Hoping the year of the Water Tiger began filled with creativity. Art has always been one of the most significant skills I learned — it has consistently been my compass in life. The holidays gave me pause for thought on the future of my work. Through this reflection and personal circumstances, I recognized a new incentive; one that indeed inspired me. The re-emerging feeling was appreciated.
I will discuss the four stages of the creative process in detail while developing my current artists’ book with a working title “Infatuation,” in situ.
At the heart of creativity remains the creative process and it's used by many people, whether in the art world or in other fields like advertising, entrepreneurship, music… We all look at elements of essentially the parallel creative process.
The development of an idea may call to mind a corporate “design and creativity process” — where each step is laid out in concrete terms to help in problem solving. Some of us may have established these terms long ago and actively consider each stage instinctively during production of our work. While discussing a creative slump at the end of 2021 with a colleague, Guylaine Couture, I realized the need to go back to my initial training as an artist and enjoy the process.
Friends and family often inquire on how I arrive at fascinating projects out of nowhere. Thanks the creative process, since inventive ideas don’t simply and suddenly light up in my head.
Here is my provisional plan for creating “Infatuation.”
© 2022 Louise Levergneux.
INSPIRATION
Preparation
Absorb knowledge, experience, insight and context for an imaginative idea. Brainstorm and gather raw material and data to interpret a “vision” in which an image, a sight, a sound… can be articulated in the mind. This step stimulates my intuition and instinct to identify a creative concept and run with it.
Observation
Time and research to define an inspiration in a more concrete idea, to construct a knowledge base. My time to reflect is ordinarily achieved in the early morning hours while in a state of sleep. Then, I focus on similar ideas/subjects developed by other artists to deepen my inspiration.
Incubation
Cultivate the collected information unconsciously. My subconscious and conscious minds synthesize the knowledge fragments into an idea to develop a point of view — causing the reader to make sense and interpret the project/artists’ book. The narrative is woven into a tapestry of feelings and thoughts. I usually step back from the topic and allow the mind to work through and contemplate potential ideas or solutions.
Eureka moment
The moment of insight when my mind identifies a potential solution and makes me aware of it.
© 2021 Louise Levergneux. First thoughts and notes for my project.
IDEATION
Ideate
Explore and illuminate the idea. Arrange thoughts, readying and experience and preserve the idea. Organize photos, text, songs, sequence… for the book. Muse over the finished look of the book.
Prototype
Research content versus binding. Create maquettes of binding and structure. Choosing paper and material to complete the book.
Verification
Transfer the overall idea to the substrate, test the prototype, and evaluate the project, paper, presentation, sketches, and notes. Critique and invite feedback/opinions on already planned prototype options.
EXECUTION
Storytelling Development
Bring to life the visual and story of the book.
Option Development
Elaborate the options for the binding and the structure and choose a final format.
Pilot Options
Examine and step back from the piece, formulating an analysis and questioning one's own work.
PUBLISHING/DISTRIBUTION
Adapt the idea into reality by producing the finished creative work — the artists’ book. Identify, contact, and market to potential customers. Finally, complete the administrative aspects of the bookwork.
© 2022 Louise Levergneux. A visit to St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery (a Greek Orthodox monastery standing in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona) helped to quiet the mind to contemplate on the following phase.
Each post may not perfectly follow the exact sequence of these stages depending on how my brain mulls over the work as I interact with the numerous elements generated by new ideas.
So, here goes. Are you ready to launch a creative project with me? In my next blog I will examine in more details on the first stage — the Inspiration - Preparation.