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A Solid Foundation

Former football coach Joe Gibbs says, "A winning effort begins with preparation." He's also an auto-racing owner so knows how important it is to have all four wheels to the ground before taking off.

Understanding Graham Wallas' Four Steps of Creativity as a common framework and process that engages when a "problem" (question, project, challenge) is introduced and prompts us into action, is easily complemented with Gibbs' wisdom that 'you can't put the cart before the horse' and must 'prepare to win.'

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Gathering What You Need

The first step of the creative process is Preparation. Wallas says that this is the research stage where information or data is collected.

Let's get hands-on and engage this process with a fun challenge.

In the context of Graham Wallas' four stages of creativity, the Preparation stage refers to the initial phase where an individual gathers information, resources, and inspiration related to a problem or challenge they wish to solve.

During the Preparation stage, the individual:

1. Becomes aware of a problem or opportunity that requires creative thinking.
2. Collects data, facts, and information about the problem or topic.
3. Researches and studies what others have done in similar situations.
4. Immerses themselves in the topic and explores it from different angles and perspectives.

The main goal of the Preparation stage is to build a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding about the problem or challenge, which will serve as the basis for generating creative ideas in the subsequent stages of the process. It’s crucial to be thorough and open-minded during this stage, absorbing as much information as possible to inspire innovative thinking.

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To get you started with today's challenge and what you've learned about the Preparation step above, think about the who, what, when, where, why, and how you need to research and collect data, such as:

• Who's your competition?
• What do you know about "low-carb"?
• How can you make the recipe different?
• When are people most motivated to move?

Preparation pulls together an array of available tools, knowledge, and resources to lay a solid foundation to help move you to the next step of the process. Spend a few days in this preparatory stage until we'll meet again to talk cookies in Step 2.

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Next Step: Step 2: Incubation | Next ADVENTure: Sagacious / Madam Bedazzle's Slouchy Sock Card

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©2021-2024 Chris Dunmire. All rights reserved.

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