Finding positivity amid a pandemic isn’t easy, but creative innovation may just be the silver lining we all need.
It is well documented that creative innovation comes from chaos and uncertainty. From the first steps on the moon to developing the iphone, creating or doing something which previously did not exist–took imagination, flexibility, ingenuity and of course, a bit of doubt. So it seems, uncertainty is practically essential for true creative innovation.
Currently, we are experiencing uncertainty on a magnitude beyond anything anyone living has experienced. Meaning, we have been forced to find solutions to problems we could have never imagined. Fortunately, this is fostering creative innovation in unprecedented ways. From distilleries shifting production from beer to hand sanitizer to virtual music festivals inside Mindcraft, creators and entrepreneurs around the world are finding new ways to leverage their skills and creatively reinvent our “new normal”.

So, how is uncertainty driving creative innovation right now?
It is creating constraints.
As counterintuitive as it may seem, constraints help us narrow goals and focus on intentions. But… and this is the hard part, you don’t want to have too few or too many constraints. According to recent research, too few constraints lead to complacency and can hurt the creative process while too many choke hold our creative juices.
Our “new normal” has created our creative constraints, whether we like it or not. Now as creators we must find ways to innovate around social distancing, face masks, limitations to group settings and even how people interact and touch our work or product.
It is uniting us around purpose.
Now we must look out for one another in new ways. We must consider our actions before we interact each other. We must be empathetic to our neighbors, workers and fellow humans. This united empathy gives us a chance for creative collaboration.
With new constraints and united purpose, there are opportunities to find new ways to connect and collaborate. Your work, service or product may support a whole new industry facing a whole new set of problems. Start to look beyond what we once did to look forward to what we can do.
It is forcing us to face fear.
It is understandable to have fears right now. Across the world we are experiencing worldwide sickness, economic effects of that sickness, and impacts of extended isolation. Although we must not forget these legitimate fears, we must face them to progress.
By using these fears to expedite creative innovation we can solve problems and save lives in some cases. These inevitable anxieties can force us to think outside the box, take risks and prove our resiliency as humans and creators.
It’s making us take action.
The pandemic creates constraints and fears we are all experiencing together. Meaning we are united to find solutions in unprecedented ways. And since there are lives and livelihoods at stake, we can not wait to innovate.
Like most of us, if you are looking for positivity right now, creative innovation may be the silver lining you need. Together as creators around the world, we have the opportunity to solve new problems in innovate ways. And although we may be in a dizzying storm of unpredictability right now–these unprecedented times could lead to historical creative innovation.
Ready to start innovating? Access all the creative classes you need, whenever you need with The Creator Pass.
