Transcript To understand how the creative process works, it is helpful to briefly explain what is meant by the term creativity. Creativity.

To understand how the creative process works, it is helpful to briefly explain what is meant by the term creativity.
Creativity seems almost indefinable due to the fact that it can be approached on many levels and from different angles. 7
It is a term which has more than just one explanation, or ways to interpret and has been studied in all kinds of
disciplines. For instance, people use the word to call something or someone original, or it often refers to the possession
of artistic qualities. It is a highly covert virtue which often goes together with breaking the rules of a system where you
can find creative acts, but of which no one thought before.18
The term is often used as a feature of our mental processes. Not that the fact of having a mental process itself is
creative, but that the outcomes of the process are creative.
In a recent publication of new philosophical essays on creativity, Bence Nanay argues that an idea is creative only if the
person in whose mind it arises experiences it as something she has not taken to be possible before.6
This explanation shows it is possible to come up with an idea, even when it seems all possibilities have been considered
before. Also it shows that it is possible that a creative solution of someone else can cause the ‘a-ha’ effect, since the
other has not experienced it before. In both minds the idea went through the same phases of the creative process before
it finally reaches the conscious mind. A step further, Marcel Duchamp even claims that the appreciation of someone else’s
creativity is necessary for fully finishing the creative act.8 He needed a public to be able to complete the products of his
creative mind, whereas others may see it as an individual quality which does not need reactions from the outside for it to
be a fulfilled creative act.
Down the escalator,
where the steps disapear through a slot under the floor, lies a candy.
It is too large to go along in the slot,
and too light to roll across the small threshold that keeps it in place.
So it continues to bounce spastically,
there where the escalator and the floor come together.
The creative process is a term to describe one of the most enigmatic mental processes happening in both the conscious and unconscious mind
that may lead to an insight. Artists, writers, thinkers, inventive scientist and ‘lots of others’ remain intrigued by it. 17
What exactly happens in our mind has yet to be discovered. Nevertheless we keep expanding our knowledge on the topic. Research on many
different levels and in different disciplines makes that we know a lot about the process compared to a couple of centuries ago and are capable to
generally explain how it works and why it functions as it does.
Since most of the process is unconscious, it is often like groping in the dark. This causes philosophers and scientists to propose lots of different
theories, often going against one another. Their theories provide a better understanding of the functioning of our brain and help to explain and
understand the unconscious parts, and by that to understand how conscious thinking works.
Research tells us that different parts of the brain responsible for different stages constantly ‘communicate’ with each other and share and exchange
information.1 The different stages have been put together in a model, which has been made to distinguish the different stages, as far as they allow
themselves to be distinguished, within the creative process.
Thanks to neurological research, we now know where the insight occurs; right above both ears in the anterior
superior temporal gyrus. This area lights up in a brain scan when a person does tests that cause insights to happen.
Researchers discovered that in the right hemisphere there are more wires with wider branching that can more easily
source data and thus catch a missing piece of information.26 It is an essential part for finding the right information
and linking it to others to construct a new idea.
It is not just these parts of the brain which are needed for an insight to occur, it is a collaboration of many other
facets and parts of the body and human senses. Studies and experiments on the topic, together with theories by
philosophers clarify more and more what happens in our head when a something happens without us noticing it.
To value an idea as something creative has a lot to do with the quality of outcome and the way how the
different phases in the creative process are experienced. Outcomes are needed to be aware of something
which takes place in our head. Without this conscious phase, it would not be possible to take notice of
what’s happening on an unconscious level.
Having a moment of insight sometimes feels as if you had to do nothing to experience it. As if an idea has
been blown into your mind as some kind of inspiration. This is incorrect; depending on the quality of the
outcome, quite some steps need to be taken, both conscious and unconscious for the mind to produce an
idea.
While it seems as if it can come out of nowhere, it is more likely to take own conscious actions into
consideration in the creation or the search for an idea.
The lack of ‘inspiration’ is often connected to the lack of input. Indeed the unconscious mind does a lot of
work for us. However, this doesn’t mean it works on command. Nevertheless, there are moments when it
does loosen up and is able to come up with ideas you may have not thought of before.
People use their creative qualities constantly in everyday life for all kinds of situations. Despite this, the concept of
creativity is seen as difficult to grasp.9 This can be explained by the unawareness of the unconscious parts of the
process. Some of them are conscious, which can be noticed but most of them are not.
Besides these unnoticeable factors, different personalities, different characters and the fact that it works slightly
different in every mind, also affect the mysterious, intriguing attitude towards consciousness and the creative
qualities.
Understanding and being aware of how it functions in a general way can help to influence the outcomes.
Nevertheless, what is so intriguing about the process is that the brain and the other organs involved in developing
insights are all part of the body. Consciousness is in someway situated behind the eyes, under the cranium. This in
itself is nothing new, but the feeling of it being someone else producing for you is what makes it so special. The
mind can deliver unlikely ideas, consisting of unique combinations which you could not have thought of yourself.
But since it is part of your own body, you actually did.
