The Wallas Model (1926) is one of the earliest and still most useful models of how creative thinking unfolds:
- Preparation — You immerse yourself in the problem. Research, observe, gather raw material. This is hard, focused work.
- Incubation — You step away. Your unconscious mind continues working on the problem while you do something else — walk, sleep, shower.
- Illumination — The “aha!” moment. A solution or idea surfaces, often unexpectedly.
- Verification — You test, refine, and develop the idea. Does it actually work?
The key insight: creativity is not just the flash of insight. It depends on the preparation before it and the disciplined verification after it.
Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking
These two modes of thinking work together in the creative process:
Divergent thinking is about generating many possibilities. It is open, exploratory, and suspends judgment. For example, brainstorming 50 possible names for a product.
Convergent thinking is about narrowing down to the best option. It is analytical, evaluative, and decisive. For example, choosing the one name that fits the brand.
Most people default to convergent thinking too early — they judge ideas before giving them room to develop. Effective creative thinkers learn to separate these two phases.
Activity:
- Pick an everyday object such as a paperclip, a brick, or a shoe.
- Set a timer for 3 minutes and write down as many unusual uses for it as you can. Do not filter — quantity over quality. This is called the Alternative Uses Test, one of the classic measures of divergent thinking.