Books on creativity are flooding the market. Many assert that to be irreplaceable by AI, humans need to be creative, thinking in ways machines cannot. Among famous individuals, there are many with astounding creativity: Einstein, Picasso, and Steve Jobs, to name a few. This leads people to idealize creative individuals, viewing them as admirable and exemplary. However, is creativity purely beneficial? Like two sides of a coin, everything has its pros and cons. Highly creative individuals also have drawbacks and face challenges due to their creativity.
Genius and highly creative individuals might not need to put much effort into overcoming their weaknesses. Their strengths are so powerful that they often overshadow any shortcomings. There is even advice suggesting that people should focus on further developing their strengths rather than fixing their weaknesses. However, not everyone can live like Einstein, Picasso, or director Bong Joon-ho. There are far more people who are creative but not necessarily geniuses. These individuals also need to manage their households and take care of everyday tasks on their own.
The idea for this article originated from a pile of papers in my living room. For over a month, a stack of papers accumulated in one corner, and despite my constant annoyance at having to step over them, I didn’t immediately think to clean it up. Then, one day, I found myself pondering why I hadn’t cleared the pile and why I was bothered by it but still not making an effort to tidy it up.
Suddenly, I thought of Einstein. Though it feels presumptuous to compare myself, Einstein’s desk was also famously cluttered. Papers were strewn all over his desk, and the shelves behind him were filled with books and stacks of papers in a chaotic manner. Why do creative individuals often seem to be so distant from tidiness and organization?
Let me introduce myself briefly. I am a pianist, a bibliophile, a learner of six foreign languages, a plant enthusiast nurturing over a hundred plants in my apartment, a birdwatcher, an upcycler, a quilter, and an amateur stargazer. A year ago, I developed a passion for bookbinding and junk journaling. Crafting, creating with my hands, and dancing bring immense joy to my life. However, my creativity also causes me a certain amount of discomfort. In this article, I will candidly share the pros and cons of being a creative person based on my experiences and offer some methods that have helped me mitigate those drawbacks.
- Abundant Ideas vs. Difficulty in Execution
For creative individuals, ideas are like an inexhaustible spring. Novel solutions, ingenious ideas, astonishing methods, and extraordinary approaches constantly emerge. However, turning these numerous ideas into reality presents a different challenge. The more ideas there are, the harder it becomes to focus on just one, and the energy required to execute them can become insufficient.
How to Overcome It
To manage the influx of ideas, it’s essential to organize them systematically and break them down into actionable, smaller steps. For instance, if you want to write a great article, start by turning on your computer and aim to write a few lines every day.
While creative people often prefer working alone, having collaborators can be immensely beneficial when it comes to executing ideas. Nowadays, you can easily find people to collaborate with online without the need to meet in person. Platforms like Facebook Groups provide communities for various interests. Additionally, there are specialized apps for activities like exercise, reading, and habit formation, such as Strava, Goodreads, and Habitica. These tools can help you turn your creative ideas into reality.
I wanted to read the English Bible consistently every day, but I felt I might not be able to sustain it on my own. So, I created a group chat on KakaoTalk. Thanks to the group effort, we’ve successfully been reading and sharing one chapter of the English Bible every weekday for the past four years. Creative individuals can greatly benefit from actively seeking external help and collaboration to bring their ideas to life.
- Wide Interests vs. Inability to Focus on One Thing
Creative individuals tend to have a wide range of interests and a strong curiosity about new things. This makes them versatile, but it also means they often struggle to focus on just one thing at a time, making them vulnerable to tasks that need to be completed quickly. When faced with tight deadlines or strict time constraints, they can experience significant stress. Creative people require ample time for deep exploration. When immediate action is demanded, they may find themselves feeling overwhelmed and disoriented.
