One of the obstacles creative people face is confusion--about evidence (is this meaningful?), priorities (what's important/unimportant?) and the process itself (where should I start?). Creativity needs a sense of free flowing motion, and confusion can bog it down in indecision.
Even worse, areas of confusion are often papered over with habitual workarounds that cut off creative opportunities before they begin. For example, maybe the team always adheres to a certain process, even if it's not very productive. Or maybe we rely on assumptions instead of questioning them. If you don't even know you're confused, you can't gain clarity.
Large or small insights are the fuel of creative energy, and clarity is crucial to insight. I actually define insight as "extraordinary clarity that illuminates something that was hidden".
To gain clarity, widen your field of perception:
Don't accept confusion or decide it's okay to look the other way. Because here's the secret: confusion may be the mask that hides your next brilliant creative insight.
Even worse, areas of confusion are often papered over with habitual workarounds that cut off creative opportunities before they begin. For example, maybe the team always adheres to a certain process, even if it's not very productive. Or maybe we rely on assumptions instead of questioning them. If you don't even know you're confused, you can't gain clarity.Large or small insights are the fuel of creative energy, and clarity is crucial to insight. I actually define insight as "extraordinary clarity that illuminates something that was hidden".
To gain clarity, widen your field of perception:
- Stop staring at what confuses you, and shift your focus to similar or related situtions. Study them--what is like, unlike, relevant to you? Use this information to discover missing areas in your understanding. Each time you fill in something you didn't see before, that's an insight.
- Use more senses. If you've been reading or surfing alot, shift to audio or kinetic inputs (and vice versa). For example, if you're looking for a new business idea, take a tour of new businesses in your area and let the ambiance sink in. If you're trying to come up with a design, try listening to a new piece of music that fits the mood. By engaging more parts of your brain, you may be able to loosen up your imagination and make intuitive leaps.
- Create an inner world for your idea. Children are great at this, and you can be too. If you are conflicted, for example, create imaginative characters and let them argue both sides of the conflict, while "you" interrogate them to support their positions. Role play the problem; imagine your idea in action and watch what goes right and wrong. By engaging your imagination instead of your anxiety, you may uncover an insight about what is confusing you.
Don't accept confusion or decide it's okay to look the other way. Because here's the secret: confusion may be the mask that hides your next brilliant creative insight.
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