July 7, 2013

The Creative Process: Frustrating, Rewarding and Still Fun!

I remember that when I first heard the phrase "the creative process" I thought it sounded just a little pretentious. Now that I'm older and wiser, and having to had create either images or written articles on a regular basis for a number of years, I now understand it more clearly from my own personal experience, and realise that it is a step-by-step process.

Sometimes it is filled with frustration, especially when the pressure is on to get busy and create something by a particular date. As the creative mind doesn't work to a schedule, putting that kind of pressure on to produce something inevitably leads to blocks, or to the production of something that lacks spark. This then leads to disappointment and even further pressure to be better next time.

Strange as it may sound, I'm thankful that I've never gotten paid for my work. My written articles were for both my weekly newspaper column and my on-air radio program, both of which I volunteered for and were connected to the other. While there was pressure to produce by a particular date, I was not relying on producing items for an income, so to a degree, I was able to relax and let the thinking takes its creative course.

There were other difficulties: because I worked elsewhere for my income, it left me with much less time to put into the creative process. One way to get around that was to take pen and paper with me everywhere and jot down notes, observations and thoughts as they popped into my head. Whenever I had a spare ten minutes, I would take the opportunity to expand on those concepts a little further.


I have also been writing short stories and books for over a decade now, which is another process altogether, and one I won't discuss here today :o)

The creation of graphic designs has been a later development in my life and one I have only recently been able to market - though I'm yet to make any kind of income from it. While it would be nice to earn an income from my graphic designs, I enjoy the fact that I don't have to work to deadlines and my mind can take as long as it wants to develop the ideas. Often, I have several concepts jostling for position in my mind at the same time.

When I was young, I wanted to study art at university, but my parents insisted that I undertake something which would enable me to have a "reliable" income. For years, that has lead to my creative side being rather frustrated. Imagine my delight as I grew older, that computers and programs have developed to such a degree that I can now finally allow the blossoming of the stunted artist in me.

Here are some of my latest designs, some of which are a little on the quirky side:
  




Frankensquirrel


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