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The creative process (imgur.com)

submitted ago by TheSunAlsoRises

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[–]DuckingTape 56 points57 points ago

Reminds me of this comic strip.

You cant force creativity, you need to be in a special sort of mood for it.

and what mood is that?

last minut panic.

[–]cymbalrush 60 points61 points ago

That's from Calvin and Hobbes http://rcrosing.home.xs4all.nl/images/ch_lm_panic.gif

[–]DuckingTape 8 points9 points ago

Ye thats it, didnt remember what it was called in english.... :)

[–]benjamincanfly 2 points3 points ago

What language do you read it in? Just curious because it's my favorite comic.

[–]DuckingTape 2 points3 points ago

Swedish. Here its called "kalle och hobbe". Close perhaps but my brain just didnt want to work. Couldnt remember the english name at the time... :)

[–]drewtoothpaste 26 points27 points ago

Thanks, I made this. There are 3000 more comics like it: Toothpaste For Dinner

[–]BMighty 17 points18 points ago

Looks like you had the idea of this post weeks ago... Started crying and doing the work 3 hours ago?

[–]jimhodgson 64 points65 points ago

You'll stress less and do better work when you learn not to do this to yourself.

[–]tommyschoolbruh 38 points39 points ago

OK, honestly, I feel pretty accomplished but I so very rarely avoid that initial panic.

How do you avoid that and still try something totally new every time?

[–]st4tik 15 points16 points ago

I feel like this is a legit question that deserve's it's own thread; upvote!

[–]jimhodgson 2 points3 points ago

The same way you overcome a fear of anything: familiarity.

[–]tommyschoolbruh 2 points3 points ago

So then you're not doing the actual question I asked

How do you avoid that and still try something totally new every time?

No hate, and it's not like I don't end up with work that is my style every time, it's just that I want to try something totally new when I start any project. That just creates anxiety.

[–]jimhodgson 4 points5 points ago

No hate perceived.

I think familiarity is the answer. You get familiar with yourself. Maybe it's because I'm a little older than the average redditor (38) but I feel pretty sure that I can come at a project from a different direction than most.

Why do I think I have that ability? Maybe because I regularly consume other people's work to keep my creativity hopper full of ideas. Not just designer's work, mind you. Any creative content. Dance, sculpture, art, books, music... anything.

I'm constantly refining my idea of where I think popular art is heading, which, naturally, is completely meaningless to anyone but me. I feel it gives me a place to start from.

I'm also calm about when things don't go right, which is luxurious. I have no compunctions whatsoever about saying to a client "Hey, maybe we're not a great match." I won't charge them a thing. Just move on.

There's nothing to be anxious about because I am comfortable with every possible outcome.

[–]alickstee 66 points67 points ago

I will never learn.

[–]derajydac 14 points15 points ago

The pressure of having to smash it out in the final few hours is the only reason why I complete it.

[–]fiftyfifth 14 points15 points ago

Actually thats pretty legitimate; it's easy to be overly critical and go through a million ideas (or not due to so many ideas making it hard to even start). Then when the clock runs low were forced to commit.

[–]_pupil_ 10 points11 points ago

On a personal level I wonder if the adrenaline causes some mild 'addiction' because on a chemical level the experience is so stimulating... Like your body wants to get that amped up and feel that surge, even though your brain is telling you that slow and steady is the smart play.

[–]jimhodgson 1 point2 points ago

As long as you keep saying you'll never learn, you'll be right.

[–]PatternOfKnives -1 points0 points ago

high five YEAH!

[–]Uberhipster 1 point2 points ago

You mean when you learn to coerce others to do it on your behalf.

[–]Robubie 11 points12 points ago

Yes, this is exactly what is happening right now, God damn it... next time I'll do it ahead of time!

[–]ddrt 12 points13 points ago

Stop being on reddit and go do shit!

[–]MispeldArgumint 6 points7 points ago

yeah, go douche it

[–]fiftyfifth 4 points5 points ago

And douche it good.

[–]flynnski 3 points4 points ago

Douche it real good.

[–]GTech 20 points21 points ago

This is basically college, all the time every time.

[–]Cyberogue 10 points11 points ago

Multiple instances of this running at the same time, only "Fuck off" is instead replaced with instances of "Panic/Crying/Deadline"

[–]FlukeHawkins 6 points7 points ago

Now stack like three of those on top of each other. That's my life right now.

