INSPIRING QUOTES

Shared Tactics of Geniuses

“Do you like green eggs and ham?” said Sam-I-Am.

That playful line may seem worlds apart from Leonardo da Vinci, but they both hint at the same creative truth:

This statement might seem counterintuitive at first, but it reveals a deep understanding of how creativity can thrive under limitations. The best path to creative output isn't always through boundless thinking. Sometimes, boundaries provide conditions needed for creativity to flourish.

Da Vinci, renowned for his mastery of multiple disciplines, knew that constraints can be catalysts for innovation. His artistic process was meticulous with perspective, anatomy, and light, as he used these self-imposed limitations to create works like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He emphasized precision and systematic observation to capture his subjects in ways that continue to inspire artists today.

CREATIVITY SPOTLIGHT

Thinking Inside The Box

David Aguilar was born in Andorra with a very rare birth defect.

“You’re a freak,” kids mocked him. Others laughed and bullied him in school.

“I was born this way!”

“Then it’s your mom’s fault.”

The bullying shamed David for being born without his right forearm and pectoral muscle. As a kid, always tinkering, he kept wondering how he could fix having only one arm?

A prosthetic arm could cost over $100,000.
And he didn’t have access to medical-grade materials. How many children did?
Kids know toys, not medical device start-ups.

But then David thought deeply about his airplane LEGO set. Most people see a box with hundreds of pieces and envision just one project. David saw the same box and envisioned hundreds of projects. One of them? An arm.

As an 18-year-old, David built a robotic prosthetic arm entirely out of LEGO. He embraced the constraints of modular toy bricks and built something functional and life-changing. Aguilar said of his first arm:

The self-esteem/pride/love which his prosthetic arm fostered is truly what’s most valuable in all of this. And of course, all the people Aguilar has since inspired.

So, look at your own “box,” whether it’s your cubicle or computer screen, and challenge yourself to see the hundreds and thousands of possibilities which constraints can inspire.

Throughout history, creators across disciplines like David Aguilar have discovered how constraints can inspire unexpected innovation.

📚️ Rhyme & Rhythm Through A Rule

Few of us would guess that Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham emerged as much from constraints as from his boundless imagination. It’s actually a masterclass in creative constraints.

Seuss accepted a $50 bet from his publisher to write a story using just 50 distinct words. Seuss wrestled with this constraint for over a year, obsessively revising lines and tracking word use on charts and checklists.

His 62-page book became one of the best selling children’s books of all time. Its brilliance came not despite the constraint; it came because of it.

Say! I like green eggs and ham! I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!

Dr. Seuss wasn’t alone. French writer Georges Perec wrote an entire novel, La Disparition, without using the letter “e.” This constraint mirrored the novel’s theme of loss, as the story revolves around a mysterious disappearance. Architect Frank Gehry notably despised having no constraints on a project, preferring clients who gave him tight boundaries to shape his vision.

🔒 The Constraint Paradox

When we think of creativity, we often imagine boundless freedom. But paradoxically, constraints can be the very thing that ignites innovation. Whether it’s limited time, money, resources, or strict rules, constraints force us to think differently and to focus on what truly matters.

Constraints reduce cognitive overload by narrowing the scope of possibilities. Instead of drowning in endless choices, we’re pushed to explore within clear boundaries, turning limitations into opportunities for experimentation.

Constraints might also activate divergent thinking, or the ability to generate multiple creative solutions when traditional paths are blocked. At other times constraints such as tight deadlines and resource shortages stimulate our thinking and enable us to thrive under pressure.

🛠️ From Paradox to Practice

Ultimately, embracing constraints is about reframing challenges as opportunities. By working within limits, we’re encouraged to question assumptions, adapt creatively, and uncover transformative ideas.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed in your brainstorming, then apply some constraints to your situation. This will likely make idea generation noticeably easier.

🚀 Rise To and Through the Constraint

I know what it’s like to create under constraints: limited budget, basic tools, no fancy studio. You’ll see it in my own videos. But I also see how these same limits can singularly push people toward brilliance.

Overcoming constraints means honoring the box but not being fully confined by it. Yes, you must accept, no matter your fortitude, that some constraints need not be broken like shackles, but instead worn like harnesses to channel creativity itself. And other aspects? You must transcend their limitations somehow, someway.

What if I asked you to paint the most colorful painting ever, using just the three primary pigments? Without a doubt, you could accomplish your goal.

If you can do that with pigments, what else might be possible with just a few elements? Maybe everything, everywhere comes from just several, if not one, primary quantum? Look around at the infinite amount of creation that engendered.

BLINKS, THINKS & LINKS

Curiosity Candy

• 💪 Check out David Aguilar (aka Hands Solo) and his real LEGO bionic arm!
  

• 🪟 When you use WindowSwap, you don’t get to choose where you look. You’re constrained to someone else’s fixed frame of reality.
  

• 🏓 We often think more features = more fun. But some of the most enduring games were born from extreme limitations. Two paddles. One ball. Play ‘Pong’ here.

ACTIONABLE PROMPTS

Six-Word Story Contest + Cash Award!

This week I’m challenging subscribers with something inspired by a misattribution to Ernest Hemingway: Write a six-word story about a regret whether big or small, real or imagined. Please email me to enter the contest.

It’s hard, but this challenges you to use minimalist storytelling that forces emotional economy.

As an example, the story misattributed to Hemingway is:

This six-word story evokes heartbreak, loss, regret, and misfortune. What happened to the baby? Why weren’t the shoes worn?

Why do you want to practice this? Getting people’s attention is very valuable whether it’s in an email subject line or an article headline.

And another why: you don’t have to go on Squid Games to win a lot of South Korean Won! I’m offering a cash prize worth 14,000 SK Won. This converts to ten U.S. dollars. Hey, my award amount is under constraint too!

The winner will get a gift card or option to donate to her/his charity of choice. The winner will be determined by a readers’ voting poll in following editions.

Good luck!

Thanks for reading,

V.C. Hanna
Founder, Kreatio