DG - REVISION, RECONSIDER, RETHINK, REWRITE, RECONSTRUCT, RECREATE
The illustration above is taken from a "mindmap" created by Nancy Margulies (St. Louis, MO).
Synopsis
The Art of Re-Vision: Rewriting Creativity and Redefining the Self
The concept of revision is not merely an editorial step but a transformative process that lies at the heart of both creativity and personal growth. It involves a dynamic interplay of reconsidering, rethinking, rewriting, reconstructing, and recreating—methods that allow us to dismantle old patterns, challenge ingrained beliefs, and forge new paradigms of meaning and value. Whether in art or life, revision is the bridge between stagnation and growth, enabling us to see the familiar with fresh eyes and reshape our narratives. This process is not about perfection but about evolution, a continuous spiral of movement where ideas dissolve, reform, and evolve into something new.
Creativity thrives in this state of flux. To reconsider is to question assumptions; to rethink is to dismantle mental frameworks; to rewrite is to reclaim agency over our stories; to reconstruct is to build anew from the fragments of the past. These acts of revision are not just tools for artistic creation but pathways to personal transformation. They allow us to navigate uncertainty, embrace change, and redefine ourselves. Creativity, in this sense, is not a linear journey but a cyclical process of becoming—a constant dialogue between what is and what could be.
Ultimately, revision is an act of courage. It requires us to confront the unfinished, the imperfect, and the unknown. By embracing this process, we not only refine our work but also reshape our identities. The act of revision is not just about making art—it’s about making ourselves. It is a call to action: to revise, rethink, and rewrite, not just our creations but our lives. In this way, revision becomes a powerful tool for transformation, turning chaos into order, loss into opportunity, and pain into meaning.
The Art of Re-Vision
The Art of Re-Vision - Rewriting Creativity and Redefining the Self
Motivation
The Art of Revision - Rethinking Creativity and the rewrite Self-Narratives
Revision is not just an editorial step—it is a core principle of both the creative process and personal transformation. To revise means to engage in a dynamic interplay of reconsidering, rethinking, rewriting, reconstructing, reinventing, and recreating. It is the method by which ideas evolve, perspectives shift, and entire worldviews are reshaped. Through revision, we dismantle old patterns, challenge ingrained beliefs, and forge new paradigms of meaning, value, and action. Creativity and self-development are not about permanence but about the willingness to rewrite our own narratives.
Recreate - The Transformative Power of Revision in Creativity and Self-Discovery
A fundamental component of both the creative process and the deeply connected journey of self-discovery and self-development is revision. By revision, I mean a multifaceted approach—a bundle of methods and techniques that allow us to reconsider, rethink, rewrite, reconstruct, reinvent, and recreate previous sets of ideas, perspectives, worldviews, beliefs, and routines.
The goal of this process is not merely to tweak or adjust, but to generate entirely new paradigms of belief, value, and action. It’s about dismantling the old to make space for the new, transforming what no longer serves us into something that does. Whether in art or in life, revision is the bridge between stagnation and growth, between who we are and who we could become.
The Art of Re-Vision: Creativity as Transformation
Creativity is not a straight line. It is a process of revision, rethinking, reconsidering, reconstructing, and rewriting—an ongoing dialogue between what is and what could be. To create is to challenge, to question, to dismantle and rebuild.
To reconsider a situation is to step outside its given frame and see it anew. To rethink a context is to unearth hidden connections and reveal new possibilities. To rewrite a story is to reclaim agency, to shape meaning out of fragments. To retake a picture is to adjust the lens, to shift the perspective, to alter the light. To revise a theory is to refine understanding, to embrace the unfinished. To reconstruct a scene—or a life—is to rebuild from ruins, to assemble new forms from the debris of the past.
Creation thrives on these acts of transformation. It is in revision that ideas sharpen, in reconstruction that new worlds emerge, and in rewriting that narratives find deeper truth. Change is not a loss but an evolution, a continuous unfolding of potential.
To create is to revise reality itself.
The Creative Process as a Path of Transformation
Creativity is not a straight line. It is a spiral, a process of continuous movement, where ideas evolve, dissolve, and reform. To create is to engage with imperfection—to see something again, to reshape and redefine. In this sense, creativity is not about producing something new from nothing, but about seeing anew, shifting perspectives, and daring to change the structure of what exists. It is an act of constant revision, rethink, reconsider, reconstruct, and rewrite—methodological weapons, creative techniques, and tools for transformation.