[–]slimpicker 0 points1 point ago

work begins -----> BEER -----> ohshitohshitohshit ------> passable!

[–]bunchmaster3000 23 points24 points ago

Please give credit to drew who does the toothpaste for dinner comics (where this is from)

[–]TheSunAlsoRises[S] 7 points8 points ago

I figured that the credit in the image would suffice.

[–]MindOfMetalAndWheels 0 points1 point ago

You figured wrong.

[–]TheSunAlsoRises[S] 9 points10 points ago

Evidently. What's the best protocol for this - write the first comment with original source immediately after posting? Sincere question here.

[–]flynnski 5 points6 points ago

When linking to indie webcomics, it's usually kosher to just link directly to the comic's page.

[–]PatternOfKnives 3 points4 points ago

In the original OP? It always ends up that we just crash their website.

[–]MindOfMetalAndWheels 2 points3 points ago

Link to it anyway -- they deserve the credit. Also, the website going down is an indication that they're getting popular enough to afford better hosting.

[–]TheSunAlsoRises[S] 2 points3 points ago

Cool. Will do in the future. Except in the future, none of my shit will get upvoted. But the credit will be there!!!

[–]ah18255 6 points7 points ago

This is accurate in academia as well.

[–]KBPrinceO 5 points6 points ago

Software engineering as well.

[–]-Sparkwoodand21- 0 points1 point ago

Getting ready to go out too.

[–]Knows_where_waldo_is 0 points1 point ago

Paying my bills... sigh...

[–]TeedleJay 6 points7 points ago

I feel like the main reason for this is indecisiveness. I don't know for sure the direction I want to go with a project, so I dink around in all areas, never really committing.

But as the deadline approaches, the decision is essentially made for you: it's going in this direction, or it's not going at all. Now, focus all of your energy on that end goal.

If I picked a direction early on and just went for it without second-guessing, I'd be done way earlier... but I'd always be wondering in the back of my mind if I chose correctly.

[–]SirDerpingtonThe3rd 5 points6 points ago

This is why I'm glad I went the product design/engineering route. With product design, I just lay out the functional parameters and casually figure out how to make it better.

With writing, however, I can't type a word until there's so little time left I won't be able to sleep that night.

[–]climbtree 5 points6 points ago

With writing, however, I can't type a word until there's so little time left I won't be able to sleep that night.

Currently doing this, what is the solution to this strange dillema???

[–]THE_PUN_STOPS_HERE 8 points9 points ago

It varies for everyone. I find that the key for me is to tell myself to write only one sentence. Then I can go eat or get on reddit, or do whatever I want. Once I've got one sentence, it's pretty easy to make a second one. Then I repeat that until the paper's done.

[–]SirDerpingtonThe3rd 1 point2 points ago

I don't know. I think it's just that I will second guess and overanalyze everything in a paper until my head explodes. With engineering, the iterative nature lends itself to "chugging along", but with writing, I feel like I have to nail every sentence before I can move on.

[–]HorribleBastard 2 points3 points ago

Teach me your ways. I'm currently studying engineering and for me, the bar would be all the colors overlayed over each other all the time.

[–]SirDerpingtonThe3rd 0 points1 point ago

I dunno, engineering design clicks with me. Solidworks for me is what Minecraft is to most people. I always get grumpy if I go too long without a full Solidworks day.

[–]-Sparkwoodand21- 1 point2 points ago

I went the product design route too. I spent all my time laying out the functional parameters that I ended up with no time left for anything else.

[–]boq-boq-boq 5 points6 points ago

This is the everything process.

[–]thecoffeeUI/UX Des- WHY IS THIS BROKEN IN IE7?? 9 points10 points ago

Hopefully not sex.

[–]PatternOfKnives 1 point2 points ago

all the work while crying

Sounds like sex to me!

[–]Cyberogue 5 points6 points ago

Deadline should go between Panic and Fuck Off

[–]slimpicker 0 points1 point ago

Thats the video industry... shit takes ages.

[–]tea_money 4 points5 points ago

  • Information gathering
  • Idea Formation
  • Concept Formation
  • Prototyping
  • Documenting
  • Production

[–]penny_lyn 2 points3 points ago

The red bar should be labeled "Reddit"

[–]AngryCrustacean 2 points3 points ago

Too much truth in this post.

[–]lichorat 0 points1 point ago

This theory has accumulated evidence by the great Dan Ariely.

