Exploring Creative Processes in Work

The #creativeprocess is messy and imperfect. It can be both beautiful and rough. The struggles are real and often hidden behind the polished, final output. Rarely do we talk about the tough patches, the doubts, or even the sheer grit it takes to push through sometimes. Here are some of the most important things I've learned about the creative process over time. ➡️ Embrace The Unexpected: Be open to finding inspiration anywhere. It often comes in the most unexpected places. ➡️ Keep Discovery Open-Ended: No idea is too big during the initial design stage. Ask "what if" without any creative boundaries or restrictions in place. Let the ideas flow. ➡️ Constraints Fuel Creativity: Limitations can be your friend. They serve as a catalyst to channeling energy towards finding a truly focused creative solution. ➡️ Iteration Is Queen: Creative breakthroughs often come from a series of iterations. The first draft will never be the final version and often sits so far from where you finally land. Try, Adjust, Repeat. ➡️ Collaboration Brings Perspective: The best work comes from different perspectives. One idea can inspire another, leading to some innovative and creative solutions. ➡️ Revelations Come From Rest: Creative work can be draining. Give yourself time to unplug and recharge. Those "aha" moments often occur when you do. #Creatives, what else would you add?

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁. I learned this watching a marketing director walk her own floor. She was brilliant. Her team was talented. But when I asked her to show me how a campaign brief moved from insight to approval, she hesitated. Not because she didn't know her business. Because no one had made the work visible. Within twenty minutes, we'd uncovered three places where very good ideas were quietly dying. Not from lack of creativity - because no-one could see the process. It made me think about how we've been taught to separate creativity from discipline. That structure somehow diminishes spark. That artists and operators speak different languages. But as I spent years working with teams at P&G and Danaher, I've learned a different perspective. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆. It's 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. It's the 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Deming understood this: 𝐼𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑡. That's why, when I go to Gemba - the real place where work happens - I ask three questions: 1. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀? Not the org chart. The actual process. 2. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴? If you can't tell, you're not managing it. 3. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁? Not what you plan to do. What you're doing now. And guess what? The best leaders don't resist these questions. They lean in. Because once you can see how the work is really done, you can improve it. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆. ✅ It's what makes creativity repeatable. ✅ And once you can improve it, you can scale it. ✅ That's what separates good organisations from world-class ones. 👉 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 📌Save this to revisit before your next strategy review.

For decades, creativity was described as a series of stages. But creativity research is moving beyond stage models. As a scholar with more than 25 years in the field of creativity studies, one of the most exciting developments is that instead of asking whether creativity unfolds in steps like preparation, incubation, and insight, researchers are increasingly studying the subprocesses that make up the creative process. These include: ·       generating ideas ·       evaluating them ·       elaborating possibilities ·       reframing the problem ·       selecting directions Wonderful new work by Gregory Boldt and James Kaufman shows that more creative individuals do not follow a sequence. They tend to move flexibly among these processes, usually using several at once. This shift—from stages to interacting processes—may help us better understand how creativity actually unfolds in real work. What I think the next frontier will be is integrating emotional and social processes in this trend.

Groups are profoundly creative – But it’s not about “managing creatives” Far too often we have found that an organization's view of organizational creativity is almost exclusively framed in terms of supporting creative individuals to be more of themselves. There are a number of problems with this: 1. Groups are not simply a collection of individuals following a collective plan or goal. As individuals sync up in coordinated practices, new group capacities (affordances), behaviors and outcomes emerge that are irreducible to any individual's contributions. 2. These group capacities have emergent novel propensities that give the group a direction that is irreducible to the goals or outlook of any of the participants. 3. These emergent group capacities and behaviors have the ability to directly transform the individual members. This system causation transformatively shapes the individuals that gave rise to the system. Thus distinct individual behaviors now originate as an outcome of group effects. 4. Much of the synchronization of groups happens at an embodied level – it does not rise to the level of being explicitly recognizable or conceptualizable. 5. Cognition (thinking) is distributed across people, equipment and environments. This means that the thinking is not found inside any one individual. It has to be understood at other levels in relation to emergent outcomes of distributed coordinated embedded practices. 6. We need to understand what constitutes a group to include more than human agents: it necessarily includes tools, environments, rituals, rules, histories, etc. – and that are all active participants in groups and their outcomes (in ways that go far beyond scaffolding or support). 7. Groups are both dynamic and multiple – coming in and out of synchronization at multiple scales and forms of nesting. And this is not meant a complete list – rather it is deliberately a short list to help make it clear: If we keep making the logic of (fictional) discrete individual human behavior the paradigmatic exemplar for creativity – we will never get close to actually engaging with the logics of creative processes in organizations. And “organizations” here should be both understood broadly – all human life is organized, intra-dependent, and collective. And also “organizations” should also be understood narrowly as well – most of the creative processes we are interested in catalyzing are in the context of some form of organization… Organizational creative processes are not about managing individual creatives. It is about how dynamic ecosystems lead to novel outcomes – and that is an entirely different problem… Curious about more? This week Jason Frasca 🐦⬛ and I are writing about this topic in our free weekly newsletter. Link in comments below.

