7 Constraints to Make your Creativity Shine

It may seem counter-productive to say that constraints improve your creative work. Most often what holds us back from starting a creative project is the overwhelming amount of choices. Restrictions and constraints limit our options and choices, making it easier to actually get started on the project. You could say that constraints are benefits in disguise.

How to Make the Most of the Constraints

There are a number of strategies that can help you to use constraints to your advantage:

1. Use a Timer

Are you daunted by simply starting a project? Set your timer for around 30 minutes to force yourself to start. This will help you to attempt the parts that seem easier to complete and just pass the barrier that’s preventing you from the beginning. Use this technique to work in short time frames separated by quick 5 minute breaks to improve mental focus and agility.

2. Start with Smaller Tasks

Smaller steps lead to the greater whole. By completing small parts and reaching smaller milestones, it is easier to reach the ultimate goal of completion. Set your goal and then break down the entire process into smaller, simpler tasks. This will make achieving the end goal much easier by adding in this constraint.

3. Don’t Multitask, Stick to Single-tasking

Although you may feel like you are being more productive when multitasking, you actually aren’t. Many people regard multitasking as a great skill, but in actual fact, it can be a hindrance. Limiting yourself to a single-task is done to increase your productivity.

4. Work in a Small Team

Keep productivity levels up by keeping your team small. You can still bounce ideas around without things getting out of hand.

5. Set Deadlines

After brainstorming ideas, give yourself a deadline to prototype all your ideas. That way you are forced to see how well it works in a short space of time. This will help to quickly discard any ideas that are not likely to work out. For every 5-10 ideas generated only one tends to be successful. This strategy encourages you to try more ideas, ultimately leading to an increase in the odds of succeeding.

6. Focus the Content

Streamline your content to focus on a single area at a time. This will help to achieve smaller goals without getting distracted.

7. Better your Brainstorming

Try some alternative to brainstorming to switch things up from time to time, like debating an idea or starting with an idea (good or bad) as opposed to a blank canvas. Having a point at which to start can help the idea generation process not only go quicker but can also produce more and higher quality ideas. The brainstorming process will then stop being a hindrance and become an area of greater creativity while being as productive as possible.

These strategies prove that constraints are not always a burden in the creative process. Rather, they are simply tools that can be implemented in order to harness the full power and potential of our creative minds.