Friedrich Nietzsche, who lived in a time in which it was trending to give a lot of credit to the unconscious mind
(around 1870-1808) mentioned: ‘Consciousness is the last and most recent development of the living, and is
because of this the most incomplete and less powerful feature of these developments. All knowledge is made
conscious out of the unconscious. The fundamental activity is unconscious, because it is really small, this space of
consciousness.’60
Between two walls facing each other,
there is a long spiral shaped object, slowly turning around.
It keeps on turning without changing speed, and by doing so,
it looks as if it is moving from left to right,
calmly screwing itself into the wall.
A great feature of the unconscious mind is that it works for us. Whether we eat, sleep or take a shower, it never stops. Not
so strange that the human brain consumes up to 20 percent of the total amount of energy used by the body. 24 Even though
it is our own body in which it functions, it may seem as if an unknown person creates and produces for you, and finally
shoots the results at you once they’re finished. Additionally, it regulates many other processes which we normally take for
granted. Think of the things we need to keep doing in order to survive. It for instance controls our breathing and also tells
us when to drink or eat. The conscious mind then simply obeys and does what is instructed. 21 It makes you stand up and
walk to the fridge. It can even make you say to yourself; what was it that brought me here. Think of it: how many of the
little actions during the day did you actually consider doing? It seems to regulate a lot of things we don’t need to worry
about, so we can use our conscious thinking to deal with other things.
Our unconscious mind does everything which is psychologically of importance. Every now and then the conscious mind is
only presented the end product of unconscious processes. This definition causes to think that there is a certain space in the
brain from which everything is controlled; the control room so to speak. This argument is wrong: there is no one who pulls
the strings. Philosopher Daniel Dennett once said: ‘The trouble with the brains [...] is that when you look in them, you
discover there’s nobody home’.22 It is a combination of all kinds of factors; different parts of the brain which communicate
with each other and the quick exchange of data, passing through the brain as (electrochemical) mental processes.
If you wear earplugs in the dark,
and then tap with your fingers on your head,
it’s as if there is no one home.
Studies are being made from artistic, psychological, philosophical and neurological points of view. Especially in the last decades, there has
been a lot of progress in philosophy when considering consciousness. When Freud published his main theories in the first quarter of the 20th
century, he set a course from where we would start to discover more and more about consciousness. Nowadays his ideas are often refuted.
Nevertheless his studies were needed to get to where we are now.40
Before Freud’s ideas changed our thinking, it seems that every period in time had its own thinkers and theories about consciousness.
Especially throughout the last centuries some philosophers were of big influence in how we think and act towards consciousness nowadays.
The rational thinking of Kant for instance may seem contradictory to the psychoanalyze of Freud. 41 However, their somehow framing way of
understanding had perhaps more in common than the legacy of both Locke and Descartes. Locke said that conscious experiences where the
work of god. They were there for no other reason than to please god. He felt nothing for the idea of the conscious expense as being caused
by the human brain.42 Yet, it is Descartes who has mainly determined our underrated way of thinking about the unconscious. Similar to the
work of Freud, his work stood out and got other philosophers to consider the topic as well and therefore made it possible that even more
research and thinking was brought on the topic of consciousness. A famous quote by Descartes ‘Cogito ergo sum’ ("I think, therefore I am", or
better "I am thinking, therefore I exist") is nicely contradicted by the French 20th century writer Jean Cocteau: “I think not, therefore I am”.43
Which shows he understood it is rather our unconscious thinking which makes us who and what we are. Nevertheless we still deal with an
overall feeling it is the conscious mind which makes us stand out from other animals. Nowadays, research contributes more and more to the
modern thinking about consciousness; in which the unconscious mind is seen as the highly developed one.
Nevertheless there is no rejection towards the conscious mind whether it is less important or inferior to the unconscious. Both the conscious
mind and the unconscious proven their worth. They both need one another to fully function. It seems likely that almost all human behaviors,
including the creative acts, emerge from a combination of both conscious and unconscious processes. 48
(1724 – 1804)
‘There is an immense field of sensuous intuitions and sensations we are not conscious of [...] the field
of our obscure ideas is immeasurable, while our clear ideas are only infinitesimally few points on this
map that lies open to consciousness: our mind is like an immense map with only a few places
illuminated.’ 56
(1888 – 1965)
‘The poet does not know what he has to say, until he has said it.’
57
(1856 – 1936)
‘The conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing in the sun and falling back into the great
subterranean pool of subconscious from which it rises.’ 58
(1596 – 1650)
‘Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.’
59
(1632 – 1704)
‘if they say, the man thinks always, but is not always conscious of it; they may as well say, his body is
extended without having parts. For ‘tis altogether as intelligible to say, that a body is extended without
parts, as that anything thinks without being conscious of it’. 60
(1924 – 1997)
‘Consciousness is a much smaller part of our mental life than we are conscious of, because we cannot
be conscious of what we are not conscious of. How simple that is to say; how difficult to appreciate!
It is like asking a flashlight in a dark room to search around for something that does not have any
light shining upon it. The flashlight, since there is light in whatever direction it turns, would have to
conclude that there is light everywhere. And so consciousness can seem to pervade all mentality when
actually it does not.’ 61
A reason why it is tempting to overestimate the value of the conscious compared to the unconscious mind, is challenged by
American psychologist Julian Jaynes. His quote shows it is not our consciousness which decides what happens: ‘Consciousness is a
much smaller part of our mental life than we are conscious of, because we cannot be conscious of what we are not conscious of.
