Why Constraints Are Your Creative Superpower

Hi Reader,

I wrote a book called The Power Of Creativity a few years ago.

I discovered a big lesson about creativity while writing my book.

Creativity thrives under constraints.

One of Ernest Hemingway’s most creative stories?

It’s six words long.

For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.

More creators should employ constraints in their businesses.

They’re the type of pressure cooker every creator needs if they value speed and impact.

Want to write and publish a book? Set a three-month deadline. Then, send it to an editor. You'll get more useful feedback faster.

Building your website? Pick two or three color schemes. Better yet, use ConvertKit or Substack. Let someone else handle the design.

Writing an article? Give yourself a strict word count. Brevity breeds clarity.

Want to sell something to your audience? Document one offer in a Google Doc and validate that.

Now, you could spend more time writing a book, building a more elaborate website, writing a longer article, and creating a complicated series of offers.

But what will help you make an impact and earn more over the next 90 days?

Think of constraints as like a pressure cooker. They’ll add more flavor and juice to your content and offer.

Sending a draft to an editor speeds up the feedback process. Then, you can hit publish faster.

Launching a simple website (or newsletter) frees you up to build your personal brand. That’s more valuable than a clever-looking website.

Publishing (not just writing) an article gets that content flywheel moving. And you’ll need more than one article to sustain momentum.

And making an offer brings cash into your business. You can use that to invest in future content and business assets.

You don’t need more money, time, or resources.

Working within some constraints isn’t a limitation… it’s a superpower.

Constraints ensure you don’t run out of mental energy, time, or money.

I’m writing this as much for myself as for you.

Like anyone, I’m guilty of shiny-squirrel syndrome.

I start projects that won’t drive my business forward because they’re easier or more fun.

Creating short-form content is one example of a project I wasted time on.

Then, I realized going viral doesn’t equal revenue.

So, I gave myself a few hard constraints this year.

Every morning, I write and send a daily email to my list. No matter what.

I turn that email into content for LinkedIn. That grows my list.

I make one offer to members of my email list. That brings in revenue.

And I only accept ten clients each month. That helps me serve my ideal clients.

Now, I could do more.

I could create MORE content.

I could take on MORE low-ticket clients.

But doing more won’t help me achieve my goals.

So why waste energy?

Pick up a copy of The Power of Creativity.

Write on,

Bryan Collins