A recent poll of executives, creatives, entrepreneurs, and association leaders shows that while many believe creativity thrives in freedom and improvisation, the real breakthroughs emerge when boundaries provide clarity and focus. From Edison’s disciplined experiments to new Harvard research, the evidence reveals that the right guardrails don’t restrict creativity – they accelerate it.

When asked “When are YOU most creative?” in a recent Avenue M quick poll, the top responses were “with unlimited freedom” (30%) and “when improvising” (28%), while only 17% of executives said “with clear guardrails.” At first glance, it seems obvious: More freedom equals more creativity. But, in my book The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: Rethinking the Rules, Risks, and Real Drivers of Innovation, I argue the opposite: Boundaries often spark innovation, and science agrees.

The Illusion of Unlimited Freedom
Many who chose “freedom” or “improvisation” described structured processes—brain dumps, walking outdoors, or talking through ideas. These are not boundless acts; they’re guided by clear steps and environmental limits. Even improvisation requires a framework—musicians riff within a scale, athletes adapt within the rules of the game.

Gonzo Schexnayder, product management executive, American Society of Anesthesiologists, captured this paradox well when he reminded us of Edison’s approach: “I have not failed. I’ve found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Edison’s creativity didn’t come from unstructured freedom; it came from disciplined experiments within very specific boundaries.

What Research Shows
Harvard Business School researchers Harsh Ketkar and Maria Roche studied nearly 12,000 companies and found that constraints often produce more unconventional results than abundance.

• Scarcity breeds ingenuity: Limited resources force creativity with what’s available.
• Abundance breeds convention: Teams flush with resources default to safer, conventional approaches.

This echoes decades of psychology showing that too many choices overwhelm the brain. Boundaries narrow the field, focus attention, and accelerate breakthroughs.

The Creativity Sweet Spot

Some of the most compelling responses in our poll reflected this balance. Rita Chen Fujisawa, COO, California Association of Health Facilities, suggested, “Get inspired by things around you—colors, shapes, patterns. Look at something upside down. Take a break.” These aren’t limitless options– they’re targeted boundaries that open new ways of seeing.

Jeff Flom, CEO of the American Massage Therapy Association, added that his creativity thrives when constraints show up. “Growing up in Minnesota, I watched MacGyver every week, and I tap into that mentality when an issue arises at work or at home. Just like MacGyver, the best solutions often come when resources are limited and you’re forced to see possibilities in unexpected places. My creative juices flow when we discuss a problem from all angles—only then do I start spotting opportunities to do things differently.”

And for Sylvia Gonner, President, CultureWhiz, inspiration itself provides the boundary that unlocks ideas: “A blank sheet of paper or canvas rarely does it. But if I read, hear, or see something that sparks an idea in my brain, it can unleash a strong creative flow.” Inspiration acts as a starting point—an initial constraint that shapes where creativity takes root.

What the poll revealed, and what research reinforces, is that creativity doesn’t thrive in total freedom or rigid constraint with no room for experimentation: Creativity thrives when boundaries are designed to guide–not suffocate–imagination.

The leaders who recognize this are the ones most likely to spark unconventional, high-impact ideas.

Rethinking Creative Freedom

The poll results reflect a common misconception: that creativity requires the absence of constraints. But true creative freedom comes from the right constraints at the right time; guardrails that channel–not restrict–energy.

The next time you face a creative challenge, don’t ask how to remove boundaries. Ask: Which boundaries will help me focus on what matters most?

Your best ideas might be hiding inside the fences you haven’t built yet.

Putting It Into Practice

In The Unexpected Power of Boundaries, I share practical ways leaders and teams can use boundaries to fuel creativity and innovation. Here are three you can try right away:

• Narrow your focus. Instead of saying everything is possible, pick a very narrow lane. Rather than “brainstorm new features,” ask, “How could we improve the first 5 minutes (or 24 hours) of the customer or member’s onboarding experience?”
• Define your risk boundaries. Boundaries around risk give teams permission to try without fear of total failure. Tell your staff, “You can experiment with anything that impacts less than 5% of members/customers. Bigger changes need my sign-off.”
• Add intentional constraints. Restrictions fuel creativity, just like a puzzle with defined edges is easier to solve. Pick one workflow and say, “If we could only use three steps instead of six, what would we cut or change?”

When people know they have freedom and clarity, they stop hesitating and start experimenting. That’s where meaningful creativity and innovation take root.

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Contributors: Sheri Jacobs, FASAE, CAE
Image: Sheri Jacobs