One of the earliest models of the creative process is attributed to Graham Wallas. The inclusion of incubation followed by sudden illumination in this popular model may explain why so many people view creative thinking as a subconscious mental process that cannot be directed. But note the first and last phases of Wallas' model. The notion that creative thinking begins with purposeful preparation and ends with critical verification suggests that creative and analytical thinking are complementary, rather than opposing. Creative thinkers study and analyze, but they have trained their perception mechanisms to notice things that others miss.
Creative thinkers verify and judge, but they expect surprises and avoid judging prematurely.
One set of models relies heavily on the theory of subconscious mental processes and uncontrollable events. Specifically, the chance configuration model suggests that variations on ideas and concepts come about through random chance. For example, random factors accounted for the mold that killed Alexander Fleming's laboratory bacteria cultures, leading to the discovery of penicillin. Similarly, random factors are also behind the sticker burrs that attached themselves to your pants leg during a walk in the woods. But George de Mestral parlayed these random events into observations that led to the invention of Velcro.