The 15 barriers to creativity, explained

A series of psychological factors that hinder any creative process.

Creativity is understood as the ability to create something new, whether in the form of ideas, objects, art, political ideologies, and a long etcetera.

Creative thinking is something that is generally seen as something positive and a gift for those who have it very developed, however, there are many ways in which it can be impeded.

There are many barriers to creativityThere are many barriers to creativity, which make original ideas never come to light. Following are the 15 most common and some ways in which they can be faced.

The 15 barriers to creativity

There are many ways to obstruct creative thinking or prevent something new from being brought from the world of imagination to the real world, however, the following 15 are the most common ways to prevent or hinder the creative process from happening.

Lack of time

Like all things in this world the creative process takes time.

First you have to have a moment of calm in which you can set your mind in motion, then you have to take your time to mold the idea, making improvements and discarding possible defects, and then materialize it. For example, if we want to paint a picture, first we need to think about what we want to do, then, with more detail, we will make a sketch of what we want to paint, in this case, an autumn landscape.

Then we are painting, making the elements of the painting and, while we are painting, we will also have new ideas and improvising some aspects of the painting.

2. Lack of self-esteem

Lack of self-esteem is often the main factor that kills creativity. It can happen that you are very original and you have very good ideas, but this is never materialized due to the fact that you but these are never materialized because it is believed that they are bad ideas..

Whether you have already had ideas or not, what you have to do is let your imagination flow, waiting for people to judge the ideas for what they are, not for who has made them.

3. Everything has been invented

Many people, when trying something new, get discouraged because they conclude that everything has already been invented. It is true that there are as many ideas as there are stars in the firmament, but This does not mean that none of them can be improved..

Sometimes a small modification can make a significant difference between the new and the old. There is always something that can be reformulated or improved.

4. Fear of failure

No one likes to make mistakes, but the truth is that if you don't try, failure is already assured..

Trying to do new and different things is always a risk, since there is no guarantee that people will understand our vision of the world or that the idea we originally saw as very innovative will turn out to be unconvincing.

If we think about it in depth, what is the risk of trying something new and it not working? If it works, then great, but if it doesn't, we still benefit from learning a valuable lesson that will help us try other options.

One message should be clear from this point: every creative process is risky, because there is some uncertainty. If there were no such uncertainty, i.e., if the results were already known, what would be new to offer the world?

5. Perfectionism

We can always improve what we have done but, sometimes, trying to make what we have done perfect can spoil a good idea and, in addition, waste our time. Perfection is, on many occasions, the enemy of the good..

6. Inability to self-criticize

In the same way that you should not be afraid of failure, you should be critical of what you do. Assuming that what you have created is undoubtedly good and that others are wrong is a major limit to creativity. is a major limit to creativity.

First, because it does not motivate new ideas, and second, because you may be defending an idea that is not seen as something creative, either because it has already been done before or because it is simply bad.

The defects of what has been done must be detected and, based on them, reformulate what has been done. This activates the creative process, since we are constantly trying to surpass ourselves, promoting divergent thinking..

7. Rigid rules

Rules are something fundamental for life in society, besides serving to comfort us in the knowledge that there is a code of conduct and laws that guarantee us rights and obligations. They create a safe zone.

However, there are other types of rules, which vary from individual to individual, and which can limit our actions, especially when they are related to novelty. These are the rules that are not given.

They can be defined in terms of rigid beliefs and automatic behaviors. that, in order to change them, a certain effort is necessary. An example of this would be always taking the subway to work, wearing the same type of clothes all the time, not trying vegan food....

Ungiven rules can affect all aspects of the person and, although it is not pathological in itself, it greatly limits being original. Creativity emerges when these unwritten rules are broken.

But breaking them is not so easy, because they are invisible, i.e., they are automated behaviors.They are invisible, that is to say, they are automated behaviors that are done unconsciously. To break them, it is first necessary to ask ourselves why we are doing things the way we are doing them.

8. Clinging to the first idea that appears

It usually happens that, if a good idea is found or it so happens that the first thing that was thought of ended up being successful, then there is no need to change it and try it. there is no need to change it and try new things..

