Get Lost in HMA’s Creative Process

A wandering mind is a magnificent thing. It is in these times, when we are lost in thought, stuck in our own subconscious, that we demonstrate the power of the creative process. So, how do you make your mind wander? Well, you can’t. That is the beauty and the madness of the creative process.

The truth to making the creative process work is that you have to be fully committed to the possibility of being 100% wrong. You have to be vulnerable. You have to be comfortable with being incorrect. You have to write out the terrible ideas, pace back and forth, sit down, go on a walkabout, write down 10 more terrible ideas, talk it out and take a break for lunch. Then, when you come back, maybe, and only if the research, previous knowledge and problem-at-hand have all aligned in your mind, the solution(s) will come. But, maybe not. You really won’t ever know when the timing is going to be right. That’s okay. In fact, it’s more than alright. When you work with a team, or pod as we say in our office, someone is always ready and willing to lend their creative process to the cause.

At HMA, the true genius occurs when we bring together the creative processes of each individual. We have discovered that our creative process as a whole is far more powerful than as individuals.

In order to bring that idea to fruition, I challenged everyone at HMA to demonstrate their creative process. That’s it. No further instruction, no creative brief, no job jacket. Nothing.

The part I didn’t share with the team was that each individual’s technique was already part of a greater process. Each individual solution shows one small, yet significant piece to the puzzle that makes a great idea come to life. The below illustration by our graphic designer Jason Getz demonstrates the process HMAers take on a daily basis to brainstorm, map out and create.

It’s the result of a group of minds coming together to solve a problem. It’s a puzzle. It’s a game. It’s a passion.

It’s how we create.