At the moment, I’m watching the Beatles documentary/film “Get Back”. I fell in love with the Beatles in the 80s when I was about 15 – and they are probably the reason I ended up married to my husband!

But the most fascinating thing is seeing the birth of so many iconic songs, and the creative process involved in that.

The Beatles come along to those session in 1969 with just a few chords, or a bit of a tune – they tend to have only a few lyrics or at least some gaps or ‘stand-in words’. It’s really something to hear the filler words they use to indicate how the song will go when its done.

They play with it – speed it up, slow it down, change the key, the style, the timing, the volume – they sometimes take it to extremes They all have a go, adding their own interpretation. They repeat (and embed) what’s good and gradually change what isn’t quite right.

Then they will suddenly break into an old 1950’s rock n roll number, or revisit unfinished songs from their own early days – I guess to energise them and get their brain out of a rut, but also to see if they can re-use old material in a new way.

And yes, there is conflict between band members in the process – and self-doubt. Some things come quickly, whilst others take a lot more effort. Observers provide a useful perspective that they (as song-writers) may have missed.

But the result is worth it.

This is the creative process laid bare, and I’m loving seeing it.

Because it is typical of all creative processes, including #trainingdesign.

Yes, there are rules and a process, but it isn’t a fixed process: your 6-sigma project plan isn’t always helpful. Inspiration is messy. It isn’t linear. It’s difficult to put a timescale on it (but of course, in training design, we must) But that (for me) is what makes it so satisfying. That feeling when everything slots into place and you think “THAT’s the finished product”.

And I also think that’s why I’ve always found #trainingdesign just as (and possibly even more) satisfying that the facilitation. Yes, there’s the adrenaline rush when you’re facilitating and see the lightbulb moment in someone’s face. But there a deep sense of achievement when you know you’ve designed something that can create that lightbulb moment for dozens (if not hundreds) of people over and over again.