Contraditions in Productivity Part 3 - Think Inside the Box

When working towards a solution to a problem or in developing a new idea, one of the most liberating (yet challenging) things to do is to identify your real limitations.  Is there a deadline this Friday?  Do you only have 30 dollars with which you can solve your problem?  Does your customer require that you use only specific colors?  

On the surface, it may feel like rigid requirements and lack of resources are limitations (especially to an artist).  But in fact, well defined walls provide a solid framework on which to build your talent and find creative solutions.  Loopholes and workarounds don't exist without first having rules.

Learn to Think Inside the Box

Artists need a medium.
Projects need a deadline.
A wise musician practices with a metronome.  An athlete needs the unmovable earth to push against to express his power.  I've noticed that the most successful people around me are able to create boundaries for themselves and have the discipline to work within a limited medium.  The freedom of deciding what you shouldn't do often liberates you to use simpler tools and focus on what you do best rather than toil away on things that are best left to someone else with different interests. 

On the subject of real limitations, many people and organizations need to learn to think within their budget.  It's been said that "If your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep will be your downfall".  However, the flip side of that coin is that if we get creative, save, and live within our means, the box will expand, the limitations will lessen, and what was once perceived to be confining will become a source of liberation.

With a nod to my new friend, Tommy Jones, proprietor of theBox, a coworking space in Marietta, Ga, with whom I enjoyed a delightful and refreshingly hopped beverage last weekend.

Share your work in progress

Oftentimes there's a great temptation to keep our creative work hidden until it is finished.
I think that, in most cases, that is a mistake and that we should constantly get feedback from others during the creation process.  (Proverbs 15:22)

Of course, we should be wise about who we share these unpolished gems.  (Matthew 7:6).  Not all feedback will be helpful and not all should be taken into account, but very often someone will have a fresh perspective or a constructive criticism that you'll completely agree with.

Here's the latest version of a project I'm working on now:

I'm making a 'branding' animation for my home based computer graphics venture.  I've started a thread here in a forum full of similar minded artists who may give me some good feedback.    Hopefully I'll share some of what I've learned along the way with their community as well.  (Proverbs 27:17)

I'm really excited to continue the project because I have set the expectation of some of these people, and they're kind enough to encourage me and challenge me along the way.

To whom should you show your unfinished work?