Let’s look at a word that is a big part of my creative process. That word is: ITERATION. Iteration is more popularly know as a mathematical concept: the means of reaching closer approximations of a solution to a problem.
I often think of myself as a designer. When I’m in the mode of working as a visual artist/designer, for example if I’m designing a cover for one of my books, I consider my creative process to be an ‘iterative’ journey to a design solution. It’s a bit like I’m zooming in on a bigger idea until I can see it for all its smaller parts. Once I can see the parts, I zoom back out and, hopefully, the right composition has begun to reveal itself. If it hasn't, I try again. Some of the key elements of my final design might appear early on, but the way they fit together takes time, trial, and error. There are no dead ends when I’m iterating. And there are certainly no wrong choices. There is only me, my tools, my big idea, and the pursuit of a visual solution.
Sometimes a creative process can feel endless. It’s one of the feelings that prevents us from starting (or finishing) a project. But the concept of iteration feels safe to me. I like to imagine my process will have an inevitable conclusion, or a solution, that is awaiting me… as long as I keep zooming in. I know this is all a very abstract thing to say. So I’ll share an example of what I’m talking about.
So, I have a book about to debut called SPIRIT WEEK. And that book has a cover. And that cover has a whole bunch of iterations that happened behind the scenes. I’m not going to explain my thought process behind each sketch, I’m going to leave that to your imagination.
What I will share is my design problem: to create a single image that represents the plot, themes, and characters in my book (without giving too much away). Below I’ll share the genre of the book, a brief summary of the plot, and the inspiration behind the story. At the end of all the iterations, I’ll share SPIRIT WEEK's final cover. You can decide for yourself if I found the right solution to my design problem.
Good luck in your own iterations, or whatever you call your process when you need to get the work done :)
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SPIRIT WEEK is a horror/mystery graphic novel for young readers. The story was inspired by the legacy of Stanley Kubrick's film, The Shining.
Aspiring engineer Suzy Hess is invited to the famous Underlook Hotel, domain of the reclusive horror writer Jack Axworth, in the mountains above her hometown of Estes Park, Colorado. Suzy thinks she’s there to tutor Jack’s son, Danny, but instead she finds herself investigating a local curse that threatens the landmark hotel.
With the help of Elijah Jones, an amateur filmmaker who thought he’d been asked to make a film about the so-called King of Horror; Rena Hallorann, the hotel’s caretaker; and Danny, who knows more than he’s letting on, Suzy sets out to solve the mystery at the heart of the Underlook, one that holds the town of Estes Park in its grasp. With only a week to save the hotel—and the town—the friends find themselves racing against time to uncover the shadows of the past.
