Creativity cannot flourish under fear
I have done martial arts my whole life. I will use a simple analogy to make this point.
When you are fighting and feel fear, you do your 3 or 4 best techniques, that’s it, nothing more. Usually the simple, basic ones, the tried-and-true techniques you trust to work because they have worked in the past.
Fear stops you from experimenting, from trying something more creative, attempting a spinning move, a flying kick, because these daring chances could leave you exposed to being blasted in the face. No one likes being blasted in the face.
That’s exactly what happens in the creative world when people are motivated by fear. They default to tried-and-true ideas, do not attempt anything new, stay in the safety of what they know works. Because taking a risk could result in a metaphoric blast in the face.
Creativity needs positive reinforcement, encouraging pats on the back, cajoling, renewed, daily inspiration, freedom to be wrong, room to play, to chase the rainbow of endless possibility. That is when creativity flourishes. Fear just limits its options.
