Stop Trying to Be Creative (Do This Instead)

The biggest myth about creativity is that some people are just “naturally creative.”

But after a decade of working with top brands and watching how the best creatives operate, I’ve discovered something fascinating: The most creative people aren’t necessarily more imaginative, they just think differently.

Let me share a story that completely changed how I approach creative challenges.

I was in the Maldives, filming a two-Michelin-star chef for Four Seasons. We were faced with a cramped, poorly lit kitchen that would make any filmmaker cringe. The usual approach? Work with what you’ve got.

Add lights. Find angles. Make do.

But that’s paradigmatic thinking, accepting the problem as presented and working within those assumed constraints.

First principles is about breaking down a problem to its fundamental truths and building up from there. It’s what Elon Musk used to revolutionize rockets, what Steve Jobs used to reimagine computers, and what I now use to transform how we tell stories.

Here’s how it works:

• Identify your assumed constraints Most filmmakers would think: “We need to film a chef, so we need to film in the kitchen.“ But do we? What are we really trying to achieve?

• Break down to fundamentals. What’s the actual goal?

• Showcase culinary artistry

• Capture the beauty of food preparation

• Tell a compelling story

• Create elevated visuals fitting of the story

• Build solutions from these truths. Once we stripped away the assumption that cooking = kitchen, new possibilities emerged. We found a stunning outdoor location (a lobby area) where natural light wrapped perfectly around the food, and it felt bright and abundant.

The result?

A scene that was 10x more compelling than anything we could have created in that kitchen.

But here’s what’s fascinating, this approach works for EVERY creative challenge.

Recently, we were asked to film a “corporate interview” (cue the groans). Paradigmatic thinking says: office chair, bookshelf background, maybe some soft bokeh.

But applying first principles: What’s the fundamental goal? To share someone’s story in a way that captivates and connects. Do we need an office? Does it even need to be an interview?

Suddenly, the creative floodgates open.

This shift in thinking has helped us:

• Transform a standard product launch into a $500K creative campaign

• Turn a “talking head” series into an Emmy-nominated documentary

• Take a basic brand film and evolve it into a feature-length documentary

The best part? First principles thinking is a skill you can develop.

Here’s how to start:

• Question Everything // When faced with a creative challenge, ask:

• What am I assuming must be true?

• Why do I believe that?

• What if that assumption didn’t exist?

• Identify the Core Purpose

• What are we really trying to achieve?

• What would “perfect“ look like if there were no constraints?

• What emotions do we want to evoke?

• Build from Truth

• What’s the simplest solution that achieves our core purpose?

• What possibilities open up when we remove assumed constraints?

• How can we make this 10x better than the conventional approach?

Every time I apply this thinking, it unlocks creative solutions I never would have seen otherwise. It’s not about being more creative, it’s about thinking more clearly.

And hey, if you want to see this in action with the chef film, check out this reel on IG that takes you through the before and after.

Want to try this yourself?

Take your current creative challenge and ask: What am I assuming must be true about this project? What’s the fundamental goal I’m trying to achieve?

Keep creating,

• Patrick