Creative work is based on failure

Everyone wants to be creative, but a lot of people 'among us are too scared to pursue our most creative ideas. Why? Our fear reaction is not a matter of choice - it is often a knee-jerk reaction that can be attributed to our biology.

According to Adobe 's State of Creation report , "At work, there is a tension between creativity and productivity. " It could have something to do with previous research indicating that there is a natural association between uncertainty and ideas labeled as "creative", which makes many people uncomfortable.

So when you are pursuing a creative path, this obstacle can seem overwhelming. How did you get it and finally dismantle it?

Creativity vs fear offailure

In my experience - and that of many creative professionals - the most familiar form of fear to come is really that of failure. It is a reluctance to step outside the norm and risk exposing yourself to the judgment of others. But this fear alone is not what inhibits your path to creativity. Not recognizing is what really hurts. Nelson Mandela summed up this notion very well:

The traditional narrative of the creative process tends to ignore fear. We hear about and romance the inspirational spurts of the Lone Genie, but that's not always correct. As David and Tom Kelley note in Creative Confidence , "A Myth suggests that creative geniuses rarely fail. " They go on to quote Keith Simonton, professor of psychology at UC Davis, who discovered that many of the world's most famous creators - such as composer WolfgangMozart and scientist Charles Darwin do not. don 't give up at the first sign of failure. Rather, they keep experimenting until they find what works.

This is one of the things that makes fear a necessary and important part of creative work - learning to work with it. Unfortunately, in many organizations fear tends to dominate, often stifling what could have been our most creative work. Only 4 in 10 employees would even describe themselves as creative, and of those who do, less than half believe they "live up to their creative potential ". These are forms of fear, and even if you "You are not aware of it, you have probably let it take control before.

But how do you recognize it Here are some familiar "traps" you might be

Letting fear get in the way of your creativity

Scenario

In the middle of a brainstorm, someone comes up with a quirky idea that the whole team thinks it's edgy and hilarious. These ideas are often followed by a wave of enthusiastic statements that begin with things like "what if we ...". or “imagine if…”. Despite the enthusiasm of the team, you decide that the client will think it is too offbeat, so you present your plan B more secure, that is, less creative.

When you focus on what seems to be the safest route and make decisions based purely on avoiding risk, you lose sight of your real goal. This is common in group dynamics, and even has a name: Groupthink, which occurs "when a group values ​​harmony and consistency over precise analysis and critical appraisal, " according to Psychology today . It is often masked as rational thought, but playing it safe is actually the enemy of a good job.creative garlic - the longer you stay in one place, the less efficient your work becomes. Conversely, doing a good creative job requires being comfortable with risk.

Let fear dictate your creativity

Scenario

Your competitor is launching a new product or service, or updating their brand / website, claiming thus its position as an industry leader. Your fear of being eclipsed elicits a response centered solely on beating your competition, instead of doing what will benefit your customers - and therefore your business - the most.

While most people are. aware that their respective brands must constantly innovate and evolve, letting fear control your efforts is also dangerous. When fear fuels your motivation and goals, your job may become less meaningful due to a lack of passion or enthusiasm behind it. In addition, spend a laps dThe unbalanced time of trying to keep up with every trend saps your resources and your focus. When you succumb to fear, you often end up paying the price in the long run, with results like a bad user experience or looking like a copycat. As Karen Martin wrote in her book The Outstanding Organization , “When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. ”

Why you need to fail

Yes, there is a good way to fail. When you experiment creatively - just like Mozart and Darwin did - there are times when you will fail. But when you fail in this way, you learn from it. For this reason, it is important to accept and even honor your creative failures. Don't see them as a hindrance to creative success, but as a powerful way to get you closer to your goal the next time around. Accept that failure is an option, and that you are quite capable of recovering, with the right perspective.

In my experience, the only way to overcome your fear - or at least prevent it from sabotaging your daily life - is to reframe it. When you think of the framework for failure, link the word "failure" with "learn". This approach encourages confidence and a willingness to learn, which are essential for high quality creative work.

In my company, C5 , our vision is to help build a world where everyone can lead healthy and fulfilled lives. We take this mission seriously in the work we create, the clients we work with, and the way we interact with each other. But "healthy" and "blooming" don't have to translate into "rainbows and sunshine". Accomplishment really comes from your labor, which only develops through hard work and, sometimes, iThe result is that you didn 't expect. Knowing this, we believe that sometimes the challenge is its own reward.

In our organization, we strive to eliminate unnecessary sources of fear and anxiety in the way we approach our work. Keeping our creativity front and center doesn't mean we do things casually, take uncalculated risks, or play roulette. But we cultivate environments in which we can take intentional risks.

We have sketched out some of the parts that we believe include a calculated risk.

Determining Current Situation Goals

Naturally, your actions are influenced by your goals. But creativity can always be cultivated within limits. In fact, structure is often beneficial. Just because you've always done something in a way doesn't mean it's the only one.how to do it. When developing a strategy to best achieve a goal, consider other solutions, try new methods, and perform A / B testing. For example, when Microsoft Internet Explorer asked our infographic for an infographic. agency, we ended up presenting a video concept, instead, because we thought it would deliver the message more effectively. The client agreed, and the "Child of the 90s " spot we created for him garnered over 49 million views .

Learning to operate from a place of condemnation and commitment

If you have a unique or unusual creative idea, lead with confidence. Whether you are presenting it to a client or trying to get a budget from the management, if you get drowned in doubt every step of the way, chances are it shows. You should certainly listen to valid objections, but remember that passion andhousiasm are contagious. Once again, Microsoft surely would have rejected our point if we had not presented a reliable and well-supported case.

Allowing the freedom to fail, learn and grow

An environment that not only encourages but demands experimentation is vital to pushing your creative limits. You can help cultivate this at every touchpoint in your organization, whether it's creating longer deadlines, regularly scheduling out-of-the-box brainstorms, or encouraging employees to work. on their own passionate projects. Pushing your team to experiment will only benefit you. Our agency even went out of business for a “hack day,” in which everyone - from accountants to designers - collaborated on creative solutions in an environment of no consequence.

Be courageous

In the face of creative challenges, I encourage youage not to give in to fear - in fact, give it a chance. Without fear, there is no bravery. And without courage, no risk is taken. And you can't improve if you don't take risks. Learn from what goes wrong and use it to create something even better.

What are some of the creative risks you took? Let us know in the comments.