Agreeing To Disagree Helps The Creative Process
Disagreements are inevitable, normal and healthy part of relating to other people. In our everyday lives, many of us try to avoid disagreements as often as possible. This behavior is probably due to a number of reasons. Some people view comments about disagreeing as being angry, rude or unkind to others. Some feel uncomfortable in offering an opposing viewpoint. However, when it comes to the creative process, disagreement is at the heart of refining the final product.
The Creative Process Should Bring Conflict
Getting negative comments about your work can lead to frustration – if you interpret them as personal attacks. In order to get any benefits from disagreement, you have to change how you react. Realizing that insight and innovations never come about when we are feeling satisfied and comfortable with the status quo. We need the discomfort that conflict brings to generate a desire to explore new possibilities.
The opinions and comments others provide can give you a new viewpoint or angle to approach the task. Your individual interpretation of a piece of work is often not how others see the same piece, since we all come from unique perspectives. Often times when receiving criticism during the creative process, we tend to see it as an attack on our work and in return act defensively. Instead, we should interpret disagreements as valid feedback and a way to help improve our work.
Another’s comment or opinion could provide a new angle or approach you may have missed or not thought of. When staring at the same piece of work for a period of time, we can also become “blind” to new ideas, since our mind is focused on only seeing it through our perspective. It’s important to remember that everyone is working towards the same goal.
While the easiest route may be to just agree with someone, it is not always the best for the creative process. When we decide to just agree rather than share our ideas, we tend to miss out on great opportunities to improve our work. Once our mindset is changed, we will no longer run from disagreements but rather embrace all they have to offer.