HOW FRUSTRATION CAN MAKE US MORE CREATIVE

The idea: Deliberate disruption. Who: Tim Harford – financial journalist and author of the book Messy: The Power Of Disorder To Transform Our Lives.

What? We all like it when things happen easily, right? Except for Harford, who argues that the more awkward and messy the process, the better the outcome. He cites how students who were given handouts in ‘difficult’ fonts, like italicised Comic Sans (our eyes!), did better in tests, as it forced them to slow down and work harder.

Quote: “The ugly font, the awkward stranger, the random move… these disruptions help us solve problems, they help us become more creative.”

Apply it: Find a way to challenge your normal routine. Think you’re best in the morning? Start a project at night. Write out a proposal by hand instead of typing it first. Basically mess around with things a bit.