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How Constraints Help The Creative Process
Creativity is a process of finding what works.
There are many ways to spur the creative process. Go on walks. Let your mind wander. Get proper sleep. Read endlessly. These methods allow the mind to wander freely, to explore ideas.
But sometimes the only way to get your mind working is to put it to work. Like applying methods of constraint that this article looks at. Research suggests that constraints help spur the creative process. You'll create work even if it’s not the most inspirational. Even if it’s junk.
Let’s take a look at how constraints have helped others spur the creative process.
Victor Hugo Gave His Clothes to His Servants
Take away what you love most.
In 1830, in order to finish The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo did something drastic. To avoid his love of going out, which caused procrastination, he ordered his servants to lock his clothes away.
Without his clothes and no idea where to find them, Hugo had no choice other than to work. He completed his novel weeks before the deadline.
Constraints give you no choice but to be creative. Imagine being stuck on an island with limited resources. To…
