Graham Wallas' Creativity Step 3: Illumination

Illumination is the third stage of Graham Wallas' four stages of creativity. It follows the Incubation stage, where the subconscious mind processes information and generates ideas.

In the Illumination stage:

A creative idea or solution suddenly emerges, often when the individual least expects it. This is also known as the "Eureka" moment or "flash of insight."

The individual experiences a breakthrough in their thinking and gains a new understanding or perspective on the problem or challenge.

The creative idea surfaces from the subconscious to the conscious mind, making it available for conscious analysis and evaluation.

During Illumination, the individual may feel a sense of excitement and satisfaction as they realize they’ve come up with a novel and potentially valuable idea.

(It's so fitting that Thomas Edison worked with light bulbs, isn't it? His cousin, Ebison, is the one quoted above from the weekend he spent with the other Tom in their quest for getting his light bulb to work).

What's very fun is that the moment of illumination can occur at any time, whether during a routine activity or in a moment of relaxation. Some of mine happened during business meetings or day-long seminars when my mind would tend to wander after lunch. Historically, showers and vigorous walks in nature have conducted many kilowatts of illumination. Ever hear of Showerthoughts?

---

---

Note that Illumination is an essential stage in the creative process because it signifies the emergence of a potentially viable solution or concept that can be further refined and implemented in the subsequent Verification stage, coming soon in another ADVENTure. Plus, it probably warms up your brain (EBO) for the work you're about to bake into an ingenious solution!

---

---

---

---

Next Step: Step 4: Verification

---

©2021-2024 Chris Dunmire. All rights reserved.

---