[–]protomd 1 point2 points ago

I'm going through this right now. Borderline mental breakdown but this gave me a good laugh.

[–]En_Sabah_Nur 0 points1 point ago

I have nothing to do with design, but as a college student with a speech due tomorrow at 1 pm that I started writing today around 3 pm, I understand where you are coming from. And I am also still on reddit. GOD DAMMIT! That's okay, maybe I can get a discount when I'm 30 and still working retail.

[–]boomerangotan 0 points1 point ago

I'm firmly convinced my subconscious works on the problem during all that "fuck off" time. I like solving puzzles, but when I'm initially given a problem, I sometimes don't see any simple way to solve it. But somehow when I reach that "panic" part of the timeline, I am suddenly aware of several easy ways to solve the problem that I couldn't see initially, which indicates to me that some part of my brain was still on the job while the rest was slacking.

[–]NotSafeForShop 1 point2 points ago

That isn't it. Those answers are there for you all the time, you simply aren't concentrating but you don't think you have to. And the worst part is that you aren't giving the design time to rest which is really important to take work to its next level.

Finish early, then revise. It will get better every single time.

[–]only_temporary 1 point2 points ago

Exactly. Designing is pretty much looping this diagram, and interating in a team of one for a while.

This graph doesn't represent the creative process of any designer I've met ever.

[–]AdonisChristInterior Design Student 0 points1 point ago

I have so much work to do and only 5 hours to get it done.

[–]bastian1343 0 points1 point ago

I saw that image yesterday on Tumblr while I had my feet up and ate celebratory chocolate for finishing 2 days ahead of deadline. Just saying. Doesn't have to be like this even if you have no idea what you're doing and start late.

Just get started slightly earlier than holyfuckballs o clock.

[–]LAASR 1 point2 points ago

lol now now that's kinda true till the "panic" and "deadline" part. More along the lines of

work begins /-----------fuck off ----------------/revisions/fuckofffagain/completed/CLIENT-JUMPING-IN-THE-AIR

deadlines dont work well in the design/art industry, if the artist tells you 2 weeks, you take the 2 weeks and wait patiently.

you get better things from an artist or designer or whatever you wanna call it if you just leave them the fuck alone to do their thing for that brief period of time.

[–]Gatohnegro 0 points1 point ago

Yes, I feel so fresh after.

[–]sassafrasAtree 0 points1 point ago

sad but true

[–]thecritic06 0 points1 point ago

This would sell well as a t-shirt.

[–]bluthru 0 points1 point ago

Would you pay someone to work on something this way?

Didn't think so. Respect your work and you process, and then your clients will respect your job and your prices. Anyone who's accomplished at design will tell you that this "lulz last minute cuz I'm creative!" bullshit doesn't make for great work.

[–]thecoffeeUI/UX Des- WHY IS THIS BROKEN IN IE7?? 0 points1 point ago

Not true. Talent can be a factor in how much fuck off time you can get away with.

[–]NotSafeForShop 3 points4 points ago

It shows in your work dude, trust me. Yea, talent may save you, but you're getting better a lot slower gun would be otherwise, and I guarantee senior level designers around you have a rep on ya.

[–]PatternOfKnives -1 points0 points ago

Apparently I would, at least the 75% 'fuck off' bit, whenever I hire a plumber, electrician, car mechanic, decorator etc...

[–]NotSafeForShop 0 points1 point ago

This attitude is the difference between being a junior level talent and being a solid craftsman. You'll grow out of it eventually. How fast that happens (and the trajectory of your career) are up to you setting good habits.

Source: my career

[–]TheNoize 0 points1 point ago

Yeah, the fuck off period should be extremely productive in terms of thinking about the collective solution to the problems faced. If someone agrees with this joke, they should think about switching careers.

[–]only_temporary 0 points1 point ago

Really r/design? This is being upvoted? Compress this cycle into 4 revisions before you show anyone something, sure, but if you think tha biz springs fully formed from this and it's roadworthy, there's a truck called reality heading the other way.

This shit is you're at school meeting deadlines, not designing.

[–]PatternOfKnives 3 points4 points ago

This isn't a factual study, it's a joke. It's being upvoted because it's funny.

[–]only_temporary 1 point2 points ago

Yeah, well, wavin it don care check mate!

[–]robbysalz 0 points1 point ago

I mean, I guess if you're irresponsible.

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