Three Keys to Enjoying the Creative Process
As glimpses into the creative process, I enjoy movie “bonus features” like behind-the-scenes documentaries and director commentaries. As an artist, I find them uniquely encouraging. This is partly because they remind me that the creative process is, in fact, a process. It’s a journey of many steps that reveals new, often unexpected, paths to a better end product.
Another reason I enjoy them is the fellowship I find with other creatives who, like me, sometimes struggle with the unpredictability intrinsic to the creative process. Perhaps that’s because I’m bent to “plan my work and work my plan” in nearly every part of my life, including creating artwork. And, darn it, unpredictable twists and turns interrupt my plan! My inward tension amplifies when I fear that my client feels this same tension without seeing the payoff.
And are several payoffs, actually, to the twist and turns of the creative process. The trick is remembering them! So, let’s do that, shall we? Over the years, I’ve identified at least three big payoffs:
A deeper artist-client relationship. Working through unpredictable twists and turns intrinsic to the creative process demands communication, understanding, patience, and trust between client and artist. When handled well, these demands cultivate true friendship. We could even say that they’re the raw materials for creating a human relationship that is, in itself, a work of art. And for me, that’s even more important than creating a physical piece of art.
A better work of (physical) art. Discovering a new method or material, albeit through unexpected twists and turns, often yields a better end product. By “better,” I mean a more beautiful and durable work of art that often exceeds client expectations. It’s a real joy to be able to tell a client, “As I’ve been working on your piece, I’ve discovered a better way to achieve your vision.”
A lifestyle of discovery. Let’s face it, a life lived rigidly by the “plan your work and work your plan” worldview can be pretty boring. Ultimately, it can lead to life and art-killing fear and inflexibility. Being thrown off plan might be momentarily frustrating, but if handled well, it develops emotional, relational, intellectual, spiritual, and creative resilience. This, in turn, leads to a more relaxed and adventurous outlook on life, including the parts of life marked by creative endeavor.
Perhaps you can join me as a “recovering work-planner and plan-worker” to embrace the creative process with all its unpredictable twists and turns. Or, as this movie clip from the 1989 movie Parenthood explores, its many roller-coaster-like ups and downs.
Thumbnail image: gettyimages-10197331-170667a, from https://1440wrok.com/next-time-youre-on-a-six-flags-coaster-keep-your-hands-up/, October 30, 2023.