Is Productivity A Plague On Creativity, Exploration, & Failure? Blog

David Hockney. Sun On The Pool Los Angeles, April 13th 1982.

composite polaroid, 34 3/4 x 36 1/4 in.

Creatives - artists, dreamers, innovators, and thought leaders have led humankind throughout history with their wonder and curiosity.

But how does one learn to be creative? Is it teachable or are you born with natural abilities?

Studies have shown it’s both.

Creativity is both a skill and a trait which can be strengthened over time through practice and experimentation. It can also fade with time if we’re not careful. (Vint, 2005)

“Creativity is about ideas and how we develop, understand, and communicate them. Not just in terms of the arts, but in every realm of thinking and work.” (Christensen, 2019)

Too often in our education systems, we are taught to limit our daydreaming and instead focus on maintaining productivity. We learn curiosity is dangerous, failure is tragic, and perpetual exhaustion is inevitable. We’re not encouraged to be bad at things and do them anyways; we’re told to find something we’re good at and stay in our lane.

As creators, we sometimes forget how to get curious - To dive deeper into the unknown and discover new methods of doing what we do. As we get older, we forget new beginnings are meant to be clunky, awkward, and unpolished. Instead of embracing failure, we become bound by our fear of it, inevitably watering down our true potential.

Curiosity requires courage and a shift in mindset about what it means to “fail”. A great role model of creative curiosity is David Hockney.

Hockney is an English artist, most renowned for his contributions to the pop art movement of the 1960’s. (Niood, 2021) His fascination for the complexities and depth of human vision drove his passion to explore art in a way that he believes captures the authentic human experience.

For many years, Hockney looked down upon photographers and their use of wide angled lenses because he believed “photographs didn’t really have life in the way a drawing or a painting did.” (Vogue, 2016).

Stubborn and completely disinterested, Hockney once remarked, “I mean, photography is all right if you don’t mind looking at the world from the point of view of a paralyzed Cyclops—for a split second. But that’s not what it’s like to live in the world.” (David Hockney Foundation)

This all changed in the early 1980’s when he discovered a new way to use photography as a tool to animate still images - one which created the “life” he felt ordinary photos were lacking.

Using a polaroid camera, he created a series of collages that painted motion in a cubist way. Photos taken from multiple angles were pieced together to create a unique perspective - one with depth, and realness.

Pearblossom Highway #1, 11th-18th April 1986

- photographic collage

He pursued this new style of art exclusively for years before returning to painting and exploring digital forms of art.

Curiosity fuelled Hockney’s artistic discovery. He could have stayed in his lane of being an excellent painter. Instead, he chose to challenge his creative potential and experiment with the unknown which ultimately paid off. Hockney went on to pioneer a new genre of art that inspired thousands of artists who followed him. He discovered a new passion and a new way to express himself creatively.

Although curiosity is what leads many of us to the art world, it takes conscious effort to stay curious. It’s easy to get stuck focusing only on how to improve or perfect our craft, never straying too far from our comfort zone. As ‘safe’ as it may feel to lean only on our strengths, this type of thinking can stunt creative growth and prevent us from reaching our full creative potential.

We often think of creative people who have pioneered new advances in technology or paved the way for the next generation of brilliant minds as being destined for greatness and brimming with natural born talent and inspiration. We hear stories highlighting their accomplishments and completely miss the awkward and beautiful mess in the middle.

Without knowing David Hockney’s journey, we see a talented artist who isn’t afraid to think outside of the box. When we add context to his milestones, instead we see a talented artist, who grew – personally and professionally – from his willingness to challenge himself and his stubborn mindset.

To put simply, we all hold the capacity to be creative. True talent, however, comes from allowing our imagination to run free without limiting expectations of where it may lead us.

If you can muster the courage to rediscover your creative interests and explore freely, you may surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.

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As a CCA-Certified Creativity Coach, with over 30 years’ experience in art, design, and mentorship, I work with individuals and groups who value creativity in their daily lives and work.

Hi, I’m Roy Stevens, a Creativity Catalyst Life Coach. I help talented, creative professionals refuel their inspiration and reimagine their true potential using effective, client-focused strategies and proven methods. With over 30 years' experience in art, design, and mentorship, it's my honor and privilege to support my clients success.

Ready to welcome and embrace the next stage of your creative journey? Complete my Coaching Assessment to book your exploratory call.

Roy Stevens

Creativity Catalyst Life Coach