It is good to keep that first idea in mind, but you should not ignore the possible improvements it may require or other options for doing things that may be much more beneficial than the original idea.

You should always aspire to more, never stay stuck in the same place, no matter how good results have been obtained.

9. Difficulty to isolate

This barrier to creativity prevents the emergence of lateral thinking, and could be translated in everyday language with the expression 'a tree does not let us see the forest'.

Not being able to isolate a particular problem from the rest or from the context in which it has been formulated can be an aspect that hinders the search for new alternatives.

People tend to classify things into categories, giving them an order which, in turn, can lead to a lack of clarity.We tend to classify things into categories, giving them an order that, by default, is difficult to change.

If you want to be creative, you should try to separate the elements in order to give them a new organization or relate them to other aspects that, normally, you would not find any relationship with them.

10. The obvious is the obvious

Normally, people simplify reality and we do not ask ourselves certain questions.. There are aspects of our daily lives that have always been lived in a specific way, so doubting them is unthinkable.

However, it must be understood that what is understood as the obvious is, in truth, a social construct. Each thing has been assigned a function, but this does not mean that other uses cannot be given to them.

Although not questioning the obvious things in life may indicate possessing a normal and healthy mind, with a well-organized style of thinking, it may also imply a certain creative limitation.

For example, an old chair can be seen as something that used to be used for sitting but is no longer useful, or, with a little imagination, it can be turned with a couple of strings and a cushion into a comfortable and fun swing.

If you want to be creative, don't take things for granted.. Everything has a new function.

11. Difficulty in relating remote ideas.

Creativity lies in finding previously unseen relationships between two or more concepts. That is why it is very important to understand that two aspects that apparently may seem unrelated can be exploited in such a way that they result in a totally transgressive idea.

It is normal that we try to associate two aspects that are very closely related at first sight, but an effort should be made and try to go a little further to acquire a more holistic view of reality..

Resorting to the most distant can be a very good way to avoid blockages, since you have a greater number of creative possibilities.

12. Lack of motivation

The lack of motivation and will to carry out something new is a great enemy of creativity. There are people who have a great mind, which is a generator of great ideas but, but, due to laziness of those who have them, they never materialize..

Besides, if you are not curious and interested in the world around you, where are the questions that will make you question the pre-established reality going to come from?

To be creative, one must have great conviction, doubt everything and find the strength to offer the world a new form of creativity. to offer the world a new way of doing things.

13. Paralysis by analysis

When it comes to being original, it is always advisable to try to see what has been done before, to see how it can be improved and avoid repeating something that has already been created.

However, sometimes, this search becomes too extensive, oversaturating the creative genius and bombarding him with hundreds of ideas, each one more original than the last.

In trying to draw things out of them, the mind becomes blocked as a great effort is made to select and analyze it, resulting in creative paralysis..

The best way to avoid this is to select specific sources of information and forget about the rest. It is true that there will be a risk, not very probable, of repeating an idea already made, however, the creative process will be initiated.

14. Envy

Many people feel jealous of those who show a different, innovative and clearly creative way of thinking. Thus, through behavior that is certainly toxic, can make us not feel bad for having believed that we could be different..

Envy can be very evil, throwing all our most original ideas to the ground. This is why, to avoid it, we must be convinced of our vision of the world and try to materialize it.

15. Consumerism

It may seem a bit far-fetched, but the truth is that the population's consumer trends in the population have defined what is understood as a good idea and a bad idea, and what is a good idea and a bad idea..

This forces companies and their employees to work within certain limits, without allowing themselves to go outside the lines or else they are risking too much.

Productivity takes precedence over all other factors, which can be a great source of stress for employees, who find that they are not free to express themselves. In turn, they are fatigued, which also inhibits creative thinking.

Bibliographical references:

• Csikszenmihalyi, M. (1998). Creativity. El fluir y la psicología del descubrimiento y la invención. Paidós. Barcelona.
• De-Bono, E. (1999). Creative thinking. The power of lateral thinking for the creation of new ideas. Mexico. Editorial Paidós Plural.
• Mitjáns, M. A. (1995). Creativity, Personality and Education. Havana. Editorial Pueblo y Educación.