ABSTRACT
The creative cycle is a process for getting good ideas consistently, when the problem or opportunity is too important to be left to just "winging it" by hit-or-miss methods. Even during sleep or while taking a break, mental energy is directed toward the problem or its solution. "Spontaneous" or "breakthrough" ideas often come after lots of hard work analyzing and mulling over a problem or opportunity, often while doing something disconnected to working on the problem. The arational hue provides the breakthrough punch. The search phase is where an explosion of imaginative thought is sought. However, fresh, intuitive, and arational perspectives can spark creativity throughout the cycle. The breakthrough qualities of the creative cycle rest on having the right mental attitude and approach, as well as the kind of climate in which to do creative thinking. The steps in the cycle provide the catalyst for the special qualities of the human instrument to ignite further imaginative power.
