Industrialized creativity

Creativity is the combination of repetition and reinvention. You do somethig repeatedly to master the craft, and by reflecting on it, consuming your own work as others will, and engaging with the community you wish to serve, you make changes. Creativity unfolds in the micro, with small but refreshing changes on the status quo getting added to each new rep.

Repetition. Reinvention. Over and over again. Forever.

This is why creativity can’t be industrialized. When someone asks for the idea upfront, in theory, with total certainty, it’s a sign they don’t fully understand how creativity actually works. To put something in a nice, neat PDF or presentation before launching is merely to say, “Here’s how we will try something.” What will it actually look like? Can’t say until we try it. Will it work? Can’t say until we try it.

Be careful when others try to industrialize creativity. Anything meant to improve off the base of the status quo can’t be neatly pre-packaged and shipped on repeat. Creativity doesn’t have a blueprint, nor an assembly line. This work we do is organic, ever-evolving, ever-changing. It requires consistent repetition and reinvention.

In fact, that’s all creativity really is.

— — —

If you’re new here, you can subscribe to my dailyish blog.