This graphic illustrates the creative process for most artists. Press any component to explore it and learn more about any part of the process.
Most agree that the creative process begins with inspiration — but what does that mean?
Artistic inspiration comes in many ways, from *eureka!* solutions to challenging problems, to *wow!* concepts generated just by exploring and experimenting with media, to *cool!* ideas that emerge from the imagination, to intricate elaborations envisioned by careful planning.
And sometimes, it's a mix of all.
During production, the creative process moves from the world of ideas into the real world.
Here, the artist explores and experiments with the media, materials, and methods to achieve early versions of the product. The artist then revises and refines to make the most of the concept and its medium.
This stage often takes time as the artist creates drafts, evaluates, revises, and continues until the artwork is finished and right.
Presentation may be as simple as hanging a painting on a wall to as complex as a live stage performance. Context, time frame, and place may be very important or not.
Presentation may seem like a final step, but the creative process is open-ended. For many artists, presentation is part of the art, part of its inspiration or its production.
Reflection takes place throughout the process, and when the work is complete.
Artists look back at their own experience and the feedback they get from others. The lessons learned and insights generated may inspire future work.
If art work is about communication, it has be shared. Feedback from others is a key part of the process.
Feedback gives the artist an "outside eye" on their work and a way to judge its effect. It can add to the creative process at any time.