How simple is that to say; how difficult to appreciate!’23
It is not possible to say exactly how much of our thinking is conscious and how much is not. You could compare it to an iceberg,
where we only see the top, but under the surface the ice continues. Perhaps 99 percent unconscious compared to 1 percent
conscious could be a fair comparison, where the one percent represents the top of the iceberg.
Our minds work much faster than the consciousness can keep up with, up to 200.000 times faster. Measured in bits we can
consciously process a maximum of 60 bits of data per second. At full capacity this could for instance mean that while reading a
book, our conscious mind processes a (short) sentence in one second.30 Since the unconscious mind can progress up to 11,2
million bits per second, it also shows that there is a lot of processing of data that we’re not aware of. All this information gets
absorbed and we don’t have to consciously deal with it.
What is similar to both great creative findings and daily problems which ask for a solution is that the insight can suddenly come to
mind. At one moment you understand what you could not a second ago. All of a sudden there is this feeling you see things
clearly. This ´a-ha´ moment goes together with a slight feeling of joy and relief.
When we know we search for something or need an answer to a problem, a logical reaction would be to try and think of it. But
what is striking is that the opposite of searching often works better. It seems as if too forced looking for an answer blocks an
insight from entering the conscious mind. Since the conscious mind can only deal with a small amount of data, it doesn’t seem to
allow other information to come through. Distraction can help in finding an answer. Doing something else, e.g. looking out of the
window or going for a walk, is a way to reopen ways for an insight to happen. For the unconscious mind to know where and for
what to search for, one must simply bear in mind what it is one needs to know. What happens is that in the back of our minds,
the process of searching continues. This does not mean that solutions will simply come to you once you do other things. What it
says is when the conscious actions of getting the right information needed for the insight to happen are done, doing other things
makes it possible for it to arise. While doing other things, the information is being processed. During these moments, the mind uses
the space it has to seek for new solutions or combinations.
Besides having free space available for an insight to happen in the conscious mind, it will only get transported to the conscious
mind once the unconscious mind finished the idea. This is similar to a writer or artist who only shows the work to others once he
or she feels it is finished.13 The unconscious mind only needs to find the right moment to do so.
A beam of light slides repeatedly from left to right
on a wall. Similar how at night streetlights off and on
enlight the inside enterior through the windows of a driving car.
Though it is the unconscious mind which comes up with real creative thoughts, we can only notice them once they reach our conscious mind. This raises
questions such as; when and why then does it decide to pass through the information? It seems as if there are specific situations where ideas seem to come up
more often. Probably everyone will recognize such moments during the day, where somehow some of the best ideas come to mind. These moments can help
generating ideas if you are aware of them. Unfortunately you cannot command your mind to come up with ideas when they’re needed. In creative professions we
call this rather frustrating feeling, a lack of inspiration, or, in case of writers, when having it for a longer period of time, a writer’s block. 32
It can be frustrating since you want to work on something, but the right information needed to fulfill the creative act is not present.
Something less frustrating, but still annoying is the feeling we sometimes have, knowing we found something, but we cannot think of what it is. When our focus
is not on what we search for, it often comes to mind. It seems to hit us as soon as the mind drifts away. A logical explanation for ideas to arise just then is
that there is space for them to enter our conscious mind. It can only process so little, so it needed the gap for something else to come through. But creating
this space is not enough, otherwise we could just stare out of the window and all our problems would be solved. There is another reason which explains why
the unconscious mind does not simply pass through whatever it may be you search for. For the insight to happen more work needs to be done. The biggest
part of the creative process consists of the more conscious stages such as preparation and verification. When we receive more information, perhaps the missing
data to create a new combination in order to come up with a solution is what was needed. While we rest in between, the unconscious mind continues to work
and to process. When the insight is not so complex it can come up while working, other insights may need more processing in order for them to happen.
Another argument is that having an insight comes with some kind of pleasant feeling, what we experience as the ‘eureka’ feeling. Depending on the quality and
the need for the insight, this feeling may vary. Without it, we might not even recognize it as such a moment. There are two possibilities why we encounter it as
such. One is that the feeling could either be a consequence of a discovery (the reward for the search). Another reason is that the feeling is needed to pass the
insight through to the conscious mind in order for the consciousness to recognize it as a quality insight. What the exact reason is has yet to be discovered.54
Although as often is the case with consciousness, there can be even more and multiple reasons for it to function how it does.
To foster the process, we can steer it a bit with our personal rituals. When we are somewhere where we are not focusing on anything specific, space in our
conscious mind allows other ideas to enter our thoughts. Also we can speed up the process by adding information which could be missing to create an insight.
Other than that we cannot command the stubborn unconscious.34 We’ll just have to wait for it to decide when to pass through the information.
