What if constraints, rules, frameworks, guidelines, were actually the very things that could set us free?

For years, I thought structure and creativity were opposing forces. After all, one was about order, rules, and predictability. The other, about freedom, innovation, and pushing boundaries.

But what if there was another possibility?

Creativity doesn’t just thrive in chaos. It needs a foundation. It needs structure. It needs a through line - the connection between who we are and where we wish to go.

Early in my teaching career, structure was everything. Lesson plans, learning objectives, schedules, each day moved to a rhythm dictated by external systems and order. And yet my five-year old students explored creativity within that structure. Then, I stepped into the business world, where problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking were fundamental. Structure and creativity felt essential.

Could we be both structured AND creative? Could we find a way to embrace both precision AND possibility? Yes, I think we can. When you understand the rules, you can see where they bend. When you master a framework, you can find the thin spaces where something new can emerge. Creativity isn’t the absence of structure. Rather, it happens when we push against it, subtract from it, or build upon it.

And the beauty in this push and pull is it unlocks simplicity. Simplicity comes from the dance. The weaving, the meshing, the intermingling of discipline and exploration.

I see now that my growth followed a similar pattern. Knowing and unlearning. Listening and experimenting. Finding form and expanding beyond it.

So here are some questions for you: When has structure set you free? And when has creativity required structure? What can you do with it and without it?