Day 22- The Obstacle is The Way...Limitations Will Set You Free!

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"Creativity is what happens when a mind encounters an obstacle. It's the human process of finding a way through, over, around, or beneath. No obstacle, no creativity." -Ben Orlin

Welcome to DAY TWENTY TWO of our new 30-day COMMUNITY PROJECT where we make something with our hands every day in order to improve our mental health. We all realize that creativity heals...it's time to put that knowledge into action.

These episodes will exist here, marked with the days numbered, in order for you to follow along at any speed that you like. Miss a day? Doesn't matter. Just pick up right where you left off and keep making things. These episodes will give us all some accountability, but if you need more, pair up with a partner. It really does help!

Join our creative community by making something today, whether it's for five minutes or several hours—your brain will thank you. Let's do this thing together and turn all of this sh*t into something beautiful!

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Creativity is what happens when a mind encounters
an obstacle.
It's the human process offinding a way through, over,
around, or beneath.
No obstacle, no creativity byBen Orlin.
Did you know that creativityactually loves constraints?

(00:23):
Constraints will actually setyou free.
If you can learn to embracethem, constraints will set you
and your creativity free.
There are lists and lists of thetype of constraints that we can
encounter when we set out to dosomething.
And the act of encountering aconstraint and finding a way

(00:44):
around it, that is creativity.
So if you think about it andyou're trying to be creative and
you're like, oh my gosh, butI've got all these constraints,
you are doing the opposite ofbeing creative.
So you've just got to use it.
Use everything, every constraintthat has been thrown your way.

(01:05):
It could be as broad as time ormoney, resources.
It can be specific, like you ranout of pens, or you ran out of
film in your camera, or youdon't have a battery that you
need, or you're trying to recorda podcast episode and your
neighbor is using a chainsaw.

(01:25):
True story.
Well, if creativity is problemsolving, then you've got your
task right there.
You're about to get creative.
I remember when I interviewedDavid Dushaman, we did talk
about this because he had asection in his book on this that
I loved.

(01:46):
David wrote this a constraintseen as a help to the creative
process gets us closer toaccomplishing our work.
Seen as a barrier, thatconstraint becomes an excuse.
Once you begin shifting yourmindset to see limitations or
barriers or constraints assomething different and not as

(02:10):
barriers, you'll begin to seethat they can be catalysts for
greater creativity, innovation,focus.
It's sort of like puttingblinders on and just simplifying
the whole process.
Blinders like a horse would usein a horse race that just keeps
them looking straight down thatline and not on any distractions

(02:32):
on the side.
Constraints can create anurgency and a need to
concentrate on your efforts.
And when you end up having toreevaluate the problems in front
of you, the challenges in frontof you from different
perspectives, those constraintslead to novel solutions.

(02:53):
From here on out, when youencounter a constraint, a
limitation, start viewing it asa puzzle that needs to be
solved.
Like a little brain teaser.
How am I going to figure thisone out?
The obstacle is the way.
Instead of trying to remove anymore limitations, use them to

(03:14):
your advantage.
Constraints are so oftenadvantages in disguise.
So instead, just release thatfocus of them being something
negative.
Work with what you have.
Let it guide you into a newdirection and allow that more
simple scope that you're dealingwith due to the limitations.

(03:38):
Allow that to be laser focusedand get creative in a way that
you had never planned.

And remember this (03:45):
if you had zero constraints all the time,
all the money, all theresources, you would be
absolutely paralyzed.
I remember talking about thatwith David Duscheman.
You would be paralyzed.
There would be so many avenuesthat you could go down for this

(04:08):
creative project or whateveryou're working on that you
wouldn't even know where tobegin, where to end, where to
go.
From here on out, constraintswill no longer be used as
excuses.
Change your perspective, putyourself in motion, and get to
work on some problem solvingcreatively.

(04:30):
And just like all freedom comesfrom discipline, all creativity
is born out of constraints.
Until next time, stay curious.