Adapting Creative Processes Makes You Into a Stronger Creative and Collaborator

Adapting Creative Processes Makes You Into a Stronger Creative and Collaborator

by Cori Corrine
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Hi! I’m Cori Corrine 👋 and I am obsessed with the idea of creative momentum. In the same euphoric sense of a runner’s high, creative momentum is its own euphoria. It ebbs and flows, but I found as I evolved my design process, my creative momentum both strengthened and stretched into a continuous flow.

The first time I experienced this was in my fourth year of design school. I chose to pursue an independent study rather than an internship. I worked with one of my best friends, Kaley, who at the time was a fashion design student. It was my first time both pursuing my own work, outside the confines of a syllabus, and working across creative disciplines. The creative freedom was both exhilarating and completely overwhelming. Up until that point my process was defined by my creative label as a designer and was contingent upon the steps laid out in a syllabus. The independent study was completely up to me to define. My friend was working towards her thesis collection as a senior and I decided to create a brand experience for the collection. 

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At first, I began the design process as I had in class:

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➀ research ➁ hand sketches ➂ refine sketches ➃ bring sketches into the computer ➄ further refinements ➅ finalize ➆ start all over with the next item.

This could vary depending on the type of project, but the process would still fall into the same trajectory.

Observing other creative processes

I felt stuck and uninspired and watched as Kaley worked fluidly, without a step-by-step process. At times she’d be writing notes, collaging and sketching all within her notebook, to working on the garments. I realized her process was so personal and embedded in her work that she could flow from one thing to another without disruption.

She didn’t have a step-by-step guide, rather the process was the work itself. Her final collection was amazing, but the notebooks were what intrigued me. I decided to work alongside her, mimicking her process. I bound my own notebook and decided to visualize my research, collage my ideas, and ideate within the imperfections of the pages. The notebook became interactive, textural and a reflection of my transforming interests. At the end of the project, I was most proud of what I had done within the notebook. It’s what sparked my observation of other processes.

 
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Applying your creative process to client work

I now have 7+ years of experience beyond that independent study, with a more expansive personal process. Yet it’s influenced me to this day.

With every new collaboration, my first step is understanding that person’s or studio’s creative process. It’s a reflection of them, it’s personal and like my own, it’s been influenced by others. The first time we have a video call it’s as simple as asking “what is your creative process?” If that seems too vague, I always look into their work to get a sense of who they are and their aesthetic. With that, you can ask, “what was your process on ‘title of project’?” This opens a much broader and deeper conversation.

Afterward, I’ll take them through work of my choosing, unless they ask to see a specific project, and I walk them through the first presentation I give to a client. The first is typically the most extensive, that way we can discuss how our process overlaps and have a better understanding of one another as creatives. As I continue to work with them I observe. I listen intently when they present their work, I look over their work in progress and I make sure to open up a dialogue to share work and give feedback. You’ll never grow as a creative person if you isolate yourself. I’ve worked as a remote freelance designer for 4+ years and I’ve come to learn that I have to work harder to communicate and connect to other people to make sure the work flourishes.

 
 
 
 

What you gain from observing other’s creative profiles.

Earlier this year I made the switch to designing websites in Figma versus Photoshop after working with a team that almost exclusively uses Figma. Years ago, I learned the importance of editing your imagery and creating mockups for a more in-depth look into how a logo can extend into a system for the first client presentation. The process is not just defined by the tools that you use, it can also be how you talk to a client.

Recently, I listened as a freelancer presented their work to the client, how they interacted and discussed the feedback and I realized I could improve how I articulate a creative idea to a client unfamiliar with design. I started analyzing my speech, noticing myself using the word ‘no’ far too often. Listening helped me to form a much more open-ended discussion versus a combative negation. Working with other studios, agencies or freelancers is always an opportunity to question your own process for the better.

 


Taking purposeful, incremental steps towards your ideal creative career will get you there much faster than you think. 

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