I started a job in advertising a year ago and had a couple things about myself become very clear. The first was that I'm capable of handling big things in a short amount of time. The second - I am totally incapable of doing the exact same thing the exact same way twice.
It's rather frustrating. Since this realization I have purposely put full effort into duplicating something the same way. It's not possible. I can not do it. I block out exactly the same amount of clay for a dragon, same color, same everything. First dragon is small and adorable. His twin, also adorable, is somehow a finger width taller.
I do something on a website. There are clear steps to accomplishing the task. Yet, somehow, I will manage to do something different or go a round about way each time.
I draw a simple shape, a circle, a square, and try to make a matching one beside it. Doesn't work. Yet my daughter can make ten curvy lines all curvy in the same way.
I'm told it's a symptom of a creative mind. Maybe. Or maybe I simply can't stand repetition? :)
I set up my table at a convention and while some things stay the same, books on the end, for instance, there's always differences. I keep it fresh - I say. Meanwhile in my office/studio, I have a dragon I'm sculpting on the clay table, a painting I'm working on with the easel on the art desk, two different books at different stages of completion on my laptop, and new idea projects on the center table.
Somehow I still get things to completion. A little slower now with the day job.
During a question and answer session at an event I was asked how my process of creating works. Then I was asked what advice I would give others. The answer - do NOT do it the way I do. Unless that's how you function, of course.