Last month I found myself in a creative slump. I released my latest book Solve The REAL Problem almost a year ago and I delivered several very productive Breakthrough Labs earlier this year.
My priority now was marketing the book and the labs. Honestly, I didn’t find this as much fun or creatively absorbing as writing a book or producing a series of videos.
I was in a funk and spent way too much time alone in my home office.
I needed a change. But what?
Yes, even the creativity guy gets stumped sometimes.
My wonderful publicist, Lori Ames, encouraged me to activate my spiritual side again: spend time in the morning reading inspirational material, go to my place of worship, and get out of the house.
During this time, I had brunch with my friend Dr. Robert Gatewood’s first-year medical school students. When I finished brunch with the students, the lightbulb came on. I had a pretty good idea of what I needed to do.
People.
I needed to be around people.
If you haven’t guessed by now, I am an extrovert. I love being with people. I love teaching classes and facilitating workshops. I was missing sharing ideas with others.
Solution: I emailed my friends who are faculty members at Center for Applied Imagination and asked them if I could camp out in the conference room for a couple of days a week. Less than a day later, I got an email from the department chair saying that not only could I camp out in the conference room, but there was also an office available. Would I like it?
Absolutely!
I moved into the office. I now work in my office at Buffalo State University several times a week.
I also started spending time in the morning reading inspirational material, and I discovered that my favorite minister had left retirement and was pastoring a local church that I am now attending.
I feel like I am back on track and moving forward.
So, what is the creativity lesson here? Actually, there are several.
In 1926, Graham Wallas, in his book The Art of Thought, identified four stages of the creative process:
1 – Preparation: You are gathering information and actively working on the problem, but you haven’t found a solution yet.
2 – Incubation: This is a period of perceived inactivity. However, it is during this stage that ideas often gestate beneath the surface of conscious thought.
3 – Illumination: This is the “aha!” moment when a solution or breakthrough idea suddenly emerges.
4 – Verification: This is where the idea is polished and put into action, making adjustments as needed.
As you have probably guessed, the “incubation” phase can present itself as a creative slump on the surface, when in fact, there is a great deal going on below the surface.
Let’s take a look at another example of what might be considered a slump. This example comes from the farming world.
Winter.
In winter, nothing is growing. And, on the surface, it looks like nothing is happening. However, below the surface, there is a lot of “stuff” happening.
Winter gives the soil time to rest so that organic matter can break down and maintain soil fertility. Cold temperatures help reduce pest populations and break the life cycles of crop diseases. When it snows, essential moisture is provided for the soil, and the freeze-thaw cycle breaks up compacted soil to improve plant root growth in the spring.
As you can see, there’s lots of “stuff” going on below the surface in winter.
So, the next time you find yourself in a creative slump, think of it as your personal winter. Understand that while the surface may seem barren, there’s vital work happening underneath. Allow yourself time to rest, reflect, and recharge. Soon enough, spring will come, and with it, a flourishing of new ideas and creative energy.
