Creativity Killer

It’s not what’s on the inside that counts. A hard lesson learned is that sometimes we don’t have what it takes to be creative or come up with great ideas. But it’s not our fault. Surrounded by a society that praises simplicity over complexity when complexity is the very thing that pushes boundaries around and inside of us, allowing creativity to find its way. We’ve been conditioned to believe that the best ideas are the simplest ones, coming from focused environments. Overlooking the true power of complexity, which nurtures creativity, minimalistic trends rise to create a society protected from having to think harder than it should. 

Society places creative individuals on a pedestal treating their innate talents as  an exceptional gift not everyone has. Unfortunately, idolization creates distance between the praised and the ones doing the praising. It’s easy to feel the lack of creative spark, however creativity isn’t a rare trait only few have, it just depends on the environment around. 

Minimalism in interior design, lifestyle, and thoughts reflects the societal desire for escapism and intentionality. Clean lines and uncluttered spaces promote the idea that “less is more” and the sense that more is to be avoided. Without “more” like complexity, contradiction, or messiness, creativity can’t thrive. 

While it’s not even just minimalist interior design, but every single aspect of our environment and the world that surrounds us that affects our creativity. In the past couple decades, technology has progressed significantly with the internet and artificial intelligence. This rising power is easily accessible by many people in this country, making this age of information incredibly impactful to the way we think. With answers right at our fingertips, there’s no need to feel creative and come up with something new when it seems like everything is already out there.  This lack of push for creativity doesn’t mean that we aren’t creative on the inside at all, it means that our surrounding technology kills any chance to show it or even begin to think outside the box.  

In an article from the American Psychological Association, “Creative thinking involves the generation of new ideas, the ability to approach problems in novel ways, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances or perspectives.”  This kind of thinking is becoming increasingly difficult as different platforms constantly give specific perspectives. Creativity calls for “out of the box” which is quite difficult when our surroundings in the media want to conform thinking to stay “in the box”. 

Societal trends that surround us and the environments we create are designed to encourage people to follow and not think for themselves. The constant pressure to follow trends and fit in with the norm, stifles the very thing that allows creativity to flourish, diverse thinking. The type of thinking that leads to true creative breakthroughs, coming from a place of complexity and contradiction. Understanding different perspectives and being able to handle chaos allows the brain to form new and innovative thoughts. 

Schools, workplaces, and media value consistency, and perfection leaving little room for mistakes and uncertainty. Living in an environment streamlined to reduce friction or conflict makes everything easy to follow, and difficult to speak against. Taking risks by being creative leads to new things and innovative discoveries. 

Creativity isn’t found inside from birth, but it’s found in an environment where complexity thrives and encourages out of the box thinking. Minimalist environments dont give anything for creativity to grow, like wanting to grow a flower without soil. Minimalism not giving visual stimulation, a variety of textures, or any shapes besides straight lines, kills creative thinking.

References 

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Creative thinking. Retrieved December 18, 2024, from https://www.apa.org