Limitations Inspire Creativity: Think Inside The Box

You may think that unlimited resources or ideas would foster creativity. Often though, the opposite is true. Limitations inspire creativity. This is true in many disciplines, from art to engineering to invention.

An article entitled “Rules Of The Game” by Mark Rosewater in his Making Magic column introduced me to this idea over 17 years ago.

Opening New Pathways

How do limitations inspire creativity? The human mind is a brilliant thing. When we have limitless possibilities to solve a problem, the brain will try to do what was successful previously. So, a lack of limitations often leads to uninspired solutions.

However, when options are limited, we develop new ways to solve problems that fit those parameters. When methods that worked previously are eliminated by restrictions, we must devise totally new solutions.

Limitations Inspire Creativity Everywhere

Restrictions force creativity in many realms of everyday life. I end each of my blog posts with a teaser. This is not just to give my readers something to look forward to. It forces a restriction for my next writing topic. When I limit my writing topic, it creates focus. The result is that it is easier to write on a topic and stay on it.

Many of mankind’s greatest engineering and scientific feats have been due to natural or technical limitations of the time.

Sometimes, the laws of nature place limitations on us that we must overcome. Throughout history, gravity has been one of mankind’s greatest obstacles. From the construction of the great wonders of the ancient world to powered flight, mankind has been limited by gravity.

A famous example of technical limitations inspiring a creative solution is the Apollo 13 incident. The support team had to develop a procedure to power up the command module after a full shut down. The amount of power available to power up the systems and the uncertainty of powering the command module up from full shut down mid-flight greatly limited the team’s options.

Set Your Limitations

If you find yourself struggling with a lack of creativity, set limitations on yourself. By forcing your mind into uncharted territory you can spark creativity.

Teaser: Next time, we’ll explore some options for self care.