the incubation stage. New ideas to your already proposed idea might literally come forth without any conscious effort – kind of like a visit from your muse.
Step 4 – Navigation
This is where you want to take some time to lay out a strategy for implementing your ideas. Probably the most important consideration at this point is to make absolutely sure that you bring the same imaginative efforts to the table “navigating” your course of action that you’ve exercised “creating” it up to this point.
A successful navigation of your quest is all about formulating the right questions. It’s the “how to get there” phase of your endeavor. You’ve taken all the steps to secure your intent and have arrived at a point where you’re clear on all of the potential components involved in your vision quest. As important as it was to imaginatively and creatively get to the point of understanding the dynamics of your endeavor, so lays the importance of what, when, and where you need to focus your energy to accomplish this task.
Step 5 – Execution
Execution is the systematic process of rigorously discussing the how’s and what’s, and tenaciously following through ensuring personal accountability. It’s a discipline that needs to be embraced to help make your vision a stunning reality. It’s about enacting a strategy with what you’ve put together in terms of working a job or creating a life of design. No worthwhile strategy should be planned without taking into account the importance of your ability to execute it. It has been said that follow-through is the cornerstone of execution, and you’ve got to stay open to the obvious and not so obvious in this effort. It’s going to take a personal pledge of consistent and constructive probing followed by your commitment to “follow-through.” Know yourself, stay open, and try to set clear goals and priorities. Watch closely for the veritable mass of assumptions that will arise as you strive to execute, and do your best to dismiss them. Focus on what you have control over as well as what you do not have control over as far as executing is concerned, so your efforts are not seen as nothing but an uphill battle.
Some Thoughts
Applying the creative process to your imaginative moments in essence keeps you involved. It helps to keep your wheels spinning, and potential and possibility remain in active mode. It bears mentioning that anyone can become a more creative individual. It’s not in the genes, nor is it a special gift only granted to those we would see as artistic individuals. It’s a skill that can be developed, and like any other skill will mature with time if your pursuit remains vigilant. Quite simply, you’re just putting your imagination “to work.”
I’m confident taking action on these personally devised steps will help to coordinate your insights and ideas on your journey to a new you – just as you imagined.
