There is nothing wrong with a 9-5 job. It is more than admirable. In fact, a lot of people dream of the day we can show up at 9 go home at 5 and not think about our jobs when we are on the beach, in the car, or playing with our kids.
But oh creative culture…you have ruined us. Because of our attachment to our art, and our inability to cut the tether from our creative core, we think, dream, process, and obsess about how our ideas will impact our jobs. For some it is a gift. For others, our creativity is a curse. But why? Why can’t the creative job not be completed during our “shift”?
- We are not in a setting that inspires us to think creative.
- When we are at work we have too much to do and not enough space to be creative, unless we plan and make that time.
- We get interrupted. (twitter, people, emails, ping-pong, meetings, lunch, responsibilities)
- We are afraid we won’t appear to be working when we do what it takes to process creatively.
- There is not a premium on ideas but a premium on execution. (Both are necessary)
- The routine of work bores us and depletes creative energy.
- Our environments are not conducive for creativity.
- Teammates, co-workers, bosses or employees cause us to be afraid of sharing that idea that might just change everything.
- We feel we will be rejected.
- We don’t feel enough ownership to be vulnerable.
- We have been told no before, so we feel we no longer are responsible for dreaming. (This could not be more wrong. As artists we are responsible to the idea and the inspiration, now how it is accepted or rejected)
- No one asks us, so we don’t assert our creative energy. Which causes us to rob ourselves and to rob others of the chance to collaborate on something amazing.
- We are frustrated.
- Our pace is too frantic.
- We are comfortable and stretching would mean getting out of that comfort zone.
- What if our idea is accepted…what would that mean. No thanks!
- We don’t feel valued enough to share our best ideas.
- We have gotten bored, and are so bored we have not realized it yet.
- We have to many priorities and not enough delegation.
Being creative is an honor. It is not always comfortable. It has requirements and responsibilities associated with it that at times can be an inconvenience. We need you to be your creative best and to share that with the rest of us. Are you ready? It may be uncomfortable, it may cost you, but it could also change….everything!
all of the above resonate… most of the above warrants action from those that lead the creatives. it is important for leaders to identify and understand the creative in the midst and give them space to be who they are. don’t know what to add your list seems comprehensive 😉
Thanks. I think it is also important for the Creative to dream and share the dream. WIthout that the non-creative may not even wonder about what COULD be. We, as a community, have to speak up.
I am going to print this list and frame it. 20+ years in this design world and this is my heart on screen & paper. Thank you.
WOW. Chase, that is so cool.
if you design something with the list lets share it.
I’m a creative, stuck in a completely logical job.
I’ve found that I must create margin in my life to be creative and chase after the things I love most, and not just hide behind the excuse of being “too busy”. Thanks for sharing this list!
THat “too busy” excuse is the resistance trying to keep you from making stuff that matters.
Good stuff. Creatives have an internal process on how we process information and if that process is interrupted by outside forces (9-5 responsibilities) it’s a frustrating thing.
it is. so we have to learn how to adjust, adapt, and respond.
A lot of creative people create in waves. I know I do. I will come up with all kinds of stuff for like 2 days straight, be awake for long periods of time and then I will go through a kind of recuperation process for another couple days. If the intensity is greater, the greater recuperation required. I think that this is more natural than the 9-5 for creatives. It’s kind of like childbearing and childrearing. If we thought we could schedule giving birth and rearing children between 9 and 5, we’d be in for a rude awakening! If we can just focus on output as a way to measure what we do rather than hours, we could all be more creatively productive.
“We are afraid we won’t appear to be working when we do what it takes to process creatively.” — #1 for me. Thankfully I’ve got a team who totally gets it, and a boss who says “get out of here and stare at the ocean”.