6 Things that Stifle Creativity

We tend to associate creativity with certain people or roles. For example, artists and musicians need creativity for their work. However, we don’t often consider how creativity benefits the rest of us.

I’m a stay-at-home mom, yet creativity is incredibly beneficial in my work. When I’m creative, I’m better able to plan menus, better able to handle tricky situations with my kids, and more efficient in my housekeeping. You may not be a stay-at-home mom, but it is likely creativity benefits you in your roles (employee, family member, friend, volunteer, etc.).

Sometimes I feel stuck. I’ll be unable to come up with new ideas and unable to find satisfactory solutions to problems. It’ll feel like creativity is hovering somewhere outside of my reach. I’ve noticed that there are several mental blocks and habits that tend to make creativity elusive.

Mental blocks and habits that limit creativity

• Wanting to do things the way they’ve always been done. Sometimes I do things a certain way out of habit. Habits can be helpful in keeping us on track, but they can also keep us from making beneficial changes. If I’m going to be creative, then I have to be willing to step out of the comfort zone of how I’ve always done things and try something new.
• Perfectionism. I’ll often get so focused on achieving a successful outcome that I’ll be unable to fully apply myself to the task at hand. This focus on self-evaluation and the outcome prevents the creative juices from flowing.
• Overthinking. Some degree of thinking has to take place in order for us to be creative. However, I have a tendency to overthink things. This overthinking can lead to a phenomenon referred to as “paralysis by analysis.” In other words, I’ll get so caught up in mulling over a task or problem that I never think of solutions and take action!
• Laziness. It’s typically easier for me to zone out and function on autopilot than it is to be creative. This is because being creative takes mental energy. Unfortunately, zoning out doesn’t help me come up with better ways of doing things.
• Looking at too big of a picture. If a problem or task seems too large, I often feel overwhelmed. This leads to a sort of mental paralysis. Sometimes it’s necessary to break a task into smaller pieces so I feel capable of brainstorming and problem solving.
• The desire to conform. Though I’m a self-confident individual, I still sometimes find myself wanting to conform and fit in among my peers. I find myself developing preferences and engaging in behaviors that align with those of the people around me. This is the opposite of being creative; it’s simply following the crowd.

Identifying these barriers has given me a starting point for overcoming them. Join me next week as I share about some specific things I’m doing to counter these barriers and foster creativity.

How does creativity help you in your work? What mental blocks or habits keep you from being creative?