There are moments in my creative process when I feel completely stuck. It’s not the kind of stuck where I don’t have ideas…sometimes it’s worse than that. It’s the kind where I second-guess every single decision I make. That inner voice creeps in, asking, “What if this isn’t good enough? What if it’s wrong?”
I’m speaking not just about my artwork, but with the projects I manage as a “creative professional.”
A few years ago, I came across John Cleese’s talk on creativity, and it shifted how I approach both my work and my art. His insights on play, humor, and experimentation really stood out to me, especially his belief that when you’re being creative, nothing is ever truly “wrong.”
Whenever I feel stuck…whether I’m designing a project at work or painting something personal, I think back to his talk. Sometimes I even rewatch it (like I did today) and it reminds me to give myself permission and the time to play, to experiment, and to just trust the process.
After watching it again, I felt like I needed to share it with you, too.
Below is an excerpt from his talk, but I’d highly recommend that you watch the full video or read the full transcript.
An excerpt from John Cleese’s talk on “Creativity in Management”
When you are in your space/time oasis, getting into the open mode, nothing will stop you being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake.
Now if you think about play, you’ll see why. To play is to experiment: “What happens if I do this? What would happen if we did that? What if…?”
The very essence of playfulness is an openness to anything that may happen. The feeling that whatever happens, it’s ok. So, you cannot be playful if you’re frightened that moving in some direction will be “wrong” — something you “shouldn’t have done.”
Well, you’re either free to play, or you’re not.
As Alan Watts puts it, you can’t be spontaneous within reason.
So, you’ve got to risk saying things that are silly and illogical and wrong, and the best way to get the confidence to do that is to know that while you’re being creative, nothing is wrong. There’s no such thing as a mistake, and any drivel may lead to the breakthrough.