Structured Creativity: When You Need Instructions and When You Don’t

Many people believe they are either a creative spirit, brilliant but chaotic, or a disciplined manager who uses schedules and Excel spreadsheets to maintain order. The truth is you need both to be successful. You might have great ideas but fail to execute them. If you’re too structured, you lose out on opportunities to innovate or create something original. Therefore, the key is to balance both.

The Role of Structure of Creativity

Structure is a framework that supports any creative activities. This includes routines and guidelines to provide a direction for the creativity to flow. For others, it is a specific set of rules and constraints meant to encourage creative problem-solving.

Though it might seem counterintuitive, structure has its benefits. It allows you to minimise distractions and focus on your creative work. For example, writers often use outlines to keep their writing on track, including scheduled time for research. This way, they can stay on task and have a more productive writing session.

You can also set clear goals to keep you motivated while working on a project. Inspiration can be fickle, so having something to work towards allows you to remember why you’re undertaking this project and what you hope to accomplish. The goals do not have to be life-changing either; they can be as simple as wanting to try out a new technique and adapt it to your style of painting or drawing.

For the anxious creative, structure also provides a sense of security. Knowing what steps to take or having a plan can help push you from worrying about the outcome to focusing on the process. There’s less overwhelm with everything broken down into smaller steps. This is also great for preventing overthinking. It’s about getting the project done, not perfect.

Of course, structure doesn’t always mean limiting yourself. It can provide a foundation for experimenting with aspects of that structure. Constraints can encourage you to seek alternatives to your original project or alternative methods of accomplishing it. Musicians might stick to specific chord progressions but allow room for improvisation that leads to a better composition. Visual artists limited in their colour palette can experiment with colour and tone to create a cohesive piece.

When to Embrace Creativity

There is no better feeling than having the freedom to explore ideas without limitations. You can be spontaneous, take risks, and explore your own artistic limits without worrying about adhering to a plan. When creatives embrace freedom, there is a world of possibilities to explore.

Innovation can be a direct result of this freedom. You can think outside the box and explore surprising new horizons in your craft. Many artistic movements and breakthroughs came from a total rejection of the established structure.

Creativity without restrictions also allows the artist to embrace their authentic voice. Each piece is a reflection of their true self. This genuineness is what resonates with the audience. Just as important, it allows the artist to feel like they’re truly representing themselves.

Even more importantly, creative freedom encourages an environment focused on joy and playfulness in the craft. Sometimes, what you need is not a new project meant for your portfolio, but something fun that is just made up in the moment. Don’t underestimate how satisfying it can be to create something without worrying about rules.

Of course, freedom also leaves room for exploration. While it may not be groundbreaking, you might find new themes, styles, or techniques to use in your own work. This gives your projects a unique twist that no one else can truly replicate.

Balancing Structure and Creativity

Each style of work has its own benefits, but together, they can provide you with a way of expanding as an artist. You need a structure, but one that doesn’t stifle your creativity. Just because you are creative does not mean you don’t need a bit of guidance here and there. This can look like following a tutorial for a new technique or learning more about a specific tool setting in Photoshop. This can even apply to your life outside of your craft. If you are into online gambling, for example, it might be wise to spend less time searching for how to redeem the promo code for a particular online casino and more time actually playing. Structure and play can work together to create a great experience no matter what you are doing.

Here are some suggestions for how to balance the two and improve your artistry.

1. Establish Flexible Routines. The keyword is “flexible.” You want a routine that provides structure but allows room for spontaneity and bursts of inspiration. Try setting aside specific blocks of time for creative work while giving yourself the ability to deviate from this set schedule if inspiration strikes. An example would be setting a date for creating but leaving the time ambiguous so it works with your schedule. That way, you don’t feel bad about missing a specific time and just know you have the entire day ahead of you.
2. Set Goals but Leave Room for Change. Clear goals give you direction, but they don’t have to be set in stone. It is natural for your project to shift and change as you work on it. Sometimes the best ideas come from diverging from the established path.
3. Use Constraints to Inspire. Instead of viewing constraints as barriers to your project, view them as a way to brainstorm something new. These can be challenges to test your skills and stretch the bounds of your creativity. A well-known writing example is the OULIPO movement, which focused on a variety of constraints to push writing into new and experimental territory.
4. Use Structured Techniques for Exploration. Incorporate structured styles to explore a certain skillset. There are so many different movements within the art world, so why not limit yourself to one in order to prevent overwhelm? This could look like choosing to explore poetry but limiting yourself to writing a sonnet or a limerick. It allows you to explore the technique and expand your skillset at the same time.
5. Schedule Time for Spontaneity. Setting aside time for play within your craft is a great way to keep the joy in your practice. Do something new without judgement or expectation. Doodling, brainstorming ideas, or experimenting with a new medium are all ways you can explore art without feeling like it needs to be productive.
6. Reflect Regularly. Don’t be afraid to take the time to explore what works for you best. If something feels too restricting, change it. On the other hand, if you notice the lack of structure is negatively impacting your creative flow, then experiment with structure to see where it can improve your productivity.

Creativity is constantly a balancing act between structure and spontaneity. Allowing yourself unrestricted freedoms can be helpful, but also harmful when you fail to execute your ideas. Similarly, structure can be great for sticking to a deadline, but it can quickly stifle the playful part of art that you need to create. Instead of choosing between two extremes, understand that they are actually complementary and can lead to you unleashing your full creative potential.