Where Does Creativity Come From?
Written By: Sierra Cassity
Creativity is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as: “the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.”
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, on the other hand, has dedicated an entire article to creativity.
The article states that creativity can be referred to in three ways: person, process, and product. For simplicity’s sake we will be using creativity to refer to the creative process.
Growing up I had only ever seen the creative process portrayed through television, with artists themselves being portrayed as the oddballs of society. And maybe some artists act a bit out of the societal norm. The artists on the tv were largely blown out of proportion. While I have never muttered while walking hunched over a notebook writing, I’m sure if I tried I would comically fall over or run into something or someone gaining a good concussion and a bruised ego.
I have on the other hand had people ask me how I can be so creative. I have never had a great answer for them so let’s take a dive into how the creative process works in our brains and see if we can come up with an answer here.
There are five main stages to the creative process that we go through.
Initiation.
When inspiration strikes, this is the very first step we take. Initiation is that first spark, the bite of creativity. As a novelist, this step often is kickstarted with an act. For me, it is usually envisioning the climax of a story. It is the formation of an idea of a story.
Incubation.
The second step is building onto the first step. Allowing that first idea to mature into a full story arch.
Elaboration.
This is the step where I put pen to paper. The ideas begin to come together and the page count grows.
Evaluation.
The fourth step is the review phase. The draft is done and it’s time to edit and review. This is when I can go into my story, refine the character arcs and tie up any loose ends and plot holes.
Execution.
The last step! It’s time to say goodbye to the characters as the readers say hello. It’s time for the work to go public.
If you want to be creative don’t worry! The good news is that the creative process is a habit that can be taught and refined. When ideas begin to flow the ventromedial prefrontal cortex lights up in the brain. This area of the brain is responsible for emotional regulation and self-reflection. Other areas of the brain build onto the creative process like the limbic system as well as the occipital lobes. But the space that really lets us grow with our creative abilities is called Neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to re-wire itself. How does that relate to creativity? Well, it allows you to go from someone without the ability to be creative to being an incredibly creative person. We can change our perspectives and our views over time. This is the brain doing the same thing.
Not sure where to start? Check out my blog on productive writing schedules and start practicing! Remember you have to write through the crap to get to the good stuff.
References:
Jwu. (2025, April 5). The brain region behind creativity and imagination. JWU Online. https://online.jwu.edu/blog/unlocking-power-mind-brain-region-behind-creativity-and-imagination/#:~:text=Relatively%20recent%20research%20shows%20a,which%20spur%20the%20creative%20process.
5 stages of the creative process. Unmistakable Creative. (2023, September 24). https://unmistakablecreative.com/creative-process/#:~:text=The%20creative%20process%20is%20not,of%20the%20original%20idea%20itself.
Paul, E. S., & Stokes, D. (2023, February 16). Creativity. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/creativity/
