“Think outside of the box.” This metaphor seems to be the epitome of “being creative.” I would argue that doing the opposite can yield a more creative result. Let me tell you why.

The more rules that are imposed on a project, the more inventive your thinking must be to work within those parameters. Imagine a blank white page that needs to be filled with valuable content. The sky’s the limit. Where do you even begin?

Now apply some rules: (hypothetically of course)

1.) You must create something that is meaningful to you.

2.) There must be a border around your text.

3.) The person who will read this is 5 years old.

4.) You need to incorporate a dog.

5.) Every sentence must start with the letter “T.”

6.) The image/text must inspire, impact and/or connect with the 5-year-old reader.

As you deal with the rules or parameters for your project, new images start to form accordingly. These rules can serve as a guideline to help make that first step in the creative process. You may put together things you never thought of before. It’s also a chance to make your own rules!

So next time you’ve got a project without limitations, it may be a helpful first step to lay down a few parameters to follow.