The Impact of Fear & Uncertainty on Creativity
Illustration generated by AI: Hezekiyah Baylor
Across industries, employees are facing myriad questions about the future.
Will artificial intelligence change or replace my work?
How will the new administration’s policies and executive orders impact the economy?
How will economic uncertainty affect my workplace?
At this point, there are more questions than answers, especially in a fluid and ever-demanding workplace.
At the same time, we must show up to work each day and be innovative and creative. Is that even possible? Does fear kill creativity? The answer is both complex and simple. Yes, fear can kill creativity. But with the right mindset and workplace support, it can propel it.
Fear as a Creativity Killer
"Fear and creativity are conjoined twins. What holds people back from being creative is that in order to murder the fear, they end up killing off the creativity as well.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author
First, let’s acknowledge that fear does impact creativity. In reaction to fear, our minds can narrow focus on what’s concerning us in an effort at self-protection. Dr. Arash Javanbakht states in Psychology Today, "The most basic way anxiety can hinder creative work is by shifting attention away from that work and toward fears and worries.” Dr. Wendy Suzuki’s describes how fear affects your brain: “Long-term stress is literally killing the cells in your hippocampus that contribute to the deterioration of your memory. But it’s also zapping your creativity.”
But stress isn’t the only creativity killer. Fear of failure is also detrimental. As Dr. Benjamin Laker, a U.K.-based leadership professor, notes, "When failure is viewed as something to be avoided at all costs, creativity dries up.
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow. ”
In uncertain times, we often become more risk averse and fearful right at the moment we need to take chances and be innovative. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy — a downward spiral. How can we break through? In part through creativity.
Computing pioneer Alan Kay says, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
Here are a few ideas for how to get there.
Acknowledge the fear
"More than 85 percent of innovation practitioners report that fear often or always holds back innovation..."
—McKinsey & Company
It’s important to not push down fear, but to try to understand it. There are many kinds of fear, and pinpointing what’s causing that pit in your stomach can be a good starting place. If you have an interview with a consultant about your job in a time of downsizing, you might fear a job loss. If you read news that will affect your industry, you may fear financial impacts. If you have a boss who demands results, you may fear failure. Sometimes just naming the fear takes away some of its power.
Be brave
“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually, the confidence will follow.” —Carrie Fisher
Author and vulnerability researcher Brene Brown describes the power of stepping into the arena, mustering the courage to face shame, scarcity and comparison. She points to a quote from Theodore Roosevelt that inspired her own brave action: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither knows victory nor defeat.”
Use anxiety as fuel
“The emotion of anxiety is not broken; it’s how we cope with anxiety that’s broken.” —Dennis-Tiwary
Some researchers have found that a certain amount of anxiety can motivate. Instead of paralyzing, some fear can help propel us to work harder on a speech, make sure we meet a deadline or make that wellness check appointment. The key is to not let anxiety become excessive, which sends us into survival mode.
Create psychological safety
“Psychological safety isn’t about being nice. It’s about giving candid feedback, openly admitting mistakes, and learning from each other. This kind of organizational culture is increasingly important in the modern economy.” – Amy Edmondson
If you’re a leader, it’s imperative to create safe spaces for innovation. When employees don’t fear retributions they can take small bets, fail and try again. Developing a culture of psychological safety means valuing feedback, treating mistakes as opportunities for growth and rewarding risk taking. Focus on solutions, not blame, and let your employees know you’ve got their back. Adopt a “fail fast, learn fast” mindset.
Keep a growth mindset
As Ted Lasso says, you’ve got to believe! Having a growth mindset means believing that we can grow our capacity to learn and to solve problems. The opposite of this is having a fixed mindset, where we’re stuck in our current situation, with our current skills and abilities, and are helpless to change. A growth mindset, on the other hand, empowers us to imagine what’s possible. According to Psychology Today, "Using imagination is the heart of creativity" and is "a great way to stop worrying and overcome fear."
Get curious – analyze later
“Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes.” —John Cage
For many of us, we shoot down our ideas before they’re full formed. When we lead with curiosity, we can focus more on solutions and less on fear. This goes hand in hand with a growth mindset and psychological safety – allowing us to use anxiety as fuel and not a barrier.
At the end of the day, feeding our curiosity and creativity – and not our fear – breaks the downward spiral that worsens most situations. When we cannot change our situation, we must focus on changing our minds and opening our imaginations. That might be just the spark of innovation you and your company need right now.
Donna spent the summer of her junior year in college in England, and her host family still mails her gifts each Christmas. No wonder she loves all things British.