The Power of Creative Restraint

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, I have made it a habit to clear out my fridge and freezer every ten days. It is truly remarkable to witness the creativity that arises when it comes to feeding my family. It made me wonder, can limitations or boundaries actually enhance creativity?

This idea might initially seem counter-intuitive, as one could assume that creativity flourishes when there are no restrictions ?— when every option is free to explore with unbridled curiosity.??

We might feel that working with limitations will stifle creativity and innovation. But often, the contrary is true: constraints can accelerate creativity and drive innovation.?

They can provide a starting point or a framework within which to work. They can help focus the mind and encourage creative problem-solving.?

Brandon Rodriguez explains in his TedEd?animation short ?that boundless freedom isn't always helpful.

"In reality, any project is restricted by many factors, such as the cost, what materials you have at your disposal, and the unbreakable laws of physics. These factors are called creative constraints, and they're the requirements and limitations we have to address in order to accomplish a goal."?

When there are no boundaries, knowing where to start or what direction to take can be challenging. We've all experienced the terror of a blank page staring back at us with no idea how to begin. So much freedom can be paralyzing. It's a paradox, really.?

Limiting our choices gives us a jumping-off point and the structure needed to focus our attention. When we have a specific challenge or goal to work towards, it can spark new ideas and innovative solutions.??

"Constraints," as Rodriguez says, "aren't the boundaries of creativity, but the foundation of it."?

And research supports this. Studies on creativity and constraint demonstrate that, surprisingly, when options are limited, people generate far more solutions.

Constraints are opportunities, not obstacles

The idea that constraints can enhance creativity suggests that limitations can be seen as opportunities rather than obstacles. And, as research, the arts, and countless companies have proven, setting boundaries engages our curiosity and helps us maintain focus.?

In almost every profession, limitations can fuel creativity. This idea has been explored by various artists, designers, and innovators throughout history.

Creativity loves constraint?

The poet and author T.S. Eliot famously said, "When forced to work within a strict framework, the imagination is taxed to its utmost—and will produce its richest ideas."

Poetry exemplifies this idea. It has many forms that constrain word choice. The sonnet structure requires three four-line stanzas plus a final couplet. A haiku asks for five syllables, then seven syllables, then five syllables.?

Likewise, notable artists have produced some of their most brilliant work while creating within certain limitations.

Pablo Picasso is known for working within constraints, such as limiting his color palette or using only a specific type of brushstroke.

When Picasso's friend and rival Henri Matisse came to the end of his life, he could no longer paint due to illness. Instead of allowing this to stop his creativity, he used it as fuel. During his last decade, using primarily scissors and paper, Matisse produced some of his best-known artwork he called "drawing with scissors.

Their predecessor Monet painted the Waterloo Bridge over 40 times using a minimal color palette but still evoked a wide range of ambiance in each painting.?

Constraints force us to pause when we might be tempted to abandon ship when it becomes difficult. Constraints push you to the edges of what you believe is possible and force you to look afresh at your challenges. They are a surprising source of creative breakthroughs.

Composer Igor Stravinsky said: "The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees oneself. And the arbitrariness of the constraint serves only to obtain precision of execution."

Innovation thrives on constraint - thinking?inside?the box

The arts aren't the only industries that thrive through constraints. Innovation also thrives on well-placed conditions. Some of our world's most inventive achievements were only possible because the initial constraints imposed forced a complete re-think of the initial problem.

As visual designer and entrepreneur?Jack Butcher ?said on Twitter: "The tighter the constraint, the more creative the solution."

Constraints motivate people to search for and connect insights from different sources to generate innovative ideas for new projects. Limitations can enable teams to unlock ideas that would have otherwise gone unrealized.

Design sprints are based on the concept of constraint. A design sprint is a week-long exercise for teams to create and test realistic-looking prototypes, saving the time and engineering effort it would take developers to build the ideas for real.

Google, for example, includes strict deadlines for developing prototypes and ambitious performance requirements about products in terms of their usability across different devices (e.g., it should work on all devices regardless of screen resolution) and download size or time.

Sara Blakely, the creator?of Spanx , is another excellent example of how constraints aren't limitations. When Blakely launched Spanx, she couldn't afford to use the standard marketing approach for a new business-to-consumer product, so she used word-of-mouth. Today the company is worth 1.2 billion dollars.

A balancing act - embracing constraints

The key to boosting creativity and innovation in your organization is to strike a balance by orchestrating different types of constraints. When a creative task is too restrictive,?employees' motivation is hampered .

Here are some strategies for using constraints to boost your or your team's creativity.?

Time

Give yourself a time limit. Try the?Pomodoro Technique , whose name comes from the Italian word for tomato. (And in Italy, timers are traditionally tomato-shaped.) The idea is to set a timer for 25 minutes, work until the bell rings, and then take a 5-minute break. After four sessions, you've earned a 15-minute break.

Discussion

If you're in a group, allow participants can ideate freely and without judgment. It means people can share any idea without comment or judgment from others. This allows ideas to flow freely.?

Space

Try limiting the space or surface you have to write on something. For example, use Post-its to limit the space you have to write, or even try writing on something completely different, like a banana. This practice allows you to quickly jot down ideas without feeling like they have to be perfect from the start.

Decisions

Limit how many decisions or choices you have. Try a voting system that limits the number of votes participants have. It forces efficient decision-making and prevents debates about ideas that won't be pursued in the end anyways.?

Artificial constraints

Give yourself an imaginary constraint. For example, what would you do if your budget was only 10 francs or you had only a week to complete a project? It forces you to push through and reevaluate the challenge.

Facilitating creative constraint with Lego Serious Play

Lego Serious Play is an excellent tool for fostering organizational creativity and innovation.

Lego Serious Play (LSP) is a facilitation method that uses Lego bricks to encourage creativity and problem-solving in group settings. It is based on the idea that building and manipulating physical models can help individuals and teams visualize complex ideas and find innovative solutions.

LSP utilizes the concept of creative constraints by providing participants with specific challenges or questions to address through building with Lego bricks. These constraints can be in the form of time limits, specific building requirements, or other limitations that encourage participants to think outside the box.

Working within these constraints, participants can tap into their creativity and find new and unique solutions to the challenges presented. Using physical models and visual thinking also helps break down barriers and encourage collaboration among participants.

By embracing these constraints, individuals and teams can tap into their creativity and find innovative solutions to complex challenges.

In the end, rules or restraints, which we feel might limit us, can set us free.

Has your curiosity been piqued? Would you like to explore further a challenge in your business? I would be delighted to dive into your challenge and help you find the next step.

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Sophie ?is a certified LEGO? SERIOUS PLAY? facilitator and business mentor. She helps business owners leverage creativity to remove complexity to find solutions.

Let's chat - book a free 45-minute problem-solving session here.