Learning Resource

The creative cycle

Here is the creativity cycle. It provides a set of stages for developing a solution to a problem or coming up
with a creative outcome.

Vision / purpose

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Idea selection
Reflection

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Action through VAK

Figure 7: Creativity cycle Pl

The stages are:

• Vision or purpose: this gets us into the right state of mind to be creative and clear about our end
product and why we are doing this at all
• Idea generation: this stage has three steps
• Stimulus step – where you hunt for lots of ideas that might help
• Quiet Mull step – where you go off and do something else to let the ideas work away in your
head
• Re-expression step – where you re-express your idea in a different form, e.g. turn words into
pictures, a picture into poetry or a verbal description into a 3D model
• Idea selection: here you pick the best ideas matching them back to your purpose and ask: does
this idea we’re selecting move us closer to or further from the vision we want and the purpose we
need to address?
• Planning for action: now you make a plan to find all of the resources you need to carry out your
ideas and plan the steps
• Action through VAK: carry out your plan and use all your senses visual, auditory and kinethestic
(feelings and touch), and while you’re at it, taste and smell
• Outcome: as a result of your actions you’ll get outcomes. They may or may not meet your vision.
You need to measure your outcomes against the vision and purpose
• Reflection: this step gets you to think about how you worked and what you learned
• Modify or re-invent: at this stage if all has gone according to the vision, you’ll have your
vision as reality. If however it hasn’t, it may be necessary to change your approach based on your
reflections
Now you can start:

1 What is the problem you have to solve and/or the outcome you would like to have? What would be
better than the current situation?

© Brin Best and Will Thomas 2008 The Creative Teaching and Learning Resource Book www.creativityforlearning.co.uk
2 When you have the outcome you would like, what will you see, and hear and feel?

Write your purpose (why you are doing this) and your vision (what you would like at the end) in
the boxes below. Be really precise about this.

My Purpose is:

My Vision is:

3 Idea generation:
a Jot down a whole series of stimuli that could help you to create ideas. Stimuli can be related to
the topic or completely different. For example you might look at books, search the internet, look at
ways in which nature solves a similar problem, consider how people in different situations would
approach it. You might visit a museum or garden. Whatever you decide to do, ask the question:
How does this relate to the situation I am exploring? Jot your ideas in the box below.

b Now go out and gather ideas, experience, read and look. It is best not to record too much here.
Let this stage happen in your head.
c Ideally, once you have gathered the ideas you need you should take a break from the project and
focus on something else to let your mind work on the ideas.
d Now come back to the project, remind yourself of the purpose and the vision you want. Draw,
write, record, type, cut and stick all of the ideas that come to mind. Take the ideas and re-
express them in other ways. For example if you have quotes from a famous people, turn them into
pictures. If you have pictures of how nature solves a problem, describe it in words. Turn accounts
of people’s feelings into colours on a page. If you have a viewpoint of a designer or director
about a product turn it around and think about how the consumer would view the idea.
Here are some re-expression tips to help you:
Re-express the idea:
• as sounds
• as images
• as colours
• as a smell
• as a texture
• from another person’s point of view
• as a solution
• as adding to the problem
• as being traditional
• as being really radical
4 Idea selection:
Now you have lots of ideas in all sorts of formats. Lay them out however it works best for you:
Collage, files onscreen, photos, notes, mind-map, mural, podcast, etc.
Re-state your purpose and vision in this box and then draw in all of your ideas (go onto paper if
you need more space). Rate each idea for its ability to meet your purpose and your vision:

© Brin Best and Will Thomas 2008 The Creative Teaching and Learning Resource Book www.creativityforlearning.co.uk
 Rating for
How could this Rating for
Vision
idea help your purpose
Rate out of
Your Purpose Idea purpose and Rate out of 10
ten where 10
and Vision List your ideas vision? where ten is
totally matches
(make brief totally fit for
or exceeds my
notes) purpose
vision
1
The purpose of
2
this process is:
3
4
My vision for the 5
end result is: 6
7
8
9

Now choose which is the best idea to develop.

5 Planning for action: In this step you will put together a plan to realize your vision.
What resources will I need?

What help will I require?

What will I do first?

What will I do next?

After that?

And then?

© Brin Best and Will Thomas 2008 The Creative Teaching and Learning Resource Book www.creativityforlearning.co.uk
 What other steps are there?

And finally I will ...

Now go back and check all of the steps. What have you still to add into this process?
Once you are sure of the steps to take, add timescales and deadlines to your steps.

Step prompt The steps How long is this When will I

likely to take me? complete it by?
What will I do first?

What will I do next?

After that?

And then?

What other steps are

there?

And finally I will …

6 Action, outcomes, reflection and modify/re-invent

Now carry out the steps and be aware the whole time through your senses of progress, setbacks,
outcomes and your thoughts. Note down the process, reflections you have about it and any
modifications you make along the way:

Process Log Actions Outcomes Reflections Modifications Other notes

Date/Time taken achieved on what you done
learned

7 The final analysis:

To what extent does the finished outcome meet your original purpose and vision?

© Brin Best and Will Thomas 2008 The Creative Teaching and Learning Resource Book www.creativityforlearning.co.uk