From Studio to Strategy: How I Use Art School Critique to Lead My Team Creativity is often seen as the domain of artists: abstract, emotional, maybe even a little chaotic. But as someone who lives in both worlds = fine art and the precision-driven diamond industry. I’ve come to see creativity as something much more powerful: a leadership tool. In my studio, creativity is expression. In my team, creativity is communication, empathy, and collaboration. And sometimes, it means reimagining something as fundamental as how we give feedback. The Feedback Problem:- When I first began managing my team at AMIPI INC. (in the diamond industry) I noticed a common issue: people were reluctant to give or receive feedback. Conversations around performance were often guarded, surface-level, or avoided altogether. This wasn’t just a communication problem, it was holding back growth and innovation. So I asked myself, how would an artist approach this? Enter: The Critique Circle:- In art school, critique isn’t just part of the proces, it is the process. We hang our work on the wall, step back, and invite others in. The goal isn’t to tear it apart. It’s to learn, evolve, and see something new. It’s about trust. I brought this approach to my team by introducing something I call Critique Circles: • We replaced performance reviews with creative review sessions. • Everyone shared their “work in progress” whether it was a sales pitch, product idea, or report on a whiteboard or presentation screen. • Feedback followed a three-step flow: what works, what could be explored further, and what inspired you. • We included visuals, metaphors, even sketching when words fell short What Changed:- Within weeks, the dynamic shifted. Team members no longer feared feedback , they welcomed it. They began offering ideas freely, asking for input before being told, and even initiating their own mini critique circles on or in meetings. The result? • Faster iteration and better results. • Deeper team trust. • A more emotionally intelligent culture. What started as an artist’s instinct turned into a cornerstone of how we collaborate. Creativity Is a Culture, Not a Department! I believe creativity isn’t a skill reserved for “creatives” it’s a mindset. When we infuse it into leadership, we unlock human potential in the most unexpected places. Even in an industry as exacting as diamonds, creative leadership has helped me build not just better products, but a stronger, more connected team. And if you’re someone who leads, builds, or manages, don’t underestimate what you already have inside you. Your creative instincts might just be your greatest asset. 12-ft commissioned artwork for a hedge fund’s main boardroom (client confidential). Grateful to create at this scale.

When you're leading creative teams, it's easy to get caught in the day-to-day grind. Before you know it, your team is stuck in a cycle of looking at each other's work or close competitors for ideas. Want to break this pattern? Try implementing quarterly inspiration hours. Here's how it works: Once every quarter, three team members each prepare 15-minute presentations on work they love from outside your organization. For example, one person might break down a winning marketing campaign, while another analyzes an effective brand launch. Between each presentation, leave time for Q&A. This format does more than just expose teams to inspiring work. It expands each person's perspective beyond their own discipline. When designers review compelling copywriting or writers dissect visual storytelling, it strengthens creative partnerships. It's also a chance for people to practice presentation skills in a supportive environment. Make it fun too: Order lunch for in-person meetings, or turn virtual sessions into end-of-day happy hours. What makes this effective? People step outside of their usual roles. They look at great work through a different lens. And teams start seeing possibilities they might have missed before. I'm curious: How do you keep your teams inspired? What practices have worked best in your organization, past or present?

For most us at work “doing” feels like the only path forward. We chase efficiency, back-to-back meetings, constant motion. But true innovation doesn’t come from motion — it comes from thinking. Some of the best insights happen in the quiet moments alone — whiteboarding wild theories, listening to a podcast, comparing ideas and trying to devils advocate them, reading an industry report, or simply questioning your own assumptions by taking the time to learn others perspectives. If you’re exploring a new market, responding to a challenge, or trying to drive transformation, the most strategic thing you can do may be to pause. Slow down long enough to connect ideas, test assumptions, and see patterns that aren’t visible in the rush or with the outside noise. We often talk about empowering teams with resources, tools, and data — but the most valuable gift might be time to think. Space to ponder. To question. To imagine what’s possible. Removing the multi task and giving a few days to just focus. Innovation doesn’t just happen in sprints — it also happens in stillness.

