Creativity and Tariffs

Apparently Liberation Day was yesterday. Sounds great, everyone loves a bit of liberation!

Liberation is fab for Creativity. No rules. No limits.

I’m not sure that my take on liberation is quite the same as the liberation day currently in the news. But it is all part of the same continuum. One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter.

We all have constraints in our lives and we also all take liberties! 

Work, trade wars, and even our personal lives all mirror one another. The same stuff that shapes global tariffs also shape how we think, create, and solve problems every day. 

We are all people after all and the things around us affect us.

Liberation and constraints impact us all whether they are self-imposed or forced on us from outside.

There is nothing more liberating than feeling strong, empowered, competent and able. The constraints seem to drop away and everything is possible.

The opposite of the dreaded Imposter syndrome, poor self confidence and low self-belief that are all hugely constraining and limiting.

1. The Total Freedom Tariff.

"Think outside the box!" they say. But what if it’s the box is what makes thinking possible? 

A painter with infinite colours. A writer with no word limit. A Project Manager with no deadlines. Sounds great, but too much freedom means it’s hard to know where to start or what value looks like. 

One thing I’ve learnt time and again is that constraints in time, resources, rules always force us to think better and cleverer. They spark resourcefulness, focus and efficiency like nothing else.

But not all constraints are helpful. Some suffocate, especially if they stifle enthusiasm and wider thinking.

2. The Global Tariff Game.

 Countries impose tariffs to protect their industries. Good intention? Maybe. But what happens? 

 As sure as night follows day, Higher costs. This means businesses must adapt, be creative and innovative or just pass the buck (literally) down the line to the end user. Some players win, some lose. 

Trade wars force companies to rethink supply chains. Some collapse. Others thrive. 

The constraint (that tariffs bring) forces action. Some good, some bad.

The one thing that is absolutely certain there will be many unexpected outcomes and unintended consequences. 

3. The Micromanaging Boss (The Human Tariff) 

Your boss demands reports in a specific format. They reject new ideas without explanation. They control every step. 

These are self-imposed "company tariffs." Usually justified by protocols or systems. They limit creativity. People stop suggesting ideas. They follow orders. Work becomes mechanical and quiet quitting becomes a revered artform.

But what if the boss sets smart constraints? 

- "Solve this problem with half the budget." 

- "Pitch me a solution in three bullet points." 

Now, you have direction. Not freedom without focus, but freedom within a frame. 

4. Partners & Family. (Relationship Tariffs)

Ever been in a relationship where one person sets all the rules? 

- "We always holiday here." 

- "We don’t talk about that." 

 These are relationship tariffs. Unspoken or spoken constraints. Over time, they limit growth.  Who owns the remote control?

Healthy relationships have flexible constraints.  Adult  - Adult problem solving conversations, agreed plans and joint actions.

- "Let’s try something new, but within budget." 

- "We can disagree, but we listen first before anything is agreed" 

Even better if you can replace the ‘but’ with ‘and’

The right boundaries don’t kill creativity, they give it shape and define the success criteria 

5. Breaking Free (The Choice Tariff) 

 Not all constraints are bad. The key is to make good choices: 

After all life is all about the choices we make.

1. Recognize them – Are they helping or hurting? They might have helped in the past but do not now.

2. Challenge the useless ones – Why do we do it this way?  Habits and sticking to the known. (I like what I know and I know what I like!)

3. Embrace the useful ones – How can our chosen limits make us sharper? 

In work, in trade, in life, constraints will always exist. The question is: 

Are they cages or ladders?

💥CTA - Next time you face a rule, a restriction, or a "tariff" at work or home, ask: 

Is this holding me back… or pushing me forward?

Above all remember creativity doesn’t always need open space. Sometimes, it just needs the right walls to bounce off.