How to Become a Creative Person

What makes a person creative? In your life you probably can think of a few people that you would consider creative—maybe you are even one of those people. But what does this mean?

From an early age, I found myself creating things. I would draw, paint, and build stuff. After each creative project, I would show the final project to my mom and dad, and they were always very supportive of my talents. They would make a big deal about all my creative projects and that feeling would drive my creativity as I got older. When it was time to pick a profession, creativity was at the top of my list. I found myself using my artistic skills to become a graphic designer and later using a creative aptitude to run a marketing department. I love being creative. It is what gets me excited in the morning to come to work.

A life of creativity has been good to me. Today, my wife and I have three sons, two of which are learning the piano and the youngest is learning to play the drums. I have never been able to play an instrument, unless you count the recorder from fourth grade, but I have been amazed by the talent and creativity they have gained in a few short years of lessons. They can even compose their own music. My oldest recently played a medley of famous piano riffs for his sixth-grade talent show, highlighted by The Office TV show theme song, Still D.R.E by Dr Dre, and The Real Slim Shady by Eminem. While he could have stuck with more traditional piano compositions, he put together a catchy and creative arrangement that made the whole sixth grade stand up and cheer.

The imagination fuels creativity by allowing our minds to form new ideas, concepts, images, and enabling possibilities that are not yet known. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember taking Creativity 101 in school. I remember memorizing state capitals in 4th grade History, dissecting a frog in 7th grade Biology, and finding derivatives in 11th grade Calculus. However, I don’t recall a class that taught the very thing I am most passionate about in my career. Creativity is viewed by most as a gift, given to only a select few. Are we just born with it, or is it something we can learn and even improve over time?

“THE IMAGINATION FUELS CREATIVITY BY ALLOWING OUR MINDS TO FORM NEW IDEAS, CONCEPTS, IMAGES, AND ENABLING POSSIBILITIES THAT ARE NOT YET KNOWN.”

In 1926, an English Scholar named Graham Wallas published The Art of Thought. As a co-founder of the London School of Economics, Wallas’s expertise was in social psychology. This is the study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social situations. In his book, he sought to define the thought process of creativity. According to Wallas, the creative process includes four key stages: preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. These stages are widely used to describe the classic creative process. I’ll try to explain these steps in my own words.

PREPARATION

This step is crucial to the creative process. It’s all about building a foundation of knowledge and understanding. You may research the problem, gather information, and explore different perspectives. This stage is where you expand your mind, watch a movie, read a book, talk to a stranger, gain insights from experts, and simply be open to wonder and roam while filling your brain with a variety of thoughts. This process helps you build a foundation for the creative stew you are trying to cook.

INCUBATION

During incubation, you let your mind work on the problem unconsciously. You step away from the problem so your subconscious can process all the information. For me, this generally happens when I switch to working on a different project, while sleeping, or simply when I’m driving to work listening to sports radio. I have found that for the tough creative projects, it is helpful to have a longer incubation period for the best ideas to eventually take form.

ILLUMINATION

This is the moment when the light bulb turns on. It’s the “Aha!” or “Eureka!” moment when your brain finally connects the dots and hands you a golden idea wrapped in sparkly brilliance. It can happen in the shower, while mowing the lawn, or—let’s be honest—while standing in front of the fridge for the third time in five minutes hoping something will sound good.

For me, illumination often sneaks in when I least expect it. One time, I was staring blankly at a cereal box (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, to be exact), and suddenly a concept for a design I’d been struggling with for a week just popped into my head. That must be why it’s my favorite cereal.

VERIFICATION

Now that you’ve had your big idea, it’s time to test it out. This is the part where reality kicks in and you ask yourself: Is this actually a good idea, or was I just over-caffeinated? Verification is about refining the idea, developing it, and making sure it stands up to feedback, logic, and maybe even your brutally honest kid who says, “That’s kind of lame, Dad”.

Creativity without verification is just chaos with glitter. This step makes sure that what you’ve dreamed up is useful, appropriate, or at the very least, won’t get you fired.

So, How Do You Become a More Creative Person?

Let’s be real—creativity isn’t just for painters, musicians, designers, or poets. It’s a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned, practiced, and even sharpened over time. Even if you don’t think you are creative, it’s likely that you are in your own way. You just need curiosity, patience, and maybe a willingness to look a little silly from time to time to reach your full potential.

The world doesn’t need more people playing it safe. It needs more people willing to color outside the lines. People who chase silly ideas. People who hear a piano riff and think, “You know what would make this better? A little Eminem.”

Creativity is more than just a spark—it’s a way of seeing the world. It’s about finding new paths, imagining different outcomes, and occasionally looking like a fool just to make someone laugh. The more you lean into your curiosity and embrace the process (even the awkward, frustrating parts), the more creative you become.

Don’t wait for inspiration to strike like lightning. Sometimes, you have to dance in the storm with a metal rod (metaphorically… please don’t actually do this). Keep learning, keep experimenting, and most importantly, keep creating.

Because the world needs your ideas—even the weird ones.

Especially the weird ones.