Some of the images that may come to mind when hearing the word “creative” are a messy artist palette with mixed paints, a desk cluttered with crumpled papers and eraser shavings, or perhaps a stack of notebooks, each filled with scattered elements or sketches for a single story. The word “organization” is not initially paired with the word “creative,” but with creative project management, we can harness creativity and reign it in with a more structured approach.
Creative project management (CPM) introduces creative tools that both harmonize with creative endeavors or can be used to put a creative spin on a business endeavor or project. For example, let’s pretend you have a plot for a novel. As you brainstorm the story arcs, character development, and overall setting of the story, you begin to feel overwhelmed from juggling each element of the idea. How can you resolve these feelings? Creative project management can help! Maybe you can organize each element of your story into its own separate document and create a file to keep everything together. You can create a timeline of the events to understand where your novel begins and where your characters are headed. You can create a spreadsheet that lists your characters and settings and provides quick descriptions about each of them. Many of these tools are used for professional businesses, so why not incorporate them into creative endeavors?
From a business perspective, let’s analyze how we can bring creativity into the professional setting. Pretend you’re assisting with the development of a new phone application. You’re learning what the purpose of the app is, how it will function, and analyzing what can be done within the budget. As you’re going through the more technical aspects of this app’s development, consider the story behind it. Think of it like an adventure. Who will benefit from this along the way? Who is the target audience for this creation? Who needs to be recruited during this adventure? What images best paint the picture for what this app will do or what it will look like? What emotions are you hoping to evoke from users of this app? What are the challenges you may face during its creation? Once you truly understand the vision, then you can utilize these creative elements to begin the prototype. Why not have some fun while working in a professional setting?
Learning CPM as a creative is also a journey of the self. It’s not uncommon to feel a sense of impostor syndrome at some point in the creative process. CPM offers guidance and steps to not only combat self-doubt, but to assist in plotting out your idea or project through small steps that lead you to a finished product or prototype. Learn what organizational tools and resources work best for you and your project—whether it’s a calendar filled with deadlines or a dry-erase board with objectives for each week—and discover how CPM may benefit your projects and work. Create spreadsheets, write stories, discover each of the five senses that correlate with your project—do what you need to do to truly bring your vision to life.
If you would like to explore the opportunity of becoming verified in CPM, check out our blog post about our CPM verification here!
Stay inspired!