What Getting Banned Taught Me About Creativity
Being unexpectedly removed from social media turned out to be something I never thought I'd appreciate. It pushed me to explore other ways of creating and sharing my work, namely this blog and a portfolio website for my company.
It also changed the way I viewed creativity online.
While trying to get my Instagram account back, I noticed that many creatives seemed to be producing content primarily for the algorithm. Their posts weren't always a reflection of what they were genuinely interested in, but rather what would generate the most views, engagement, or sales.
It made me wonder: are we creating what we truly want to create, or what people want to see?
There's nothing wrong with creating for an audience—it's often necessary to build a career or business. The problem is when optimisation becomes the priority over exploration.
When every idea is judged by its potential performance, we become less willing to experiment with new mediums, research unfamiliar topics, or simply create out of curiosity. Over time, this can limit both our creativity and our ability to innovate.
Ironically, some of the best ideas often come from stepping away from what's expected and allowing ourselves to explore without worrying about clicks or algorithms.
Perhaps being forced off social media wasn't entirely a setback. It reminded me that creativity doesn't always need an audience—it just needs the freedom to grow.