Welcome back to Habit 2: Stages! We are down to the last two stages of creativity. Thank you for hanging in there with me. I have been a bit overextended the last few days. I will not bore you with the details that are my life. BUT I will subject you to a picture of our puppy, Frankie. This little guy has just turned 10 weeks and weighs a whopping 3.5 lbs. He is a Chiweenie. If you can’t figure out the mix, he is a Chihuahua and dachshund. The nickname for these little bits is the German Taco. 
Shall we do what we all came here for? Great! It is time to find your copy of Around the Writer’s Block by Rosanne Bane. It is probably under about four days’ worth of papers and clutter. Just shift all of that aside for a later time and get the book. Got it? Okay, you know how this works, fill your cuppa, snag a handful of nibbles, and join me on page 77.
Today we will cover the last two stages of creativity and the first of those being VERIFICATION. This is where you take those flashes of lightning from Illumination and 
turn them into something tangible on the page. It is the time to put fingers to the keyboard or pen to paper.
When you jump into Product Time during the Verification stage you can be sure that it will involve writing, drafting, editing, revising, and story movement. And if you are lucky you will hit what we lovingly call, “the flow.” It is that moment when it all makes sense and comes together perfectly in your head. You hear, see and feel your characters and the “flow” of the story. Ride that wave!
In most cases, Verification and Illumination are two separate states in the entire process. When you struggle with the verification stage it may be that you have incorrect information or your initial idea for a story may need to follow a new path. This is NOT a bad thing. It is not unusual for your characters to take control and move the tale in a different direction. Sometimes, it’s better.
But, if your story seems to stagnate or you become so bored with the idea, you may have moved into the sixth stage in our creative process: HIBERNATION. This stage can sometimes be mistaken for 
another block. What it actually is, is quiet time. This is when you recharge and reflect on all you have done to this point. It is a time for evaluation and a little downtime. Yes, downtime. It is okay to take a break from the world of creativity.
Find the beauty in the world around you during this stage of the process. Spend time in nature and away from things or people that drain your energy. Go to a museum, read an astounding book, reread your favorite go-to, or…work on a DIFFERENT story.
I have to admit that when I drift into the hibernation stage on one story, I move to one of the others I am working on. I have four files going at all times. When I move over to one I haven’t worked on in a while I get fresh ideas and desires for the flow of the story. It is almost like looking at it with new eyes. It doesn’t mean I won’t go back to the story I was working on. I have 4. I will work on them all at different points in the process.
What you need to understand is that creativity comes in waves. The stages are a way to follow a structured idea of what these waves are. You must include rest in there. Think of HIBERNATION as your weekend. When you have a 9-5 job, you get the weekends off to recharge. This is your recharging time.
Well, that was the six stages of creativity.
First insight
Saturation
Incubation
Illumination
Verification
Hibernation
My next post will move into something called Fifteen Magical Minutes. Stay tuned- there is more to come!
Until then…
Polish your sparkle and just keep twirling.
Find joy. Be joy. Enjoy.
I’m always looking for new friends! 😊
Follow->Like->Share->
Other places you can find me:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TiciaRani
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nella-Warrent-1863744137235991/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ticia-metheney-22181476/
Amazon: amazon.com/author/ticiarani
UNIVERSAL CODE: books2read.com/u/bOZe8o
New Ink. Used Ideas. 