Newsletter #24

The Creative Process Is Life Itself

Hi there,

"The creative process isn't part of life. The creative process is life." - Nick Cave

In my last newsletter, I wrote about the relationship between me, my creative business and I. In it I explored how creative leaders can separate their personal identity from their business identity, allowing both to flourish. But there's something deeper I've been mulling over since then. Something that gets down to the fundamental nature of creative work itself.

I have a great affinity for all types of business. And there’s an argument that every business is creative at heart; just as every person is. But I’m especially drawn to creative businesses. Those involved in the business of marketing, graphic design, advertising, branding, PR, game design, software development, videography, architecture, product design, user experience, social media and so on. Basically any business whose job is to imagine a better future, create solutions and make them a reality.

What I’m really drawn to in these businesses is the creative process at the heart of what they do. The generative engine that drives the wellbeing of these businesses financially and culturally. And what I came to appreciate this week is that this creative process is not just something these businesses do. It's life itself.

Life is generative. It creates. It unfolds with the passing of every second. Life on Earth is a creative process. Evolution is creative. The fractal patterns in nature — snowflakes, trees, river deltas, galaxies — are all creative intelligence made visible. Some people talk about God as creative intelligence. Whether you believe in the notion of a Higher Power or not, it's hard to deny that creativity is woven into the fabric of existence.

This makes me think about how essential creativity is, not just in business but in living. And how it should be embraced and nurtured, not outsourced or automated away.

And I say that because of the rising use and power of AI.

Artificial Intelligence vs Creative Intelligence

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be using Chat GPT and Claude for pretty much any problem-solving conundrum you can’t be bother thinking too hard about. We all do it. At home and at work. And I see the impact this is having on creative businesses on a few different levels. Creative businesses are beginning to struggle under various pressures, and many are turning to AI as a solution. And quite rightly too.

AI is a powerful tool. There's nothing inherently wrong with it. Far from it. It is massively helpful. But I do worry we're using it mindlessly. Especially in the work context. We see it as a way to save time and cut costs. The answers AI produces are compelling; the flow of the argument, the structured format, the succinct bullet points, the flawless spelling, the well referenced quotes. It makes our logical mind beam with delight. And we didn’t even have to think that much about it.

But if the act of creation is part of life, are we at risk of putting something inanimate between us and the vitality of life? Indeed, at a business level, are we taking out the very vitality that has been the engine of many creative businesses for decades?

When we outsource creativity to machines, we risk losing touch with what Nick Cave is pointing to: that the creative process is not separate from life. It IS life. We feel good when we create. We revel in the challenge of being in the midst of creative tension. There's a reason for this — we're participating in something fundamental to existence itself. It’s the gift God gave us to solve problems, grow and evolve.

At the heart of the creative process is attunement; aligning ourselves with the issues at hand and creating potential bridges to an envisioned future. The more attuned we are to the context of the issue we’re trying to resolve, the more effective the creative solution will be. And I think you could take that thought further. The more attuned we are to life — through meditation, mindful practices, contemplation, whatever it might be — the better we are at creating things that add to life. Things that make life better and help people out. This sense of attunement, I believe, is what distinguishes truly great creative work from merely competent execution.

Attunement means sensing what wants to emerge. It means being present to what's actually needed rather than what we think should be needed. It's what Otto Scharmer calls "presencing" in Theory U — the capacity to sense and actualise emerging futures. This isn't mystical thinking. It's a practical capability that can be cultivated.

The Practice of Attunement

I strongly believe creative business leaders who are attuned to life make better decisions. They sense when work is alive and when it's merely functional. They know the difference between creating from a place of connection versus creating from a place of anxiety or ego. They can feel when a project is flowing and when it's being forced.

The creative process itself can be a form of attunement. When we're fully present to the work, not rushing to the outcome but engaged with what's unfolding, we're practicing a kind of meditation. We're sensing and responding rather than controlling and forcing. This is how the best creative work happens — not through rigid methodologies but through responsive presence.

Given the rise of AI and the pressures facing creative businesses, I think we need to be more intentional and mindful about its use as part of the creative process. I'm not suggesting everyone needs to meditate for an hour before asking Chat GPT a question. (although 20 minutes in the morning can’t do any harm!!!). But I am suggesting vigilance and awareness.

Awareness that attunement is important. Necessary even.

That attunement can be cultivated at a leader level, a business level, or even a process level. That it might be the most valuable capability a creative business can develop. Not as a training program to roll out, necessarily, but as a lens through which to evaluate how we're working and why.

Because if the creative process is life itself, then creative businesses are in the business of adding to life. Not just making ads or designing websites or crafting brand strategies. They're creating vital information and injecting energy into their clients’ business that can help them grow and evolve.

When viewed through this lens, that's not work to be outsourced or automated away. That's work that needs to be protected and placed firmly at the heart of every creative business.

The creative process requires us to be fully alive ourselves, fully present, fully attuned to what wants to emerge.

Thank you Nick Cave for your book Faith, Hope and Carnage. And for reminding me that the creative process is life itself.

Until next time,

Simon