Modelling Creativity – A Production Designer
We all have the potential to be highly creative. Discover the patterns and processes that work best for you in order to access that potential by simply by modelling creativity.
Accessing Creativity – A Case Client
My “model/client” was having a creative block. She is what you would consider a highly creative person, with an artist’s sensitivity, and a writer’s sensibility. Highly visual, powerfully emotional she’s a great candidate for modelling creativity — in this case, self-modelling!
Somehow, something happened. She used to easily access a state of flow in generating creative ideas in film production design (she’s award winning). She found herself unable to replicate the same level of efficiency in her new endeavor, fashion accessory designs. Whilst she can produce high-quality designs, it was a “touch and go” opportunity, as if she doesn’t have control over when the “creative state” happens, unlike in production design. We also explored another area where she uses a lot of creativity: writing.
We discovered her processes, her patterns. It was amazing and fascinating! She already has excellent states of creativity, with different strategies. It was a matter of her replicating the best one, or modifying her process to make it more effective and efficient.
Inadvertently, there were some issues that surfaced that have impacted her ability to access her creative states. They are all part of her whole system of course, and therefore needed attention which we further explored.
The end-result was she understood her creative process, she streamlined it to make it more effective, and installed strategies to deal with the deeper issues that block her creativity. She herself, discovered the solutions that work for her. I simply provided her the tools.
Using Clean Language for Modelling Creativity
I left the client with patterns she could continue to use, and not simply applications that can wither away in time.
- I used a lot of framing, analogies, metaphors to prepare her for NLP processes and clean language. i.e. She can easily create to the writing modelling project I just completed in Jakarta.
- I applied timeline regression to help her access her creative state as accurately as possible (it was different when the model actually is in a creative state). At this point, we could have just used circle of excellence as a technique for her to be a high-performing design state, but I realised, a whole system with different parts are involved that may need attention.
- We then explored her metaphorical landscape through symbolic modelling.
This involves reinforcing statements followed by exploratory questions. For example, “and when you’re writing at your best, that’s like what…”, or, “.. and when you are designing, that’s like what…? This made her aware of her internal representations, patterns and processes.
- All the while, I was also noting the Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic (V-A-K) patterns. It is challenging to note both symbolic and modality patterns. I realised it takes a lot of patience.
- I guided her through the integration of parts strategy after we discovered conflict of parts in her metaphorical landscape. On her own, she had to to do the integration exercise. This is an empowering approach — she wouldn’t have to be dependent on me nor on any psychotherapist to address internal conflicts.
Modelling Creativity – Try It Yourself
- Go back in time, a moment, when you were highly creative? What was that like? Re-experience it, describe it in your 5 senses as specifically as possible.
- Think of a person/s you consider highly creative. Observe what they are like (in terms of 5 senses). What happens if you ‘mimic’ them or imagine being in their shoes’?
The author, Rona Puntawe is a Clean Language and NLP Advanced Coah. She was trained by leading authorities, Dr. John Grinder founder of NLP and Penny Tompkins and James Lawley pioneers of Clean Language and symbolic modelling.
