CONSIDER CREATIVE PROCESS

Theorists, scholars, artists and educators have attempted to answer the question “can creativity be assessed?” The multitude of concepts available is a prime example of the creative process itself. Be it called divergent thinking or creative thought; it is a process, an activity we do actively in our mind, body and yes, in our soul-spirit (alma). There is not one right answer to this question of assessing creativity and it is consistently a moving target. However, if I am to venture down this road, and I do quiet often (as an educator of design for the past 22 years and as an artist my entire life) I would say the best way to assess creativity is to first have a clear criterion as a guide.

What do I mean by criterion? When assigning a creative project for yourself or others it is helpful for assessing purposes to have a mission built into the project that identifies the various creative expectations. In other words, knowing the definition of creativity and how it applies to the particulars of a project will be substantially supportive to everyone involved; i.e. fulfillment, mission, idea development, focus. Thus, allowing you to evaluate the goals of the project and the creative vision. The criterion for each creative project can and will potential vary in depth and detail. Some criterion can be as simple as size, color and deadline. Others may be more specific and elaborate. Knowing the particular parameters will ultimately assist divergent thinking and drive creative problem solving.

A product is only part of the goal and is the end result of creative processing; accomplishing or completing an assignment does not always mean creative thought was utilized or fully engaged. The creative process must be evident in the work and the process includes having the ability to define and articulate the “idea road” that the creator traveled upon. It is possible that the end product is not completely successful however there is evidence of learning; a demonstration of utilizing design principles, of creative selection, re-shuffling, combining, morphing and/or synthesizing techniques.

*According to Wallas (Wallas, G. – 1962; The Art of Thought. New York: Harcourt-Brace.) - Creative process is described as consisting of four stages, i.e., Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and Verification.

Documentation and presentation of the creative process is essential for evaluating the depth of creativity resourced. The visual evidence along with the written and verbal explanation will allow an unbiased analysis of each creative project. The depth of creativity applies to the marriage between the criteria of the project and your specified definition of creativity. Be explicit in defining the creative characteristics you want to see integrated, i.e., ability to generate ideas, ability to notice anomalies, ability to make choices, ability to experiment, ability to meet challenging goals, ability to add or subtract from an idea, ability to realize an idea.

*(Torrance, E.P. - 1962; Guiding Creative Talent. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall. “fluency, flexibility, evaluation, risk-taking, seeking challenges, elaboration, product”).

Being a creative model for creative process will allow more awareness to the methods of accessing creative and innovative thought. The ability to demonstrate the process of creative thought on a project, no matter how non-linear it may be, will validate the conceptual thinking applied and will solidify the origin of the idea, and in this way disprove any derivative nature of a creative project. Considering the abundance of images available and multitude of concepts raging through our technology, having documentation on creative process for each project is extremely important for creator and evaluator of creativity.

DAFOMAstudios - “the creative process is the intention”