Limitations enhance creativity

by. Theresa Witham

Phil Hansen was attending art school when he developed a shake in his hand that affected his ability to make the kind of art he wanted to make.

He left art for a few years but was drawn back to it and decided to see a neurologist about his shake. Unfortunately, the doctor told Hansen that the damage was permanent and asked: Why not just embrace the shake?

And so he did. Hear his story in his own words in this TED talk. What he learned was that his limitation, the shake, was an incredible driver of creativity. He was so struck by this that he decided to limit himself in other ways, for example by limiting his materials or his budget.

At this point in the video, I started thinking about credit union marketers. Few credit unions have unlimited, or even very large, marketing budgets. Yet each year, you blow me away with the clever, fun, beautiful, eye-catching and successful campaigns that you submit to the CUES Golden Mirror Awards. In fact, the GMA Golden Shoestring award (so named to honor successful campaigns done on a tiny budget) showcases some of the most creative work. Check out what last year’s CUES GMA Golden Shoestring winner Orion Federal Credit Union, Memphis, was able to accomplish with just $179. $179!

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