Most don’t realize this: but creativity requires incredible mental dexterity. Creative thinking happens through loops of alternating between generative brainstorming (diverge) and problem-solving (converge). A framework I find useful: first, focus on exploration, then hone in on a direction, then explore again before narrowing down. Where did diverge-converge-diverge as a brainstorming method come from? An American psychologist, tasked with the psychological evaluation of airforce pilots during WWII, built a taxonomy on the six key operations in human intelligence — cognition, memory recording, memory retention, divergent production, convergent production, and evaluation. In turn, this inspired ad man Alex Osborn. The cofounder of legendary ad agency BBDO described the creative thinking process as a series of alternate loops of diverging-converging-diverging, in his seminal book, “Applied Imagination” (1953). This method, argued Osborn, allows one to think beyond the “obvious” and “top of mind” ideas during the generative brainstorm, and then switch to a mode of down-selection and focus. Going straight into convergence —without first, casting the net wide with divergence— is limiting. Here are some great tips on how you can use it in your day-today: When in divergence mode: • Defer judgment • Combine and build • Seek wild ideas • Go for quantity When in convergence mode: • Be deliberate • Check the objectives • Be affirmative • Consider novelty Have you done your creative reps today?

Did We Forget About Creativity in Software Engineering? The most memorable breakthroughs I’ve seen didn’t come from a perfect process. They came from moments when someone felt safe enough to suggest an idea that sounded risky, odd, or incomplete and we decided to explore it anyway. Yet under the pressure to deliver and optimize, creativity can easily be overlooked. Exploring possibilities together sparks new ideas and strengthens the bond between team members. All Ideas Matter Everyone should feel free to contribute during brainstorming. Early ideas don't need to be perfect or practical. In the first stage of thinking, it's more important to explore than to evaluate. Give each contribution the same attention and respond with curiosity instead of criticism. That's how confidence grows and ideas evolve. Diversity Adds Spark The best insights come from the least expected viewpoints. Each of us approaches problems through a unique lens shaped by our background, experiences, and skills. Diverse teams avoid the comfort of agreement and create richer conversations leading to results no single person could design alone. Experimentation Keeps Us Moving Innovation depends on trying new things. When teams understand the boundaries of acceptable risk, they can take bold but thoughtful steps. A small experiment can reveal more than a long debate. Even when something fails, it brings new awareness to what might work next. Creativity isn't a luxury. It's what turns technical skill into meaningful progress. Once ideas are on the table, convergent thinking helps refine them until what remains is practical, valuable, and ready to grow. When we make room for experimentation and reflection alongside delivery, we rediscover not only new ways to build software but also new ways to grow as professionals.

For years, I thought the best creative process was as little process as possible. But I was wrong. At the end of last year, we reinvented how we work; I love what it’s done to us. No process is entirely new. In 1962, London held a conference that launched design methodology as a field of study. The term “wicked problems” emerged, stating that challenges and solutions are complex, ambiguous, subjective and always evolving. That term was before the personal computer, the internet, smartphones, social media and AI. Ever since, the design process has orbited around similar themes: → Consumer participation and co-creation → Exploring, prototyping and iterating → Understanding needs through research → (An agency agenda wanting to do 'great work') Most follow a define, develop, and deliver structure. Every idea begins ugly and iterates toward something new and beautiful. Then Google's 'sprint' method tried to speed things up because, in today's world, it's hard to keep up. All this stuff is good and clever. But we saw something different at our pilot Retreat & Rise Up last year—something the office, meetings, and corporate speak are all bad at. Ideas, plans and support were in abundance, from very little process. The retreat is a personal journey of settling into your space, connecting with nature and breathing, opening the heart, letting go of limiting beliefs, setting intentions, and finding your power. So what if we took a blender and crammed in a design process and a retreat journey? I give you our brand growth programme: → Arriving: This is a phase of nothing except stepping out of the stress of daily life. Don't be surprised if we weave in some breathwork, stretching, and moments in nature. → Grounding: An expansive phase fostering empathy for ourselves, opening our hearts to our end users, and developing intentions. → Connecting: This is a classic design phase where creative exploration meets strategy—finding the design, ideas and campaigns that fit the intentions. → Rising: Bringing it all together, finalising outputs, and building the support needed for production or implementation. A revolution? Hardly. Would love to know your thoughts, it's a work-in-progress. Stay gold. 🙏🏻