How to Overcome It
When planning tasks, try to create schedules that allow for extra time. Even if you think a task might take a week, consider that it could take two weeks. Clearly, setting priorities is also crucial. Since everyone has only 24 hours in a day, it’s important to identify the one or two most important tasks and manage your time to avoid spending too much on less critical activities. This way, you can ensure that you have the necessary time to deeply explore and complete your key projects without feeling overwhelmed by tight deadlines.
It’s essential to include rest periods in your daily schedule when creative ideas typically flow. Without this, you might feel like your spirit is drying up. I make an effort to walk in the mountains or parks for at least an hour each day. Since my work involves listening to music, during this time, I leave my phone behind and focus solely on walking or running, allowing my mind to clear.
It’s also important to regularly have days where you allow yourself to do anything you like. Treat yourself to a day where you can explore whatever interests you. These diverse experiences can ultimately help you generate unique ideas and think outside the box.
Orit Gadish, the Chair of the global management consulting firm Bain and Company, discussed this concept: “When curiosity strikes, you should be willing to ‘waste time’ on activities unrelated to your main job. However, as you become familiar with these activities, you might unknowingly integrate the knowledge and experiences gained into your primary work.”
- Perfectionism vs. Taking a Long Time to Finish Tasks
Many creative individuals exhibit perfectionist tendencies. They want their work or results to be flawless, paying attention to even the smallest details. Director Bong Joon-ho, known for “Memories of Murder” and “Parasite,” is a perfectionist who shot a single take 26 times in his film “Mother.” He has earned the nickname “Bongtail” for his meticulous attention to detail, even checking the size of props. Similarly, Picasso had Gertrude Stein, an American modernist writer, sit for her portrait 80 to 90 times. While this results in high-quality work, it can also mean that completing tasks takes a very long time.
How to Overcome It
Telling a perfectionist to abandon their perfectionism is unrealistic. Striving for perfection in one’s work is a powerful strength that can set them apart and showcase their unique value. However, not everyone can live like Bong Joon-ho or Picasso in everything they do. Therefore, it’s essential to prioritize and make compromises on less important tasks. Aim to complete work that is “good enough” rather than perfect.
I’ve been blogging for eight years, and I have over 300 drafts saved as “incomplete.” With around 1,600 published posts, about 15% of my writings are just sitting in storage. Recently, I’ve started setting a deadline of 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the content, when writing for my blog. Once the time is up, I make an effort to publish the post, even if it’s not perfect.
- Associative Thinking vs. Inability to Keep Things Organized
Associative thinking involves connecting seemingly unrelated things. Engaging in this type of thinking often leads to a cluttered desk filled with various materials and tools, much like Einstein’s desk. For creative individuals, it’s easy to create a messy space, but organizing it can be quite challenging. Tidying up feels like a non-creative task, and creative people typically prefer to devote their energy to creative activities instead. However, establishing a simple organizational system can help maintain a balance between creativity and orderliness, fostering a more productive and inspiring workspace.
How to Overcome It
Give new meaning to organizing and cleaning. Instead of viewing it as a non-creative activity, think of it as a reset to gain new perspectives. While organizing, you might discover materials that can aid your work—resources you didn’t even know you had. If it takes you ten minutes to find an eraser, continuing your creative work can become difficult. When you can’t find what you need because of the clutter, that’s a signal that it’s time to organize.
It can also be helpful not to aim for an immaculate, perfectly clean space like those featured in interior design magazines. Remember that creative individuals often have perfectionist tendencies. If you have many accumulated items, just the thought of perfectly organizing them can be stressful and may deter you from starting at all. Instead, begin by spending a few minutes tidying up a small area.
I have two vacuum cleaners, one modern and one old-fashioned, but I frequently use the old-fashioned one. Its battery is so worn out that it needs recharging after just five minutes, which makes it easy for me to start cleaning with the thought, “I’ll just do it for five minutes.”
Taking out all clothes and books to only keep what sparks joy, according to Marie Kondo’s method, did not suit me. First of all, the idea of taking out all my clothes and books is not fun and is a time-consuming task, making it unappealing for someone who has countless other enjoyable activities they would rather do. Additionally, when discarding items, the method advises being decisive and not keeping things with the thought, “Wouldn’t this be useful here?” This advice goes against the nature of a creative person, as it essentially tells them not to think creatively, making it hard to follow.