Insights can happen at any moment during the day, at any place, but at some points during the day (or for some people when waking up in
the middle of the night) they seem to come faster. This seems to happen at places where the mind is at ease, where it has time and space
to wander freely. During these moments the process diverges into all kinds of directions in the mind, where it encounters pieces of
information.35 The ideas which then come up seem to be made of unfamiliar combinations and are often completely unrelated to that
moment. They can offer a solution for an issue you’ve been struggling with. The three b’s; bed, bus, and bath are the places or situations
where insights occur the most. These three examples suggest that information enters our conscious mind when there is space for them to
arrive, since there is not much else going on.37
During these moments we often experience something what is called daydreaming. This form of mind-wandering happens when performing an
action that requires little attention, such as repetitive tasks. The prefrontal cortex is less active due to the familiar and safe environment,
which causes us to loose attention for the external world and turn inwards. In addition the visual cortex partly shuts down, so that we only
partially register what happens in front of our eyes – even when they are open. People who wander through their minds a lot often score
higher measures of creativity.44 It is not strange that a lot of artistic people often seem absent, they just don’t register the outside world as
much during these moments.
Another good moment for the mind to make new combinations in addition to the three B’s, is while being away on a holiday or when visiting
a new location. Being somewhere else in a relaxed state of mind allows us to perceive unknown information, which simulates the brain in
categorizing. New knowledge and experiences can be seen as a source of inspiration.39 The new stimuli can cause the mind to abandon fixed
assumptions, create new combinations and thus ideas.
While the mind never really stops functioning, there are specific moments where unlikely combinations happen more frequently.
Usually these are not the moments when ideas arise that could be a solution to a question or issue you are dealing with, they
rather shoot random information to the conscious mind. Although the results can be used if they’re noticed, but these flashes
of insight seem to have no real purpose.
One of these moments is the state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep, called hypnagogia.55 While the mind puts
the rest of the body in sleep mode, it seems to open up ways for information to travel in a less conservative way through the
mind, allowing all kinds of possibilities to happen. Especially in the head of visual thinkers, the results are often images,
patterns, colors etc. They consist of rare and unique combinations, often similar to a kind of style, or are seen from a weird
angle. They seem to be made of all kinds of data which once have been encountered in life, but most of all they seem to be
completely random and unrelated to that moment.
Most of the time the conscious mind enters in sleeping mode soon after the rest of the body has. But if you keep on looking,
keep the small conscious condition awake, it is possible to notice these burst of uncommon patterns, images, or even sounds in
between the rest of the thoughts.63 In comparison to dreams, which can seem to be quite random but are often related to what
happened during the day, the things which can be experienced during the pre-sleep phase can be a huge source of unique and
wild ideas. Lots of artist and inventors such as Dali and Edison eagerly used their hunches and such states balancing on the
border of consciousness.
I remember being on a holiday once, somewhere in the north of France with part of my family.
It was one of those holidays where I almost didn’t do anything. No homework, no appointments or anything to worry
about whatsoever. One night I couldn’t sleep. While trying, I looked at the back of my eyelids. Just wandering through my
thoughts of that day or about the next day, I suddenly stumbled upon an image. It seemed as being projected inside my
own head. But I was sure I didn’t create it myself, or thought of anything similar during that moment. The moment itself,
the projection inside my head, was quickly faded. What was left was the thought, the remembrance: three angry men,
with high hats and pitchforks staring at me through the peephole behind the door.
Not all insights have the same quality: some are more innovative, or original. These insights add an additional satisfying
feeling to the effect of having one, where others seem to be more obvious. One reason is the difference between
conscious insights and unconscious insights. Conscious insights are generated in the prefrontal cortex and are usually
rather obvious or expected, whereas unconscious insights, coming from the right hemisphere of the brain, are able to
make remote associations.16
Science has not yet clarified what happens when we make remote associations, but what is believed is that information
moves with high speed through the brain and is combined in many different ways. Both relevant and irrelevant
information is more or less blindly taken apart and put together, which makes it possible to come up with completely
new combinations.
The ability of the unconscious brain to go quickly through data makes it possible to scan and filter what is send to the
conscious mind and not cause an overload. The irony of the importance of filtering is that creative minds are often not
very good at this. It is one of the reasons why creative minds have a bigger chance to be bipolar or schizophrenic.
They can easily be distracted and highly-associative since they have a hard time separating important stimuli from less
important stimuli. On the other hand is it easier to make combinations between relevant and irrelevant information.29
Which is why creative minds are known for having original ideas more often than less creative people.
For both a warm and a cold expierence,
try drinking a soda in the shower.
Whether something is called creative in society, l depends largely on the outcome itself and the medium is which it is carried
out. It needs a symbolic area in which it can distinguish from other creative acts. 12 This could be in a discipline such as in
the visual arts, or literature. There are people within the same field who are able to judge whether something is truly a
creative, innovative act. In every creative domain this group of experts decides whether or not a new idea is valuable enough
to change the domain. The people in a domain all have in common that they know their domain very well, are well
connected in the domain and they have the authority to convince others of the value of specific ideas. In order to have this
expertise they should know the rules of the domain and they should possess quite some historical facts and knowledge of
their field. They form a group who often seem to know each other and together discuss the value of new ideas and products
within the domain.14
This does not prohibit something being rejected as being truly creative at one moment in time but valued as creative in
another period, as can be for instance observed when the work of an artist becomes recognized (long) after his death.
