Developing a Creative Mindset in an Age of Distractions

(This article was edited and revisioned for at least 12 times in a period of 2 months)

Introduction

So I’ve become obsessed with reading books about productivity and creativity, mostly because of me wanting to grow as designer. I would like to spend my time creating more and consuming less. And since you guys are fighting brain rot everyday I thought sharing my lessons from these books would help.

I find this subject fascinating because it reveals how creative minds work, what biases and pitfalls we all face, and how we can overcome them. Creative people often struggle with motivation, procrastination, and distractions—myself included. We're also often a neurodivergent crowd.

I’ve also had the pleasure or going to some creative gatherings like a RUN EU program and Beyond Tellerand, a cool convention where the web and typography people meet and talk nerdy to each other. And all of these creatives are talking about the same themes. Trying to get that creative engine or keep it going and just making stuff.

While I'll use personal examples to illustrate points, this lecture isn't about my specific challenges. Be aware that my perspective can be opinionated, and I sometimes add drama to emphasize certain points.

Flywheel for Design Students

So the idea of the flywheel is that “following” one step will kickstart the other, and once you have got momentum it’s easier to keep it going. It's not a linear thing, there isn't any order that makes sense, I just made this up, it's the third draft.

Just start

It’s annoying advice. The whole reason you are reading a self-help book, looking at a tutorial or attending this session is that you didn’t start. But that’s the thing with cliché advice, it’s mostly true.

Most creatives describe a process that you can train your brain to be more “creative” it’s just a muscle that you can exercise.

One bad idea leads to a better one. Stop trying to get it right on the first try. Done is better than perfect. Started is better than stuck.

Accept this reality in your design work. Maybe the third iteration will be the successful one, but you need to work through the first and second attempts to learn and improve. These initial tries aren't about the end result but about starting the process and overcoming the initial hurdle.

Eat That Frog

This principle, popularized by Mark Twain and Brian Tracy, suggests tackling the hardest task first. Many self-help books repeat this concept because it makes intuitive sense.

Consider this scenario: It's Sunday, and you need to take out the garbage in the rain—a five-minute task you dread. You have two options:

1. Postpone it all day while playing video games, with the thought "I still need to take out the garbage" interrupting you multiple times before finally doing it at day's end.

2. Immediately put on a raincoat, take out the garbage, then enjoy video games uninterrupted.

In the first scenario, you remain a prisoner to the dreaded task all day. In the second, you're instantly free of your burden.

So do the hard thing first, get it over with.

Challenge Yourself

Flow Theory

This concept, developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is about finding the right level of challenge.

If a task isn't challenging enough, you get bored and seek distractions. If it's too challenging, you feel insecure, overwhelmed, or demotivated.

But when you find that sweet spot—a challenge that stretches your abilities just right—you enter a flow state where you become fully absorbed. Hours pass, distractions fade, and you're completely engaged in your creative work.

So challenging yourself appropriately rewards you with focus, attention, and a sense of accomplishment.

"If putting in effort (mental or physical) makes you release endorphins (thus making you happy), has this age of comfort and services made us less human?"

Remove Distractions

Distractions are unwanted interruptions that break your flow state.

Many self-help books discuss structuring when and how much information you receive. They recommend rituals like checking messages only twice daily. The consensus is that distractions severely harm your creative and work process, making it vital to structure your work environment.

Consider your relationship with your phone. Some people have reached a Pavlovian stage—like the famous experiment where Pavlov's dog salivated at the sound of a bell associated with feeding time.

There are many examples where creative people were working on a project and they were stuck. Like really stuck... so instead of being stuck, they freed themselves by sleeping, taking a shower, running 10 miles, talking a walk and then all of the sudden, the solution hits you. Let your brain cook.

Let's address distractions—the elements that can pull you out of your focus and creative process.

First, understand that distractions and breaks are different. Taking a break means intentionally stopping work to recharge. Please take breaks!

Add Friction

Most stuff is designed from a frame of efficiency, which sometimes it’s really awesome. Don’t worry I don’t hate technology, but this way of design also has some negative side effects to your mental health, and most importantly your dopamine levels.

Maybe these are some things you have to add friction or prevent yourself of becoming a mindless consumer.

• You can fill every silent moment with music.
• Every boring moment with a short video.
• Every moment of waiting into a moment of distraction.
• Every notification into an addiction.
• Swipe all people away before you get to know them.
• Ignore every person in the store by using an order screen.
• Order with QR code instead of talking to someone.
• Try to explain your human problems to a A.I chatbot.
• Generate A.I music instead of learning an instrument
• Let algorithms choose what you watch, instead of exploring for yourself.
• Don’t have to know where you are because you always have navigation.
• Let a meal kit service decide your dinner, instead of improvising in the kitchen.
• Let a filter “fix” your photo, instead of learning photography.
• Let a translation app speak for you, instead of learning a new language.

The author of Dopamine Nation advocates for reintroducing difficulty and slowness into life—through activities like playing an instrument, cooking, or engaging deeply with art and relationships—as a way to regain depth, empathy, and fulfillment. True connection and satisfaction come from effort, not just ease

So add friction intentionally.

Opinion slide: Some claim TikTok can be inspiring, but that's like saying cola contains water. Yes, there's water in cola, but it's mostly sugar, which is harmful in large amounts. TikTok is similar—remove it.

Be Intentional and Love the Process

Being a designer might seem result-oriented: "My website is online," "My poster is on the wall," "My logo is being used," "Look at my finished video!"

But what we should truly appreciate (especially in this era of AI-generated content) is the effort and learning required to achieve these results.

Opinion slide: Another reason I dislike TikTok is that you might watch someone power-washing their driveway but don't experience the satisfaction of doing it yourself. These videos trick you into feeling accomplishment when you've actually done nothing. Don't fall for these dopamine traps.

Atomic Habits

This is where Atomic Habits comes in. Become someone who enjoys drawing or doodling for its own sake. Find pleasure in experimenting with code just for fun. Maybe edit videos no one will see, simply out of curiosity.

The motivation for a good habit or new skill comes from feeling personal growth. Running a 5K once won't change you, but running weekly will.

Philosophy slide: "Character is what you do when no one is watching."

When starting a new goal, focus more on how it shapes you as a person or designer rather than the specific outcome.

"I want to run a 5K because I want to become a fitter person."

Player, Referee, Coach Mindset

I see much self-sabotage among design students, who criticize their work before it's even begun: "It sucks, it's not finished, don't look at this yet."

My drawing teacher taught me a valuable lesson when I was afraid to draw a first line: "There is a time for playing and a time for judging. Now is the time for play." The balance between these modes makes your work "good."

Develop these three mindsets for yourself:

• Player: Enjoys the process and keeps rules loosely in mind.
• Referee: Evaluates work against standards and rules.
• Coach: Encourages your best effort regardless of outcome.

Be intentional about which role you're in when creating. This approach also works well for giving and receiving feedback. (de Bono, E. (1985). Six thinking hats. Little, Brown and Company.)