Be Prolific: Why More is More for Creative Impact

Plus, 5 strategies for increasing your creative output

Jan 23, 2023

As a creative person, it's easy to get caught up in the idea that the quality of your work is the most important thing. However, the truth is that the quantity of your creative output is just as important, if not more so.

Yes, "less, but better" is a great principle for guiding design execution, but you only understand what "less" really is after you've explored "more".

Today I want to dig into why the quantity of your creative output matters, the limitations of focusing on quality, and practical tips for increasing your output. Whether you're a designer, a developer, or any kind of creative person I hope we can touch on a few ideas today to take your craft to the next level.

Why the quantity of your creative output matters

Skill development

From a growth perspective, focusing on quantity has a big impact on the development of the skills you need to execute at a high level. Training the creative process is a lot like training a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. So you want to exercise it routinely. While it's tempting to look at master craftsmen and think "well they created a lot because they were so skilled!", I think the reality is that often "they were so skilled because they created a lot!"

Body of work

You don't have to look far to find examples of how a prolific body of work can lead to creative success.

In writing, take Stephen King. He's written over 60 novels, some of which I've never heard of, but many of which have become best sellers, been adapted into movies, and become central to pop culture.

In fine art, take Picasso. He's known for his thousands of paintings, drawings, and sculptures across distinct phases and styles. Again, there are standout pieces, but his overall body of work is what established him as one of the most renowned artists in history.

I could pull a hundred other examples but you get the idea. The greatest hits of an artist are significant but the body of work creates the potential for those hits to exist.

The guidance of patterns

By focusing on quantity, you put yourself in a better position to identify patterns in your work that you would have otherwise missed. For example, you may realize that you have a particular theme or style that resonates with your audience that you can focus on developing further.

What's ironic is that designers do this all the time professionally. If you're a designer, think of the last time you created an affinity map. The first step is to simply collect or create a ton of ideas! Only then can you start to tease out the patterns within those ideas that point you in the most fruitful direction. And yet, time and time again, I see designers forget that the same principle works outside that context.

The luck sweepstakes

One of the main reasons why the quantity of your creative output matters is that it's impossible to know exactly what will resonate with an audience. No matter how passionately you feel about an idea, how thoroughly you refine it, or how much research you do, there's always a degree of randomness to creative success that's impossible to foresee. As

Jakob Greenfeld

would put it, each thing you create is an entry into the luck sweepstakes. So the more you produce, the higher the chances you uncover an idea whose lucky number gets called.

The limitations of focusing on quality

The perfectionist spiral

As designers, we pride ourselves on the ability to both recognize and create quality. But while quality is important, a focus on it can easily slip into perfectionism, preventing us from producing the quantity of work needed to uncover the ideas that will make an impact.

Perfectionism is a common trait among creative folks, but it can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can drive us to create our best work, but on the other hand, it can lead us to procrastinate, doubt ourselves, and in some cases, hold back from creating anything at all.

Our obsession with creating something great stops us from sharing something good. But a lot of the time, what we perceive to be only good is actually great! We just don't know it yet because we haven't let it free in the world.

Limited experimentation, limited learning

Another limitation of focusing too heavily on quality is that it can restrict your experimentation and reduce opportunities to learn.

Don't get me wrong, there are times when a laser focus is called for.

But recognize that when you're so focused on creating the perfect piece, you may be less likely to take risks and try new things simply because you don’t know how to do them perfectly yet. This can stifle your output and prevent you from exploring new ideas and techniques that could help you grow and unlock new aspects of your work.

5 strategies for increasing your creative output

1. Design an environment where willpower doesn't matter

Relying on self-will can take you a certain distance, sure. But not across the ultimate goal line. And definitely not today. I knew that I had to find a way to take myself out of the day’s equation — to surrender. - Rich Roll | Finding Ultra

Your willpower is important, but as Rich says, it won't be enough to get you across the finish line. More than anything, creative output is about consistency and there will be days when your willpower alone won't be enough to get you to do the work.

So what you need to do is to design it out of the equation. Design your environment to maximize the odds that you execute as planned.

You can think of it a little bit like mise-en-place for whatever your craft is.

So for me, that means things like:

I tie my morning coffee habit to my daily review of quotes and articles I've saved in Readwise. I make sure to sit at my desk to do this because otherwise, I won't actively take notes and am more likely to just check the news.
I keep all of my instruments out of their cases and ready to go in my studio because if I put them away, I know they won't get played.
Etc...

2. Use arbitrary constraints to focus

Crazy 8s helps you consider alternatives - and also serves as an excellent warm-up for the main event. - Jake Knapp | Sprint

For those who are unfamiliar, "crazy 8s" is a simple workshop method for generating a lot of ideas quickly. It sets tight time constraints to steer participants away from judging ideas prematurely and toward pure idea generation.

I bring it up because I think it's a good example of how arbitrary constraints can be effective at prompting creative output. We usually shy away from things that are 'arbitrary', but I can tell you from experience that for this purpose, it works.

A couple of examples:

Compose a song with a limited number of tracks
Design an interface in the style of { insert famous company here }
Write without putting your pen down for 10 minutes (no more, no less)
Etc...

3. Allow 90% to be 100%

This one's for my fellow perfectionists.

I've found that when I say something I'm making is "about 90% done", that often means it's ready to go. My perfectionism is kicking in to hold me back, but in reality, it's done and I need to let it go.

When you're making something, there's always a point of diminishing returns. Try to start to recognize that moment when it arrives in your work and practice letting go.

4. Make small bets

Instead of striving to create a singular magnum opus, I prefer Daniel Vassallo's simple heuristic of "small bets".

Effectively, that just means I'm applying principles of prototyping to anything I make. Everything starts as a little experiment. I develop ideas just enough to see if they have legs and then reassess from there.

It's a good way to guide your level of investment in most things, but works wonders for creative endeavors because it takes the pressure off!

It's just a small bet. If it succeeds, great! But it if fails, no big deal! Let it go!

5. Track results

Any productivity guru will tell you about the importance of tracking your work and results. But it's for good reason: that shit works.

The Seinfeld Strategy that I talked about two weeks ago is one good method of tracking your commitment to doing the work. But also make it a habit to look at the quality of your old work. Yes, you should feel somewhat embarrassed by what you made in the past. That's normal. But guess what that embarrassment indicates? Sweet, sweet progress!

You're better than you once were and that's to be celebrated!

Conclusion

To wrap up, I know how badly you want to create something great.

I personally feel that angst daily.

But let's remember that we can't force greatness, we just have to create the conditions in which it can reveal itself.

So create a lot, judge less, share more, and most importantly, just keep creating.

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