Due to the internet the role of the experts is somewhat democratized. There is a change visible towards the so called
experts. The reason for this is that it is now much easier to share directly with an audience. On the other hand, the experts
of a domain on the internet are much more spread and diverse.15 In the case of bloggers or vloggers, who sometimes have
many followers and influence, taste becomes more of an issue and they’re often not fully informed about the domain.
For an insight to happen, there has to be a search for something first. Something which is the assignment to trigger
the mind to go and look and perhaps come up with an idea. This assignment determents the perspective in which the
mind searches for useful data and combinations. This search can be repeated, especially when there is a change in
perspective or a broadening in the assignment. After a period, this can either be seconds, minutes, or even days or
weeks, the result is delivered to our conscious mind. When the search is over, it trickles for a short while and then
the influx ends rather abrupt. The available information is delivered, what follows is often of lower quality.
It is also possible that the creative search needs some more time to get to full speed. This depends on physical
conditions, routine or the clarity of the assignment.19
Even though we can consciously give ourselves an assignment, we can’t force insights upon ourselves. We also don’t
know exactly when we can expect them to happen, though there are ways to make better circumstances for an idea
to come through.
In the middle of a tight room stands a funnel shaped object.
Its wider side leans on the floor, while the smaller part faces upwards.
This causes it to look like a glass used in laboratories.
A stream of wind circulates around the object, like a whirlpool in
tropical swimming pools.
A metaphor which demonstrates how the creative process works uses a bat. The bat functions as the assignment or
the received impulse. It flutters in a dark space back and forth, searching for useful or distantly related information.
While fluttering it picks up things and makes connections during her mission. There are gradations in terms of
usefulness, but what is considered useful ore not doesn’t have to be decided yet, not during this stage. This comes
later, in a more conscious state. What can be used, gets attached to the bat and she determines what else can be
picked up during the rest of the flight (keeping in mind that this doesn’t differ too much from the initial assignment).
In a later stage, when the bat is full and fat of all the attachments, it is possible to deviate some more. Either
because of the attachments, or because of an adjustment or change in the assignment.
This shows the process doesn’t necessary have to go in one way, through every stage, from one to another. There’s
a constant communication between the different stages, in which often stages overlap one another.
The bat keeps on flying until the space is scanned for useful words, images and other data. This can take up from
seconds to days, or even weeks and depends on a lot of factors, such as the quality and the preciseness of the
assignment, the motivation, the energy level, the wealth of available knowledge and data, the level of training of the
brain and the power of the memory. After a period of rest some more rounds of flying can be done, e.g. once there
has been a change of perspective or a widening of the assignment. 62
After the creative output, it trickles for a while, but then the influx stops rather suddenly. To squeeze further is
pointless. What comes after is often of limited quality. This is what makes the first material often the most striking.
Many parts of the brain are in one way or the other important for the consciousness. There is not one specific part which
we can point out as the center of our thoughts. Scientist that research brain activity related to consciousness with imaging
techniques see sections of the brain highlighted, which tells us some parts are more involved with one feature of the
process and some are more connected to others.33 What is interesting to me is not so much the (neuro)scientific aspects
of consciousness. This kind of research is important, since it will explain much more about the collaboration between the
different parts and about the more rational requisites in order for it to function. Yet, my focus is much more on the way
that consciousness works, instead of the place where it happens, and how I can use this knowledge in understanding and
noticing my own hunches, directed to my creative practice.
A deliberately placed bunch of bottled up wires with small lights
randomly flickers on and off. Some seem to shine brighter than
others, resulting spots to appear on the eyes.
In order to make connections and to come up with new findings, information needs to be gathered and to enter the
mind. This happens both consciously and unconsciously. One can for instance instruct himself to read a book, or to
watch a documentary and use the senses to gather the information. This is a direct way of taking in information,
where we can only focus on one thing at the time. It is what is called attention.25 But without us noticing the mind is
capable of dealing with a huge amount of data, data of which you probably did not realize you were also absorbing.
This is a very useful ability as we do not need to worry about memorizing everything we see. Besides, our unconscious
mind gathers much more information with our senses than we notice. At the same time all the information we take in,
whether we notice it or not, can be used to construct new ideas. It is all this knowledge and information what forms
the basis of creativity.
Gathering information in the preparation stage of the creative process is essential to create new ideas.
This model shows in a very simple way how philosopher Daniel Dennett, who has done a lot of research on
consciousness, thinks about the entering and processing of information in the brain.50
The model refers to a computational explanation, where questions may arise whether the brain functions as
computer, or whether a computer itself can be creative. Of all the machines created by mankind so far, the
most ingenious one is the computer, and it is still in development. If a machine can be used as a metaphor
for the brain, the use of a computer and its processes would be most striking. But the question remains
whether they can be creative, which would only be possible if they have experiences. And then, just as when
trying to discover creativity, it is not so much about whether the processes itself can be seen as creative, but
more about whether a computer is capable of producing something genuinely original.31
Gathering information in the preparation stage of the creative process is essential to create new ideas.
