{"id":501,"date":"2019-03-08T20:53:04","date_gmt":"2019-03-09T02:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/?p=501"},"modified":"2019-05-15T21:29:47","modified_gmt":"2019-05-16T02:29:47","slug":"creativity-killers-and-defenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/creativity-killers-and-defenders\/","title":{"rendered":"Creativity Killers and Defenders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019re faced with a slew of creativity killers every day\u2014many\nof our own making. Here are some of the most common ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Procrastination as a Creativity Killer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How often do you have great ideas you\u2019ll get to\n\u201csomeday\u201d\u2014the infamous \u201ctomorrow?\u201d But then tomorrow never comes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hardest part of creativity is getting started. You will\nnever get to all those books you\u2019ve stacked, all those articles you intend to\nread, all those half-started projects\u2014yet they provide a frequent excuse for\nprocrastination. Creative people often feel they are pulled in many directions,\nwith little chance of finishing anything. Sometimes it\u2019s due to perfectionism.\nOther times it\u2019s simply a defense mechanism. But nothing is going to change\nunless you change the way you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means focus. That means steadfast concentration on your\ncreative endeavor. It\u2019s more than time management or motivation (although both\nare relevant and important). It\u2019s a mindset of creative productivity.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Tracy, in Eat\nThat Frog<\/a>, recommends starting each day by determining your priorities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has been said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst <\/em>thing that is going to happen to you all day long. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Your \u2018frog\u2019 is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don\u2019t do something about it. It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life and results at the moment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The first rule of frog eating is this: If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest<\/em> one first.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The key word in this excerpt from Tracy\u2019s book is \u2018important<\/em>.\u2019 If you are stressed or\nanxious about an important task, it limits your ability to think creatively. It\nbecomes an obstacle, a preoccupation. Your ability to lessen the obstacle will\nincrease your ability to focus on creativity. Decide which tasks are important,\nAND prioritize your creative efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\u201cIf you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.\u201d \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bruce Lee <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distractions as a Creativity Killer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Related to procrastination are distractions because they\nmake it easier to procrastinate. You take just a wee bit of time to check an\napp, respond to a text, or use technology unproductively. But do those wee bits\nof time generate new, original ideas? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cell<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The internet is filled with stories about the value of\ndistractions for creativity. And frankly, some can play a positive role.\nAccording to research from Northwestern\nUniversity<\/a>, \u201creal-world creative achievement was\nassociated with leaky sensory processing\u2014or a reduced ability to screen or\ninhibit stimuli from conscious awareness.\u201d In other words, distractions\nincreased divergent thinking, often associated with creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another study from a Harvard\ndissertation<\/a> also suggested that\ndistractions could benefit creativity. They can provide new information to\nstimulate a fresh perspective. HOWEVER, that\u2019s only part of the story. The\nstudy continued to say, \u201cUnexpected distractions are \u2026 disruptive once the new\ninformation, relevant or not to the creative task, prompts cognitive overload.\u201d\nToo many distractions\u2014or the wrong kinds\u2014poison resourcefulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it. We live in an\nincreasingly digital world. Social media, apps, and games surround us. But they\ncan take time away from personally engaging in the play, music, and mind-wandering\nnecessary for creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reality is, some distractions aid\ncreativity, but too much kills it. Embrace the chaos periodically. Then give\nyourself solitude. Allow your mind to let ideas brew a bit. Balance\nmindlessness with mindfulness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \u201cYou will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.\u201d  \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winston S. Churchill<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Task-switching Interruptions as a\nCreativity Killer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What is the impact of interruptions on\ncreativity? Sometimes\nthey can increase divergent thinking<\/a> and allow\nthe brain to mentally rest from a task. Other times they sidetrack your brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It depends on the type of interruption.\nIs it a simple pause, or a shift away from inspired progress?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frequent breaks\u2014particularly when you get\nup and move\u2014provide both physical\nand mental benefits<\/a>. They help creativity when\nyou physically stretch and reconnect with your body and mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interruptions that cause you to switch to\nanother task, on the other hand, disrupt creative flow. The energy you could\nhave devoted to creativity evaporates. Your thoughts are diverted and it takes\ntime to return to the original creative endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduce the\ntask-switching interruptions, while allowing self-restoring ones. <\/a>Give yourself a time out. Intentional\nbreaks<\/a> throughout the day can fuel your\ncreativity. And maybe lead to your most original thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Stop letting other people hijack your day.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank Sonnenberg <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Narrow-mindedness as a Creativity Killer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The inability or unwillingness to be open to new\nideas\u2014narrow mindedness\u2014puts the brakes on creativity. Narrow-minded people\ncling to old ideas. They are stuck in time or worldview. They cocoon themselves\nin their own comfortable bubble. Data for or against a new idea comes from\ntheir selective recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open-mindedness is the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scott\nBarry Kaufman<\/a> argues that \u201cOpenness\/intellect is at the core of the\ncreative personality\u2026. Openness is primarily associated with artistic\ncreativity, and intellect is primarily associated with scientific creativity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can a person become more open? Absorb newness\nhead-on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n