As someone who enjoys upcycling, I use my child’s outgrown denim skirt as a lampshade. Although a denim skirt and a lampshade seem unrelated, I discovered a new use through associative thinking. I have dozens of such clothes that I can upcycle. These clothes are not stored in my wardrobe but are neatly stacked in a glass-door cabinet, waiting to be transformed into new creations. I separate clothes that can be worn from those meant for creative projects. Living with items that allow me to express my creativity makes me happier than living minimally with only the bare essentials.
- Immersed in Interest for Hours vs. Neglecting Their Surroundings
Creative people can easily become deeply engrossed in activities they enjoy and are interested in. They work without noticing the passage of time. The problem is that it can make them neglect other aspects of their lives. My living room floor was a case in point. Since it was only a minor inconvenience and not a major issue, I just left it as it was. Not wanting to interrupt the flow of my thoughts on what I was focused on, I tended to overlook less important tasks.
In the movie “Shine,” which portrays the life of pianist David Helfgott, there is a scene where the male protagonist, a pianist, goes downstairs to fetch the mail wearing nothing but a T-shirt, completely unclothed from the waist down. This happened because he was intensely absorbed in practicing Rachmaninoff’s notoriously difficult Piano Concerto No. 3, which his teacher likened to shoveling a ton of coal with a shovel. However, in real life, we still need to clean our homes, eat meals on time, and not forget to wear our pants.
How to Overcome It
When things aren’t going well with an immersive task, I handle the necessary but mundane chores to maintain a balanced life. For instance, when I hit a block while writing, I often sweep the floor with a microfiber mop. For tasks that could be hazardous, I set alarms. After almost burning a pot a few times while boiling water, I now always set an alarm when I put water on to boil.
I seek help from my family. I especially ensure that no one, including women or mothers, has to take on all the household chores alone. Everyone needs time to immerse themselves in their interests, be creative, and reflect. It is important for the family to handle household chores together.
Additionally, it is immensely helpful when family members understand and support creative activities. My friend, for instance, supports her husband’s piano hobby by taking care of their two children alone after work or on weekends, occasionally allowing him a few hours to practice. Similarly, the husband of my online student in the U.S. ensures that his wife has uninterrupted time to fully immerse herself in her piano lessons by putting their one-year-old to bed when she has her lessons in the evening, guaranteeing her that sole time for learning.
With such family support, creative individuals can achieve better results while balancing immersion in their passions and daily lives. Family support makes creative activities sustainable, reduces stress, and helps lead a healthier life.
Conclusion
Creative individuals are often acutely aware of their shortcomings, which can sometimes lead to feelings of discouragement. They may chastise themselves for dreaming big while struggling with mundane tasks, which can hinder their ability to fully express their creativity. However, the world needs the innovative ideas that creative people bring.
As a side note, it wasn’t just Einstein who had a messy desk. Mark Twain, Steve Jobs, and Tony Hsieh (the former CEO of Zappos) also had notoriously cluttered desks. Research has shown that a messy environment can stimulate creative thinking, so I won’t be excessively tidying up my desk. In fact, it’s fair to say that even if I tried, I wouldn’t be very good at it.
During the time I spent writing this article, I did manage to clear the pile of papers from the living room floor, but my house still looks chaotic to others. However, if I had to choose between perfect tidiness and creativity, I would choose messy creativity. Sometimes, I can’t find what I’m looking for, and all the charger cables look the same to me, so for 15 years, I’ve been asking my husband which cable is which. Despite this, I love my creativity that turns a denim skirt into a lampshade.
So, be proud of your unique creativity. Sometimes, true innovation is born amidst the chaos where you can’t even find an eraser. I look forward to the day when your ideas and my ideas shake up the world.
Reference list
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