This model shows in a very simple way how philosopher Daniel Dennett, who has done a lot of research on
consciousness, thinks about the entering and processing of information in the brain.50
The model refers to a computational explanation, where questions may arise whether the brain functions as
computer, or whether a computer itself can be creative. Of all the machines created by mankind so far, the
most ingenious one is the computer, and it is still in development. If a machine can be used as a metaphor
for the brain, the use of a computer and its processes would be most striking. But the question remains
whether they can be creative, which would only be possible if they have experiences. And then, just as when
trying to discover creativity, it is not so much about whether the processes itself can be seen as creative, but
more about whether a computer is capable of producing something genuinely original.31
Creativity as a feature of the brains and creative work itself is one of the highest and most inspiring
accomplishments in the evolution of the human race.47 According to the (neo)-Darwinism synthesis, everything the
human body consists of changed or developed through time, thus did the brain. We normally tend to see
creativity as an ability of our brain which serves something; as a quality to come up with new things which might
be useful or have a purpose.
Creativity can be seen as a feature of our brains which has developed a lot throughout the history of mankind.
As a quality it is really helpful in being able to endure stressful times and it developed to survive situations
where creative innovations are needed to survive and pass on the genes to a next generation.20
It is also an ability to be able to see beyond borders, e.g. in the case of Charles Darwin who came up with the
evolution theory, where he distances himself from the ancient doctrine of creation. As in so many other
examples, creativity proved to be a useful ability to escape from certain frames which became cages 45 and to
think beyond borders and open up new ways which perhaps may lead to improvement.
In this clickable layout, you can both as a reader and as a user guide your way through the slides.
In the slides I write about and visualize my fascination with the unconscious mind, creative processes and how the
unconscious mind reveals itself to the conscious mind. The central topic of this presentation is the emergence of an insight
or idea and what is needed for these to arise. I have combined my own findings from my artistic practice in texts with
ideas from theoretical sources I gathered during my research on the topic and mixed these with shattered hunches and
other concoctions.
To go to a different slide, you can click on words or icons. Some may lead you to new parts, while others won’t. There is
not one intended manner to move through the slides.
The format represents in a way the consciousness and back and forth shifting of information. It makes you wander in the
dark where some things are illuminated and others remain hidden, invisible for us to notice.
Creativity and originality are often used as synonyms. It shows we tend to believe that a creative act should also be an original
one, in order to be ruled creative. Even though the terms are similar to each other, they do not have the same meaning.
Since they are so related to each other they are easily confused. Being original has to do with the appreciation of a work, of an
invention or an idea. This appreciation has a different value in different creative domains. Regardless of the domain, where
originality is often linked to creativity, value is not.36
Judging a creative act based on its value can even feel contradictory, because most creative minds create from an inner urge to
create. They often do not care about what the outside world thinks.27 It is intrinsic motivation what drives them. It is not so much
about a reward that waits in order to create; it has more in common with playing as both in playing and intrinsic motivation,
spontaneous and exploring behavior seems to work satisfying.28 This has to do with dopamine that the body creates and can feel
even slightly addictive, which stimulates to explore, play and create even more.
It hit me as soon as I stopped looking
One of the theories about creativity is that it is not a singular ability, but consists of six ingredients:
① Mental space; creating space in the head which allows creative ideas to be generated and passed on to the conscious mind. Next to mental space,
social space is needed as well, where the individual is given room to think freely and is not suppressed by external influences.
② (Above average) intelligence; the capability to adapt behavior to new circumstances. Evolution-wise think for example of the use of tools or language.
The ability to see similarities is an important feature of intelligence and is used to formulate new ideas. In the case of Darwin, he saw a similarity between
artificial and natural selection. He noticed how breeders deliberately aim for and select desired characteristics and saw a connection with the same process
on the long term, but more random in nature. Being too intelligent however, can hamper creativity.
③ Intrinsic motivation; creative work, similar to playing is a satisfying activity in itself and is not performed just to be rewarded or to serve a higher purpose.
By doing, the reward comes from within the body. It creates and releases dopamine, which has an influence on our joy, happiness and well-being. The
actions from the doing and playing itself may lead to new findings.
④cognitive disinhibition; the ability to generate wild ideas which can cause brilliant ones but also duds. This ability is evolved as a final recourse from
situations where this ability proved to be very helpful, for instance to escape death.
⑤strong personality; not all strong personalities are creative, but it takes perseverance and some kind of courage to break the rules or go against the grain.
⑥knowhow; who wants to come up with new ideas, has to know its profession and its expertise. It causes one to come up with solutions for problems they
might face, since they are aware of them.46
All of the listed ingredients can be found in creative beings and have proved their worth in evolution.38 In time and depending on the situations human
beings might face, the composition of these components can change and can lead to different uses and abilities of creativity.
Whether a person is creative depends on whether his mental processes create something new or original, not on whether the
person has mental processes makes a person creative. Creativity is a feature of these mental processes, but is neither necessary
nor sufficient for originality. Originality is instead a feature of the product of our mental processes.
