The 4 phases of creation
Creation has 4 phases and it’s important to know where you usually get stuck so you can build accountability and support into the process.
1. The Dreaming Phase
This is possibly my favourite part and it’s the part that people tend to overlook because it doesn’t meet the (unattainable) standards of productivity society says we’re supposed to meet to be good, valuable contributing humans. And because, for so many of us, productivity is tangled up with self-worth the dreaming phase gets a bad rap. We try to skip it. Or rush it. Or find “hacks” that mean we can spend more time in the other 3 phases of creation.
It feels luxurious to spend time dreaming of what we want to do/say/be/go/create next.
But I also think this is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.
Dreaming is when we fall in love with our ideas (not every idea is love at first synaptic rush).
Dreaming is where we find the courage to bring it to life. This is when self-doubt crops up or imposter syndrome (though not for the last time) and dreaming gives us time to meet those fears with compassion and steel our resolve before we jump in.
We need the deep love and courage of the dreaming phase to sustain us through the other phases of creation.
When perfectionism pops up we remember our devotion to the idea and the bravery to make it happen.
When tech glitches happen or even when the response isn’t what we hoped it would be — the love and courage we find in the dreaming helps us push through. And, if necessary, soothe our battered ego.
Do you give yourself time to dream?
2. The Planning Phase
Next up, the planning phase. Where you figure out the “how” and the “what”. Maybe it’s an outline for a book. Or a monthly theme + topics for your content. Or brainstorming. Or creating a schedule so you know how long it will take to create.
I love brainstorming but I’ve been known to skip the planning side of things. The first time I participated in Nanowrimo I joined late and inside of planning the book, I decided to write I just showed up every day and wrote — I believe it’s called “pantsing it” (aka flying by the seat of your pants). The book was awful. The practice was worth it.
When it comes to business and content writing I’ve spent many a year wavering between planning and “pantsing”. It wasn’t ‘til December 2020 that I got my sh*t together enough to plan out an entire year of content. And then write it in the next 18 days, because the benefit of planning…it makes the doing so much easier. Obvious? Yep. But it still took years of doing things the hard way before I made life easier on myself.
3. The Making Phase
Now we’re at the actual making of the thing. This is the part we think of first when we talk about creating something (even though it’s really step 3) like a new course or a new freebie. I’ve noticed though that the more I neglect the dreaming and the planning the more this part feels forced, gruelling — like walking uphill through thick, knee-deep mud.
What I most need to remind myself during the making phase is this…
1) you don’t always have to do things the same way ALSO don’t reinvent the wheel every damn time
2) it’s okay to have fun with this (don’t take yourself so seriously)
3) Let go of the outcome. Let go of the outcome. Let go of the outcome.
4) It’s okay to be human and take breaks and sleep
What do you need to remind yourself when you’re in the middle of making something new?
4. The Launching Phase
This is where your fears will resurface sometimes louder than before because the stakes are higher and WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK?? But because you’ve got time, energy and money already sunk it might just be easier to talk yourself into launching anyway. Maybe? Maybe not?
Putting your work out into the world is a necessary act of vulnerability if you’re living life as an entrepreneur, creative, artist or maker. The great thing about launching (whether it goes well or not) is that dreaming comes next(it’s definitely my favourite part). That pause and reflection space is exactly what you need to recover from the output of creativity and launching.
What phase do you struggle with the most? How can you meet your resistance and build in support/ accountability?
