Deadlines, Guidelines, Lifelines

I saw an image on Pinterest that said something like “Think inside the box.” And weirdly, it stuck with me.

I’ve always seen myself as creative and imaginative, constantly looking for solutions. But when I really think about it, that’s actually what thinking inside the box means. My creativity doesn’t flourish in open fields. It thrives under pressure, inside corners, wedged between constraints.

Thinking Inside the Box (and Liking It)

The limitations are what trigger the breakthroughs.

When there’s a wall, I start climbing. When something doesn’t work, I don’t just name the problem, I build the escape route. That’s a personal rule: don’t critique unless you’re ready to suggest a better version. Otherwise, you’re just pointing at smoke with no fire plan.

Thinking inside the box doesn’t mean playing small. It means friction. Structure. Pressure. That’s where I come alive.

I still remember when I joined my current company. One of the first things I did was a company audit. Well, not officially, but close. I took a risk and wrote down everything I saw that wasn’t working, from the website to the CEO’s email tone.

Then, people responded. And that's because what I said wasn't critique, it was direction. People want to get out of the water, they just don’t always know how.