An idea can still be seen as creative, even when the idea isn’t that original at all since more people had the same idea or did the
same things. It is then a creative act, just not a very strong one. But when someone who is for instance fully informed about what
ideas have been explored (e.g. in his field) gets an idea, this idea is creative. When this person is really fully informed, then what
follows is that the idea is not only creative; it is also original.49
Bear in mind what it is you need to know
It is tempting to believe that our conscious mind is the pinnacle of evolution, the core of human
existence. To think that it this feature of the mind that makes us intelligent and rational. The problem of
thinking in this way is visible when considering the conscious and unconscious. The words suggest that
the one (conscious) is the standard and the other is a deviation of the standard (unconscious). 51
The negative feeling towards the unconscious also visible in other words. It seems that in our western
language more unknown aspects in life are described with words with a rather negative feeling. Similar to
the appreciation of the terms conscious and unconscious, another example are words which suggest that
what is going down or what is below us, is worse than what rises.
Think for example of falling asleep versus waking up. Another more symbolic example is heaven vs. hell.
One is situated in a bright and lovely place above us, while the other is deep down, hidden somewhere in
the center of the earth.
Through time the unconscious has been loaded with the same slight negative feelings, since it seems
hidden or unnoticeable and can be seen as frightening. It is believed it probably holds on to all what we
should not see, our deepest fears, dark thoughts, i.e., the so called underworld of our mind. On the other
hand the consciousness is clear, a heaven like place which is smart and does the right things.
Tempting to believe, but way too patronizing.
If we compare ourselves in the evolution with other animals, it is both the conscious and unconscious mind that makes us unique.
What is unfounded, however, is the supposition of thinking it is the conscious mind that sets us apart from other animals.
This thinking goes together with believing it is this part that controls our mind, which makes it us who pulls the strings and who makes the decisions. This way of
thinking has already been refuted. It is the unconscious mind which should get most of the credits.
Nevertheless, in order for the unconscious mind to function, it needs the conscious mind. One cannot function without the other.
In order for the creative process to work, the conscious stages have proven to be very helpful, and possibly very indispensable, for the fulfillment of the creative
process.
To see the conscious and unconscious as separate, and competing processes that do similar things, has dominated psychology and philosophy in recent decades.
The sense is that this is slowly being replaced with an understanding that the conscious and unconscious mind seem to do other things and complement each
other.52 Although similar in the way that they work, they do not have the same function and rely on each other while completing their tasks.
Without consciousness we could not be conscious of not having consciousness. This is what happens when we sleep and while we dream.53
At these moments the conscious mind is completely shut down, you don’t miss it. Why? Because you can’t.
I woke up in the cot, standing up straight. Bright sunlight shines through the window in the room at the opposite of the hallway.
I see them through two open doors. Are they hanging new curtains? Colorfull, indian patterns. No, actually they we’re more pink and
yellowish. Gradient soft colors. Very 90’s.
The door of that same room is closed, I woke up again. Standing in front of it. It was open just a minute ago, right? Feels like years.
My head bounces, as a fever, or more like when walking around while being really tired. I hear them calling me, or atleast make familar
sounds, which I cannot distinguish. No one’s home, or inside, but soon this door will open. I know because I see it.
It comes back while doing these shitty math tests. Digits and sounds, all interfering with one another.
Different models have been created to visualize and explain how the creative process works. They all
deal with similar terms to describe the different stages within the creative process. One of the most used
models divides the creative process into four stages.
Preparation, incubation, illumination and verification.
Each stage has its own characteristics and is followed by the other often by a slight between the two.
In reality there is no clear distinction between the stages, or a specific duration in sense of time. It may
take up to days or weeks. In very demanding situations, it can even pass on to another generation.
Once it’s finished and becomes conscious, it can repeat itself, to check, elaborate, develop and polish
the insight once more. This causes the borders between conscious and unconscious thinking to be rather
vague.2 Always communicating and exchanging data, and actually not as fixed as the model suggests that
different steps and phases are experienced.
Prior to an idea or hunch, a process must be put into action. Information needs to
be collected and processed in the brain. This looks like an unilateral assignment,
where only certain information is needed, but also information which seems irrelevant
or what has already been contained can be important for the given order. This
gathering of information is called preparation. This phase is of great importance,
since all the gathered information has an influence on the final result. Without
gathering needful information, the mind cannot make the connections between data
resulting in a new idea.
Because the mind continues in getting new information through human senses such
as the eyes and ears, the phase of preparation never really stops.3 The stage of
preparation can take up to years till the mind comes up with something new, which
the unconscious mind then delivers to the consciousness. Before this happens, there
is the stage of incubation.
The phase that always follows after preparation is incubation. During this phase the
information which has been collected, takes its time to sink in and get organized.
The new information becomes one with what was already there. This process is
fully unconscious. Therefore one does not notice this stage, or that there is
something happening at all, until one sees the result of this process. When the
unconscious mind created or found something, which seems relevant for the
conscious mind, it will look for a suitable moment to reveal the result.
