Constraints make you more creative, not less
The last few days I wrote two posts about emotion and its role in making music. Then I expanded and generalized the concept for art in general, attempting to put into words the process that makes art that seems to speak from the soul. Here are the previous posts:
https://steemit.com/phainesthai/@andreistoc/emotion-is-all-that-matters-when-playing-music
https://steemit.com/phainesthai/@andreistoc/how-to-make-art-that-speaks-from-the-soul
Where we left off, we knew that conveying emotion is the most important thing in creating art, and that we have to achieve "Negative Capability" in order to connect emotionally to the reality we experience and put our perceptions into a new object of art. I briefly mentioned that constraints are also necessary, otherwise the human mind gets overwhelmed by the infinite options presented to it and is unable to create anything.
Constraints are the solution to this problem, but choosing and implementing them wisely is an art form in itself. They could be anything: a deadline to make something, painting using just a color or two, only doing landscape photography, etc.
The easiest to explain and perhaps the most effective are time constraints. When creating or building anything, the mind's tendency will be to procrastinate and take the path of least resistance when faced with a challenge. In addition to using your willpower to push through this, you can also set a deadline to force yourself to act. This will make you more resolute, more focused and thus more productive. If you can find someone else to hold you accountable, all the better. It will make everything easier by adding social pressure.
The domain-specific constraints should be chosen according to your particular inclinations. I like building software and producing metal music, so these are the fields I'm currently working in. You must choose what you like. However, in any specific domain you choose, it is a good idea to first study the rules so you can afterwards break them. Reinventing an entire field from scratch is impossible for just a human. And even if it were possible, you wouldn't have an audience, because nobody would understand what you're doing. After you've internalised the rules, you can experiment with breaking them. In fact, you should do so. Tailor what you're making to your own personality.
Understand that some rules are necessary in order to create. Then find the ones you like, or invent new ones. And use them to make something awesome!