Reconsider: Seeing with Fresh Eyes
Reconsideration is the first step toward change. It means stepping back and questioning assumptions, whether in art, thought, or life. A painter reconsiders a composition before adding another layer. A writer reconsiders a sentence to sharpen its meaning. A filmmaker reconsiders a frame, a philosopher reconsiders an argument, a traveler reconsiders a destination. This act of reconsideration is where creative freedom begins—the moment when we allow ourselves to detach from old convictions and open up to new perspectives.
Rethink: Breaking Through Mental Frameworks
To rethink is to dismantle the structures that confine us. Creativity demands an ability to deconstruct and reconstruct thought patterns, to challenge habitual ways of seeing and interpreting the world. The best ideas do not emerge fully formed; they are shaped through rigorous questioning, through the friction of doubt and the fluidity of exploration. Rethinking means acknowledging that even the most seemingly fixed realities are fluid, waiting to be reshaped by perspective.
Rewrite: The Power of Narrative Change
Stories define us—both the ones we tell and the ones we live. To rewrite is to claim agency over these narratives, to break the cycle of repetition and craft a new version of events. Artists, writers, and thinkers all engage in rewriting: a filmmaker refines a script, a musician rearranges a melody, a scientist revises a theory. But rewriting extends beyond creative practice—it is a fundamental tool for personal transformation. One can rewrite the way they interpret a past experience, change the way they tell their own story, reshape a relationship, or redefine a purpose.
Reconstruct: Building Anew from the Fragments
Destruction is often seen as loss, but in the creative process, it is also an opportunity. To reconstruct is to assemble something new from the remnants of what was. A photographer retakes a picture, a sculptor reshapes material, an architect redesigns a space, and a person reconstructs their life after disruption. Reconstruction is the moment when creativity meets resilience, when we choose to build instead of remain within the ruins of the past.
Revision: The Commitment to Growth
Revision is the discipline of creative and personal evolution. It is the continuous act of refining, of deepening understanding, of committing to growth. To revise is to recognize that every work, every idea, every self is in process—that nothing is static, and nothing is final. Whether in art, thought, or life, revision is the practice of seeing potential where others see completion.
The Art of Becoming
Creativity is not about finality—it is about movement. To engage in the creative process is to embrace an ongoing state of revision, rethink, reconsider, reconstruct, and rewrite. This is where transformation happens, where identities are reshaped, where perspectives shift, where new possibilities emerge. In the act of continuously shaping and reshaping, we do not just create—we become.
Recreate: The Alchemy of Revision, Rethinking, and Rewriting for Personal and Creative Transformation
Revision, Rethink, Reconsider, Reconstruct, Rewrite: The Creative Process as a Path to Transformation
Creativity is not a static act—it’s a dynamic process of revision, rethinking, reconsideration, reconstruction, and rewriting. These are not just methodological tools; they are weapons for change, transformation, and personal development. They allow us to confront the familiar with fresh eyes, to dismantle the old, and to build something new from the fragments.
Revision: Seeing Anew
To revise is to look again. It’s the act of returning to what we thought we knew and discovering what we missed. In creativity, revision is the first step toward growth—a willingness to question our assumptions, to refine our ideas, and to see the world not as it is, but as it could be.
Rethink: Challenging the Obvious
Rethinking is the art of questioning the given. It’s about dismantling the frameworks we’ve inherited and asking, What if? What if the context were different? What if the rules were rewritten? Rethinking is the spark that ignites innovation, pushing us beyond the boundaries of convention.
Reconsider: Embracing Uncertainty
To reconsider is to sit with doubt. It’s the pause before the leap, the moment when we weigh alternatives and confront the discomfort of not knowing. In the creative process, reconsideration is where possibility lives—a space where old ideas dissolve, and new ones begin to take shape.
Reconstruct: Building from Fragments
Reconstruction is the act of reassembling what has been broken. It’s not about restoring the past but about creating something entirely new from the pieces. In life, as in art, reconstruction is how we turn loss into opportunity, chaos into order, and pain into meaning.
Rewrite: Telling a New Story
To rewrite is to reclaim authorship of our lives. It’s the power to take the narrative that has been handed to us—whether by circumstance, society, or our own past—and to tell it differently. Rewriting is how we transform victims into heroes, failures into lessons, and endings into beginnings.
Creativity as a Tool for Change
These five acts—revision, rethink, reconsider, reconstruct, and rewrite—are not just creative techniques; they are tools for personal transformation. They allow us to:
- Reconsider a situation and find new meaning in the familiar.
