Collection
Constraints and Creativity

Imposing a "constraint" by definition imposes a limitation, an inhibition. When a constraint is present, it seems clear that innovation - which demands freedom of movement and thought - is correspondingly limited. Breaking through formerly present constraints can indeed be a powerful spur for creativity. In evolutionary biology, the rise of complex organisms depended upon major developmental transitions that overcome former constraints.

But constraints are not always obvious. The deconstructionists in literature and art have shown that constraints can be hidden in the assumptions that inevitably undergird our work. (see Guggenheim Museum Bilbao) Tired, typical solutions: these are the "tyranny of the known."

Removing these tyrannical constraints can be a particularly helpful spur to creativity. This might be done directly, by openly ignoring - or subverting - the "normal" way of doing things. (see Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) Or, paradoxically, it might be done by imposing an entirely new constraint, one that forces the creator to seek solutions that would normally be hidden by the more obvious ones that come easily to mind. One example is the novel, A Void - written entirely without the letter "e". A search begins and opportunities open up. Constraint unlocks discovery and opportunity.

Meissner climbing Mt. Everest without oxygen, Shakespeare writing a sonnet, Bach composing a fugue, the Japanese manufacturing without inventory: innovators and explorers of all kinds have used seemingly ludicrous constraints as a tool for strategic discovery.

The items in this collection show the creative power that can be found in overcoming - and using - constraints.