There’s a quote out there in the Internet world that I come back to periodically: Creativity is subtraction. I find that it’s a useful concept for my writing, work and everyday life. Maybe you’ll find it helpful, too.
Imposing constraints is one way to prompt subtraction. Constraints involve taking away things we over-rely on, leaving us to cope without them. More creative solutions can be the result.
Sometimes we can self-impose a constraint in pursuit of creativity. But it’s important to point out that constraints often are imposed on us and we have to cope. Sometimes, this involves dire circumstances. Consider natural disasters or places with scarce resources. People are faced with extreme constraints and loss (or ongoing absence) of typical resources. They must get creative to survive. Pay attention and you’ll notice many examples of this playing out in our world.
At Work
In my work life, we are always looking at how to simplify things for customers and employees. Sometimes constraints are real — budget, aggressive deadlines, limitations imposed by new policies or laws. Or we can provoke our imagination by pretending to remove something that seems impossible to give up (a system feature, a form, a tool, a process step, etc.). This usually leads to unexpected possibilities. All of this is about subtraction that forces new ideas about how to get the job done.
Things to Try
- Pay attention to “must haves” and challenge yourself to see what happens if they are removed
- Try using time constraints to boost creative responses
In Everyday Activities
In everyday life, typical constraints include limited space, money, mobility, energy and interest. These can cause stress and real harm and they don’t always have a tidy creative solution. But sometimes resilience, resourcefulness and creativity can win when faced with constraints. I’ve always been fascinated by how Japanese homes, for example, cope with limited space. Super creative solutions!
I have an ongoing battle to subtract time-wasters that can suck precious minutes from more valuable activities and drain my energy. Read my blog post How Do You Make Time for Creativity? for more about that.
Things to Try
- Explore what is creating clutter in your life – physical things, activities, mindsets – without creating value and subtract if you can
- If you’re living with a constraint imposed on you, reflect on how this has pushed your creativity in coping (or are there creative ways still to try?)
In Writing
How about in writing? How can subtracting unleash creativity? Well, it can:
- Leave more to the imagination
- Remove distractions and helps you find the heart of your story or character or setting (or all of these)
- Strengthen the impact
- Make things simpler, which increases understanding and interest
I once received a professional critique on a picture book manuscript that gave me a lesson in the value of subtraction. I had gone overboard with the plot and the result was a convoluted story. After taking my own advice about subtraction, the story immediately lifted into a more engaging read.
Recent constraint-based writing challenges for me include:
- Author Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words contest (tell a complete children’s story in no more than 50 words)
- Various haiku challenges
- The annual PBParty contest that anchors the evaluation of picture book submissions in the first 60-70 words of the story
Things to Try
- Another popular constraint is to limit word count and see what emerges (often called flash fiction). There’s the famous story of Dr. Seuss (Theo Geisel) accepting the challenge to write a story using no more than 50 different words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham.
- Have you heard of six-word stories? Another great constraint! Do an internet search to find a variety of posts about these.
Other ways to use constraints in our writing?
- Take away something our beloved character might rely on and see how they cope
- Create a law that something important is banned
- Remove a common element in a setting (sidewalks, streets, etc.)
- Block one of the character’s senses
You get the idea. What can you constrain in your current writing project to boost the level of creativity?
What Others Say About This
Want to learn more about the idea of constraints? Here are a few articles to check out:
- How Constraints Force Your Brain to be More Creative
- The Benefits of Constrained Writing (with methods to try)
- Spark Your Creativity by Thinking Inside the Box
- How Constraints Inspire Creative Thinking
What examples of constraints have you noticed or experienced? Or things you’re trying to boost creativity in the arenas where you need it? Let me know!