The creativity process involves the following stages;

New idea recognition/germination;

Most creative ideas can be traced on an individual interest or curiosity about specific problems. In other words ideas come up as people think about how to solve the existing problems.

Preparation;

Once interest and curiosity have taken place as a focused idea, creative people embark on a search for answers. For example if it is a problem at this stage entrepreneurs are trying to solve it. If it is a new idea for product or service, the entrepreneur or business will carry out research.

Incubation;

This involves intensive concentration on the idea to have it grow. At this stage entrepreneurs simply let the idea time to grow. Incubation is a stage of thinking it over while entrepreneurs assume control over the creative process.

Illumination;

This is synonymous to light and therefore this is where an idea resurfaces as a realistic reaction or solution to the problem at hand. This is a moment of time when an entrepreneur says “OH I SEE”.

Verification;

This is the development stage of refining knowledge into application. Once the idea is illuminated, in the minds of an entrepreneur it still has little meaning until when it is verified as a realistic and useful solution to the problem at hand. Entrepreneurial effort is essential at this stage to translate an illuminated idea into verification, realistic and useful application. It is even at this stage where ideas are proved possible or impossible.

CREATIVITY TYPES OR METHODS

Evolution;

This refers to incremental improvements in a situation, product or service. That is it takes any form. E.g. you add on the product features like functions, colour, shape and size. (This is common in mobile phones and computers)

Revolution;

Coming up with new ideas to replace the old ways of doing things; e.g. the music industry it has developed or changed from storing music on tapes to CDs to flash discs, to memory cards etc.

Synthesis;

Bringing together more than one idea from different areas to come up with new ideas to generate a new product or service; for example like in computers the soft ware and hard ware are produced by different people which are brought together to form the same product.

CREATIVE THINKING;

This is a thinking approach of entrepreneurs which goes beyond what the ordinary people imagine to happen. In other words it is the use of the sixth sense and the third eye while analyzing situations and problems at hand.