The processing of information, the creative storm, ends abrupt4. This process can
be repeated if the given assignment changes, or needs to search and connect to
other information again. However, this does not guarantee that the new results are
of better quality. Usually they are not. When the right information is present, the
ingenious mind is capable of finding the right connections to come up with a new
result. This explains why the first material is often most striking.5
This is the moment when something unconscious becomes conscious. It is when an
idea, hunch or any other kind of outcome enters our consciousness, often giving the
feeling of ‘a-ha’ or eureka, I found it! Once we did, we suddenly clearly see the
solution, it is what is called the moment of insight.10
Actually, within the creative process illumination is not a process, it’s more an event. It
happens between the stage of incubation and verification. After the insight, the
process repeats itself and if needed it will search again for other outcomes. But only
once it went through the stage of verification. Since what is illuminated goes directly to
the stage of verification, the four stages can be limited to three, which would cause
the model of the creative process look like this.
In this stage the insight is being checked, scrutinized and evaluated.
The mind checks whether it matches with the available knowledge, elaborates it, develops it and
polishes it.11 The borders between the stages are rather vague. While checking the outcomes, the
steps are being repeated again rapidly. They constantly communicate with each other in order to
develop an insight. In the stage of verification the medium in which one operates, for instance
within the artistic domain, is often a psychical part of completing the idea and transforming it to
something else using conscious actions. In scientific domains, the realizational aspect of the
verification stage is often more theoretical.
The medium in which something is carried out reflects on how the idea is being used. While
taking conscious actions to realize or using an idea, it causes the mind to receive new
information. The process repeats itself and can cause new ideas to arise. The mind is able, due
to conscious preparation, to go again to the stage of verification, where ideas can be put into
action. Seeing, thinking and doing come together and are of influence in realizing or using an
idea.
Prior to an idea or hunch, a process must be put into action. Information needs to
be collected and processed in the brain. This looks like an unilateral assignment,
where only certain information is needed, but also information which seems irrelevant
or what has already been contained can be important for the given order. This
gathering of information is called preparation. This phase is of great importance,
since all the gathered information has an influence on the final result. Without
gathering needful information, the mind cannot make the connections between data
resulting in a new idea.
Because the mind continues in getting new information through human senses such
as the eyes and ears, the phase of preparation never really stops.3 The stage of
preparation can take up to years till the mind comes up with something new, which
the unconscious mind then delivers to the consciousness. Before this happens, there
is the stage of incubation.
The phase that always follows after preparation is incubation. During this phase the
information which has been collected, takes its time to sink in and get organized.
The new information becomes one with what was already there. This process is
fully unconscious. Therefore one does not notice this stage, or that there is
something happening at all, until one sees the result of this process. When the
unconscious mind created or found something, which seems relevant for the
conscious mind, it will look for a suitable moment to reveal the result.
The processing of information, the creative storm, ends abrupt4. This process can
be repeated if the given assignment changes, or needs to search and connect to
other information again. However, this does not guarantee that the new results are
of better quality. Usually they are not. When the right information is present, the
ingenious mind is capable of finding the right connections to come up with a new
result. This explains why the first material is often most striking.5
In this stage the insight is being checked, scrutinized and evaluated.
The mind checks whether it matches with the available knowledge, elaborates it, develops it and
polishes it.11 The borders between the stages are rather vague. While checking the outcomes, the
steps are being repeated again rapidly. They constantly communicate with each other in order to
develop an insight. In the stage of verification the medium in which one operates, for instance
within the artistic domain, is often a psychical part of completing the idea and transforming it to
something else using conscious actions. In scientific domains, the realizational aspect of the
verification stage is often more theoretical.
The medium in which something is carried out reflects on how the idea is being used. While
taking conscious actions to realize or using an idea, it causes the mind to receive new
information. The process repeats itself and can cause new ideas to arise. The mind is able, due
to conscious preparation, to go again to the stage of verification, where ideas can be put into
action. Seeing, thinking and doing come together and are of influence in realizing or using an
idea.
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Ibidem
Idem, 94-95
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Ibidem
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Boon, Wouter. (2014). Defining Creativity; The Arts and Science of Great Ideas, Amsterdam: Bis Publishers, 127
Paul, E.S. Kaufman, S.B. (2014). The Philosophy of Creativity; New Essays, New York: Oxford University Press, 29
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Idem, 157-159
Boon, Wouter. (2014). Defining Creativity; The Arts and Science of Great Ideas, Amsterdam: Bis Publishers, 98
Ibidem 26
Dijksterhuis, Ap. (2007). Het slimme onbewuste. Amsterdam: Prometheus Bert Bakker 2014, 155
Braak, Hans v.d. (2002). Ontsnappingskunst; Evolutie van de creatieve geest, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press
Boon, Wouter. (2014). Defining Creativity; The Arts and Science of Great Ideas, Amsterdam: Bis Publishers, 103
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Dijksterhuis, Ap. (2007). Het slimme onbewuste. Amsterdam: Prometheus Bert Bakker 2014, 29
Boon, Wouter. (2014). Defining Creativity; The Arts and Science of Great Ideas, Amsterdam: Bis Publishers, 104
Braak, Hans v.d. (2002). Ontsnappingskunst; Evolutie van de creatieve geest, Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 163
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