- Rethink a context and discover hidden possibilities.
- Rewrite a story and redefine our identity.
- Retake a picture and capture what we once overlooked.
- Revision a theory and challenge the status quo.
- Reconstruct a life and build a future from the ruins of the past.
Creativity, at its core, is the process of turning what is into what could be. It’s how we navigate uncertainty, embrace change, and transform ourselves in the process. Whether we’re revising a draft, rethinking a belief, or rewriting our life’s story, creativity is the force that propels us forward—not just as artists, but as human beings.
A Call to Action
What story have you been telling yourself that needs rewriting? What situation have you accepted that deserves reconsideration? What part of your life could use reconstruction? The tools are in your hands. Revise, rethink, reconsider, reconstruct, rewrite. The creative process is not just about making art—it’s about making yourself.
Let’s begin. 🖤
Resources and Inspiration
"The personal notes and sketches were invaluable assets in reconstructing the creative process."
Metapher des Umbaus des Schiffs auf offener See
"We are like sailors who on the open sea must reconstruct their ship but are never able to start afresh from the bottom. Where a beam is taken away a new one must at once be put there, and for this the rest of the ship is used as support."
Otto Neurath
Martin Hägglund#Metapher des Umbaus des Schiffs auf offener See
JOHN STERMAN SYSTEM DYNAMICS: THE FOUNDATION OF THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION
In the early 20th century, philosopher and scientist Otto Neurath envisioned scientists as “sailors who on the open sea must reconstruct their ship but are never able to start afresh from the bottom… They must make use of some drifting timber of the old structure…but they cannot put the ship in dock to start from scratch. During their work they stay on the old structure and deal with heavy gales and thundering waves.”
This a wonderful metaphor for the challenge we face in a world of ever-accelerating change. We must learn about complex systems—which have grown increasingly dangerous—all the while living in the midst of these systems. Luckily, we already know a great deal about how organizations learn. Our challenge is to synthesize what we know.
Revisionen
von Nelson Goodman, Catherine Z. Elgin
Philosophie und andere Künste und Wissenschaften
Aus dem Amerikanischen von Bernd Philippi
Die Hinwendung zur Sprache und die fächerübergreifende Verbreitung der Semiotik sind Entwicklungen in der Philosophie, die Goodman für sein Werk so charakterisiert, »daß Kant die Struktur der Welt durch die Struktur des Geistes ersetzte, in deren Fortführung C.I. Lewis die Struktur der Begriffe an die Stelle der Struktur des Geistes treten ließ, und die nun schließlich dahin gekommen sind, die Struktur der Begriffe durch die Strukturen der verschiedenen Symbolsysteme der Wissenschaften, der Philosophie, der Künste, der Wahrnehmung und der alltäglichen Rede zu ersetzen«. In ihrem gemeinsamen Werk Revisionen plädieren Goodman und Elgin für eine umfassende Neuorientierung in der Philosophie und anderen Künsten und Wissenschaften. Das Buch beginnt mit einem Überblick über den augenblicklichen Stand im Prozeß der Neuorientierung. Revisionen stellt nicht nur einen Wechsel im begrifflichen Apparat vor, sondern eine umfassende Neuorientierung, die sich auf Interessen und Einstellungen auswirkt und methodologische Maximen einbezieht.
The Art of Revision: The Last Word Paperback – November 2, 2021
by Peter Ho Davies (Author)
The fifteenth volume in the Art of series takes an expansive view of revision―on the page and in life
In The Art of Revision: The Last Word, Peter Ho Davies takes up an often discussed yet frequently misunderstood subject. He begins by addressing the invisibility of revision―even though it’s an essential part of the writing process, readers typically only see a final draft, leaving the practice shrouded in mystery. To combat this, Davies pulls examples from his novels The Welsh Girl and The Fortunes, as well as from the work of other writers, including Flannery O’Connor, Carmen Machado, and Raymond Carver, shedding light on this slippery subject.
Davies also looks beyond literature to work that has been adapted or rewritten, such as books made into films, stories rewritten by another author, and the practice of retconning in comics and film. In an affecting frame story, Davies recounts the story of a violent encounter in his youth, which he then retells over the years, culminating in a final telling at the funeral of his father. In this way, the book arrives at an exhilarating mode of thinking about revision―that it is the writer who must change, as well as the writing. The result is a book that is as useful as it is moving, one that asks writers to reflect upon themselves and their writing.
“A terrific guide to revising fiction. . . . Full of spirit and sound advice, this survey will be a boon to writers.”