Creative Retention. Being productive kills creativity. You can revive it by becoming “lazy”
I tend to be a pretty detailed oriented person.
I write down everything I need to get done, schedule my day, organize it in blocks to get the most bang for buck so I'll never waste a second.
I'm sure to some extent, this focus on detail and productivity is beneficial - but at what tradeoff?
Everywhere we look, there is an emphasis on being productive, on time, on metrics.
A sort of "standardized success".
They ask us to focus on "KPI" (Key Performance Indicators).
Or on "OKR" (Objectives & Key Results) - Ugh I get anxiety even writing it.
Now I'm not saying I promote being late, unfocused, or that any of these are bad.
In fact they are what's necessary for massive scale and growth.
But there's 100% an overemphasis on hyper-productivity in today's global culture.
Everything is too systemized, too rigid, too optimized for productivity.
Creativity and Productivity are at opposite ends.
We generally operate in today's age under the assumption that;
Reps are everything.
10,000 hours.
Ignore anxiety and depression.
How many athletes get idolized because of their "insane" work ethic?
Kobe, Jordan, Phelps, Bolt, Ronaldo, McGregor etc.
How about movies, influencers and media?
The Rock, Goggins, every single Rocky/Creed movie...
Do you see how the most popular sources of media (by proxy our culture) gets centred and derived from a "reps are everything" approach?
While I don't disagree with any of that, I wholeheartedly push back against the assumption that these traits are good for being creative.
Producing/creating less often makes me a better producer.
Everyone wants to make better creative work.
I always want to make better music.
The problem with me was that I used to think in black and white and follow common advice.
That you need to "just produce all the time, everyday and you will get better."
While this is true to learning hard skills like shortcuts, workflow/habits and micro-skills.
Or learning how to finishing ideas.
It doesn't help us define and measure what "better" is from a creative aspect.
Optimizing for creative ideas come from another practice.
Creative Retention
Imagine creative energy like rechargeable battery they use in phones or computers.
Whenever you're using the device, the battery gets depleted right?
To keep using the device and have it functioning at it's full capacity, you need to recharge it.
Everyone starts off with max creativity and that battery slowly gets depleted throughout various tasks, projects or use of the creative energy - however small the use may be.
I can't make creative things when I'm always thinking and optimizing for productivity.
Stress, mental fatigue, mental stress, physical stress, etc.
They all take away from your battery.
The worst is when I force creativity by that "10,000 hours, reps are everything" mentality.
It takes use the most of the battery and constantly drains it. Like having your phone mobile data on all the time.
How to recharge creativity
You recharge by going on what I call "creative retention".
It's like a dopamine reset or intermittent fasting but for your creativity.
A way to retain and store up that creative energy and recharge that battery.
How to do this?
The only requirement is you purposely stop yourself from doing the creative act, and force yourself away from all creative expressions.
You do this until you can no longer hold back and have to "explode" that stored up creative energy outwards and towards your creative act.
Just like a dopamine reset or fast from food, you don't eat for 16 hours and then your first meal is a big one!
Anyone who has done a food fast will tell you how much better food tastes after breaking that fast.
A similar concept in science and cognition is the "contrast bias".
The benefits of creative retention
Feel better about life, less stress anxiety and worry.
Actually achieve results, get good creative ideas instead of forcing yourself a random self prescribed;
"I must do X amount of creative act before I can make anything good"
"I have to produce 100 songs before I'll finally make a good one"
"I have to produce for 6 hours a day without any break if I want to get good at producing and making good songs"
These are all massive limiting beliefs which all stem from the "10,000 hours/reps are everything" mentality.
Creative retention increases quality of work.
I don't disagree systems, numbers and typical productivity metrics and methods are useful.
A balance between creativity and productivity is required.
Today's generation of creatives (including me!) get hyperfocused on productivity and maximal output as their measure of success.
I find that if I produce back to back for days at a time, usually after 2-3 weeks, I get a burnout.
For some reason, I can't make any good ideas or whenever I go to produce, the ideas dont sound or feel right. Nothing vibes with me or sticks.
I could push through this but it's super demotivating and I don’t have any fun or creative sparks when I do this.
If I take a break for 1 or 2 weeks, I come back with so much eagerness to produce and start a bunch of new ideas.
I usually end up starting like 3-5 new high quality ideas after this creative retention period.
This effect never leaves either.
I find it's consistent and replicable -meaning it's a reliable way of creating high quality ideas all the time without burnout.
Simple steps to start creative retention
Identify if you are in a creative rut - acknowledge it as it's totally normal.
Force yourself time away from the creative act - spend time doing anything but that creative act.
Use the new time to read, watch tutorials, spend time with family and friends, go on a trip, watch a new tv show or movie or rewatch things that you can't get enough of.
When you can no longer hold back your excitement and that creative energy starts pumping back into you, fully accept it and follow your inspiration back to your creative work.
Explode that stored up creative energy into your creative act/song and get back into it with full inspiration, drive, curiosity and enjoyment.Repeat the cycle when you are then drained or feel exhausted again as it's time for a recharge.
So I’m asking you to get onto Creative Retention and try it out for a couple of weeks.
You’ll be amazed at the results.
Peace - Vig/MA
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