Using The Experimentation-Introspection Cycle To Find Direction In The Beginning Of A Project
When you’re in the beginning of any creative project, a big part of the process is to figure out what you want that project to be. It might sound simple, but it’s a journey in itself, one where you might find yourself struggling to move forward in at times.
Perhaps you’re thinking about what you want to create in this project, but you never reach any good conclusions and don’t get to the creating. Or you’re creating a lot, but you feel like you’re not really finding “your thing”.
If you’re in that space, I’d like to introduce you to the simple magic of the Experimentation-Introspection Cycle.
The Experimentation-Introspection Cycle
Imagine that you’re an 18th century inventor. You’re trying to create something people can fly in - the first hot air balloon. To see humans rise to the sky and fly among the birds is your passion in life.
In this process, you probably have big sketches of blueprints, maybe some fancy calculations and ideas scribbled on paper. You have your vision taped to the wall.
But you don’t go from the blueprints and the ideas directly to the first successful hot air balloon. No, you have piles of different types of fabric, trial baskets and all sorts of different trinkets. You have balloon number one, that didn’t lift off the ground even by itself. You have the ashes of balloon number two, that burned up a meter off the ground.
Each failed attempt gives you more ideas about what works and what doesn’t, and you go back to your blueprints with new knowledge.
This is the Experimentation-Introspection Cycle. It works just as well for creative projects as for 18th century hot air balloon inventors. First you introspect and ponder - what do you want to create? Then, when you have some ideas, vague or concrete, you test them out. The testing gives you lots of new input, what you enjoyed, what was difficult, what didn’t feel right, and that gives you both answers and new things to think about.
And so you go on, getting more and more clear on what you want your creative project to be until you have found a clear direction for yourself.
When you need to ponder
Most of us like to begin with a good ponder before we dive into creating in a new project. We want to gather our thoughts, perhaps make a mood board, write down ideas and look for inspiration. This is often an inspiring time, even if it might also be unclear and slightly confusing.
It could also be time to ponder if you’re creating, but you’re struggling to find your own thing in what you create. You feel unsure of what you really enjoy most and if you’re on the right track. Then you might need to take a step back for a moment and look at what you created, see what has felt right and what hasn’t.
If you’re in the pondering space, here a some ideas for what you could do.
Make a mood board for your project.
Make a list of the things you’ve created that has felt joyful and true to you. Then make a list of the things you’ve created that didn’t. What are the common threads?
Gather the things that inspire you. What connects them and makes them stand out from the things that doesn’t inspire you?
Take out a big piece of paper and make an idea brain dump. Then circle the ideas you like most.
Think about what role you want this project to play, in your life and in your creative work.
Make two lists - one of the kind of person you’re creating for, and one of the people you’re not creating for, who’s opinion doesn’t matter.
Consider why this project feels important to you. Think about what message you might want to send to the world with it.
When you need to experiment
If you’re anything like me, you might sometimes get stuck in the pondering space. It’s comforting and fun, and as long as you aren’t creating anything yet then all is still possible. If you feel you’ve gone into overthinking a bit, that you’re using the pondering and introspection as a way of procrastinating on getting started, it might be time to experiment.
It could also be experimentation time if you’re struggling to come to any conclusions. If you’re thinking and considering, but you just don’t know. You may face a decision but you don’t know enough to make it.
If you’re ready for some experimentation, here are some ideas for you.
Just decide on one thing or version and challenge yourself to create that, in a certain amount or for a certain time. Then evaluate.
Think of two options, two different directions you might go in with what you create. Create both in some small way and see which felt best.
Challenge yourself to create as many different things or versions within your project as you can think of. Then look back at what you’ve created.
Think of a way you can try something without committing to it long term.
Come up with the smallest, simplest way you can try out your project.
We need the cycle
Finding your direction in a creative project isn’t easy. It can feel very confusing as you’re trying to put things into words, deciding what you want, making decisions and moving forward.
There’s only so far we can get by only introspecting, and there’s only so much we can learn by purely experimenting. We need them both to work in harmony and to inform each other. That way, we slowly but surely can get clearer and clearer on that elusive direction.
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