Having too many ideas is like taking a child to the candies and chocolates isle in a supermarket and asking them to pick just one candy.
How does he know which of the candies taste the best? How can he talk you into agreeing for 5 candies instead of one? Does he pick a candy or chocolate instead?
Being faced with too many options can really be a problem as you have too many to choose from. Take myself for example, when I started looking for my current apartment, there were so many options, so many houses, beautiful and even fully serviced apartments up for rent.
I knew having these many options wouldn't allow me make a quick decision so I decided to make a list of non-negotiable and set some constraints that would guide my final decision.
These were:
- must be a one-bedroom,
- must be within budget of $3000 per annum,
- easily accessible fully tarred road,
- serene and secure environment,
- close proximity with the city central area,
- close proximity to my gym,
- thoughtfully built kitchen
- two bathrooms and
- well lit rooms.
This list guided what my final decision was and also helped me to save cost as house inspection fees cost a lot.
Constraint isn't a limitation but rather, it's a catalyst for creative thinking, resourcefulness and innovative solutions. When you have limited resources, whether it's time, space or materials, your mind changes gears.
You stop thinking, "what should I make?" or "what should I choose?" and start thinking "how can I make do with what I've got?". That shift doesn't limit creativity, it unlocks it.
Imagine being asked to write a book. That's all you were told, no timeline was given, no theme was suggested, no word limit was stated and no resource was provided. You have the choice of writing just about anything that interests you and you can turn it in whenever you liked.
Now, imagine when you're provided with a theme, a strict deadline, a stipulated amount of words and of course, only the necessary materials. Which one of these two instances would help you write and deliver that book?
Excatly! The one where you're constrained by certain rules and givens, not to hinder you from writing but to propel you to write.
When anything is possible, we become paralyzed by infinite choices and weighed down by a lack of direction and clear vision. We become complacent and often settle with the path of least resistance.
But then, constraints can provide focus for us as it represents a box we have to think outside of. And therein lies the soul of creativity, "thinking outside the box".
Creativity is born out of problem solving, without a problem or limitation, creativity doesn't show. If there's a problem in your way right now, don't avoid it, use it. It might just lead to something greater than you imagined.
We should focus not on what we lack but on how well we can use what we have. Having no constraints is actually worse than having some limits.
Too many artists when provided or faced with limitations create better art than when they're exposed to as many resources and options as possible.
So, a solution to overcoming this, is to create constraints to trick yourself into creating, carrying out a task or making a decision.
When faced with such a situation, start by making a list of things you don't want. Cut out the necessary excesses. Reduce the options by as many criteria as possible until you're left with a reasonable number of options that don't cause you to feel overwhelmed leading to indecision, complacency or poor decision.
See constraints as an opportunity to spark and manifest creativity. Do not run from it, rather embrace is as a catalyst for your creative success.