Time Constraints = Creativity

Playing with time is one of my favorite tools to unleash creativity.

As a director, I’m given a set amount of hours to rehearse a play. In the American theater, this is usually 30ish hours a week for about 5 weeks. After 20 years working in this model, I’ve come to realize that having constraints on my time can make my work stronger.

Why? Because I have to make decisions quickly. Try things and throw them out without overthinking. The actors don’t have endless “takes” to get something right. They must work from their instinct and creative impulse.

But we’re not flying without a parachute. We have guide rails (ie. a script or an outline of key ideas). And when we combine a clear focus on what we want to say and a limited amount of time in which to get the message out, we get to my favorite thing. Within structure comes freedom.

With technology being what it is, we can all do endless takes of a video message, post, or prerecorded speech on a quest to “get it right.” Usually, by the time you’ve re-recorded something for the 5th, 6th, 12th time, it starts to get stale. You lose that spark and you start feeling dull or - maybe even worse - fixating on every little thing.

My favorite tool to combat this “repetition fatigue” is quite simple. Set a timer. Give yourself a time constraint. Work on something for a finite period of time or for a finite number of takes. Then, choose your favorite one and move on. By giving your brain that little bit of pressure, you will find your synapses firing faster, your energy sparking, and your overall burnout disappearing.

Check out this short video (with a cameo from my assistant). I committed to doing this recording in 3 takes or less and spend no more than 10 minutes on this project.

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