Nobody likes to feel pressured, and we usually associate pressure to create with something negative.
However, depending on the degree of pressure and the degree of creativity, we can have very interesting results.
In research by Harvard Business School Professor Teresa Amabile and colleagues, they developed the Time-Pressure/Creativity Matrix:
Low Pressure vs. Low Creativity
Everyday activities that you barely pay attention to. In the professional environment, these are repetitive activities that will soon be automated.
Low Pressure vs. High Creativity
Activities you do for pleasure. They can be something simple, like knitting or drawing, as it can be some side project that applying effort can become your mission.
High Pressure vs. Low Creativity
Typical urgent work on a Friday afternoon. Something you will have to do on the run and without much time to “innovate”.
High Pressure vs. High Creativity
To achieve high levels of creativity, there must also be pressure to do so. It will be something worth fighting for and that you really want to see accomplished.
As we can see, there is a sweet spot for creativity to happen; it thrives when there is some pressure and limitation, but not too much. According to Performance scientist James Hewitt,
“Our response to pressure is individual; some people thrive when their backs are against the wall; others prefer a more relaxed approach. For most of us, it is a combination of the two.”
If you are looking for ways to balance pressure and creativity, there are some specific conditions to do it.
One of them is when we feel enough pressure and incentive to encourage flexible thinking. “If we don’t have any pressure or incentive, we can talk forever without actually creating anything. When a clock is ticking when a reward is waiting and we need to find an answer, our minds are more open to new ways of looking at a problem and we become more cognitively flexible”, explains Hewitt.
It also happens when we don’t get too comfortable. “When we’ve finally developed an idea that we’re proud of, it’s easy to feel self-satisfied in the afterglow of creative breakthrough”, says Hewitt, “[but] one way to avoid this state is to regularly move boundaries and change rules.”
At the end of the day, we are always dealing with different pressures. But once we find the balance, we can achieve more without compromising the quality of our work.
Have you ever enjoyed a ‘task-negative’ state to provoke creative reflection?
What level of pressure facilitates your most creative moments?