As a copywriter, I pretty much have to produce whether I’m in a jolly mood or not. Deadlines loom, clients want to see results, and then there’s that old pride thing. I want to do a good job, and the only way out of the morass is to take a deep breath and get going, which ultimately gets the job done. By and large, this form of compulsion has served me well.
Jessica Stillman, a freelancer based in London, has uncovered some research that seems to support my experience.
The Occupational Digest blog she cites acknowledges that “positive emotion has long been recognized as facilitating creativity through broadening thinking and allowing exploratory mental wandering.” But a study done by three professors in Europe indicates that “bad moods can actually improve creativity…at least if the negative emotions come at the start of a work session.”
The message is pretty clear. Don’t wait for your mood to improve. Instead, get down to work. The “narrow alert focus” at the beginning of a project can motivate you to continue. Then, “once this focus has been set, allowing the negative emotions to slide away and positive emotions to explore the possibility space is a good recipe for getting to innovative solutions.”
In my own work, I’ve found that once I get started, I get interested, despite my state of mind at the beginning. One idea leads to another and another. If my approach isn’t working, then I back up and try something new. Essentially, I get lost in the work and then it’s done.
What’s your experience been?
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