Managing the creativity cycle: achieve more by doing less

It seems that, nowadays, we just have to run around doing things as fast we can. Even more so in the creative industry, where if you slow down, someone else will come up with the same idea you had been working on for weeks, and you'll be all forgotten and sad.

We know all that. And even then, we advise you to do less.

The cycle of creativity
I bet you are familiar with the concept of "sustainability." Well, that also applies to your team and your own creativity. Inspiration is an infinite resource if you know how to regenerate it. Think about it as a cycle; you have an amount of inspiration and inputs from many things you have seen/experienced in your life. Then you start producing ideas inspired by them. Unless you take some time to stop and look for new inputs, you will run out of inspiration, leaving you with the same dull ideas.

Doing less and better
Having fewer projects on your table helps you focus better. It's not always about quantity, but quality. Competition is fierce, and the first is not always the winner. There have been many examples in history on how an improved idea won over the first one. If you don't have the time to do things right, you won't get the details tight.

Avoid exhaustion
Last but not least, the act of creating is exhausting. There is an inherent pressure on the fact that you have a limited time to cover your client's expectations. That pressure multiplies on every new project you take, as you start feeling more tired and less inspired. Again, the only solution is stopping, resting and doing less.