As creators, it's important to reflect upon the role that your personal (and even professional) rules play in your creative process. Are they serving you well? Let's carve out the next few minutes of our day and assess, shall we?
Rules are typically put in place to guide or direct human behavior. We have rules in our homes to set the consistent expectations we hold for our children, and they provide a standard against which we can measure (and perhaps reward or punish) behavior. We have rules in the workplace to guide what happens when conflict arises, how grievances are addressed, what the customer experience ought to be like, how employees should dress, and so on.
It's easy to believe from the list we've just created that rules are good - constructive, informative, and actionable. But . . . are there times when rules get in the way of creativity? Absolutely! The tender motivation and longed-for spark of inspiration are often bruised or snuffed out by rules that control and stifle.
So, how do we tell the difference between a constructive rule and a stifling rule when it comes to creativity? We need to examine the rule's outcomes. Does the rule put me in a creative mood, like setting a rule that I play a certain music vibe while I create? Do I respond positively and with heightened energy when I set quotas for my creative work? If the answer is yes, you've got some keeper rules.
However, if your rules crush your mood or make you feel uninspired, it's time to revisit the rule and challenge it's assumptions. What would happen if the rule didn't exist? Flesh out the consequences - I'll wait. My mother once told me that she wasn't allowed to make a mess or touch the decorations in her childhood bedroom. That rigid rule affected her sense of creative freedom into her adult life.
Rules really do impact our creative process. The time has come to make sure you're playing by creative rules that set you free and serve you well!
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