That’s all creativity is, a series of choices

Unexpected outcomes are powerful learning experiences.

There is undeniable value in a project evolving differently than expected.

Like when a documentary filmmaker sets out to capture a subject, and the movie takes a bizarre and controversial turn. The story turns out to be far more compelling and complex than they envisioned.

Oh wow, they think to themselves after a month of shooting, this thing is bigger than I thought it was. The movie isn’t actually about the relationship between circus animals and their trainers, but the horrible treatment of monkeys in captivity and the ethical issues surrounding zoos.

No wonder the chimps threw so much poop at my camera.

God bless the law of intended outcomes.

On the other end of the creative spectrum, don’t overlook the unique brand of satisfaction that comes from a project materializing exactly how you envisioned it. It’s an amazing feeling too. Discovering that your plan was spot on from day one is a strong validation of your competence. The one word that comes to mind is, professional. You feel like a pro. Because your strategy was sound, your execution was on point, and you delivered as promised. Boom.

And there’s nothing quite like proving to yourself that you can guide a project effectively by making sturdy decisions that steer it towards its intended course.

Ultimately, each creator has the same mandate. To make choices. That’s all creativity is. A series of choices.

That’s why it’s so bloody hard for people. Because every choice is a small death. We are saying goodbye to what will never be. Loss will happen no matter what direction we head, no matter what mindset we have while heading there.

And so, we may as well be as intentional about the process as we can. There is no downside to asking ourselves, what does this thing want to be?

Maybe it’s more of a flex, maybe it’s more a fix, or maybe it’s both.

Are you being called to flow with unexpected outcomes and learning from them, or flowing smoothly to execute a planned vision?