Creative Minds, Explained. Part 1

Why Creative Brains Resist Step-by-Step Instructions (And What Actually Helps)

I can put together IKEA furniture.
I’ve done it many times.

But before I start, I have to calm myself down.

If I look at all the steps at once, my chest tightens just a little. So I do something that might sound familiar: I cover up everything except step one. I focus only on what’s directly in front of me. When I finish that step, I uncover the next one. And so on.

It’s not that I can’t follow instructions.
I just can’t look at all of them at once.

If that resonates, you’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you’re bad at “adulting,” technology, or business. It may simply mean your brain is wired a bit differently.

When step-by-step feels harder than it “should”

Many artists and creative thinkers struggle with tasks that require a strict sequence:

• Setting up a business social account

• Learning a new app or platform

• Connecting tools or permissions

• Writing a first post or bio

What’s frustrating is that these tasks are often framed as simple. “Just follow the steps.”

So when resistance shows up, it’s easy to assume something is wrong with you.

But that assumption misses something important.

What’s actually happening in the creative brain

Neuroscience research over the past decade has shown that highly creative people often use their brains a little differently, especially when they’re not focused on a single, narrowly defined task.

In brain-imaging studies, creative professionals (artists, writers, musicians, scientists) tend to show stronger connectivity across many regions of the brain, rather than relying heavily on one dominant “control center.” In plain language, their brains are very good at making unexpected connections.

One UCLA-led study described this as staying “off the beaten path.” Instead of traveling the same main neural highways over and over, creative brains are more likely to take side roads, shortcuts, and scenic routes. That flexibility is a huge advantage when creating something new.

But it comes with a tradeoff.

Scientists often describe creativity as involving two major brain systems:

• One that supports imagination, memory, and internal thought

• Another that supports planning, focus, and step-by-step execution

Creativity tends to work best when these systems take turns, rather than when one dominates completely.

When a task requires rigid sequencing, especially when all the steps are visible at once, the planning system has to stay “on” continuously. For many creative people, that can feel mentally exhausting or anxiety-producing before they even begin.

Not because they’re incapable.
Because it’s not how their brains prefer to work.

Why this shows up so strongly in marketing and tech

Marketing and technology are full of processes that:

• Must be done in a specific order

• Offer little creative payoff until the end

• Feel irreversible or high-stakes

For creative minds, this combination is particularly challenging. The discomfort can show up as procrastination, avoidance, or self-criticism, even when the person is highly capable.

The key point is this:

Creative people can follow steps.
They just often need a different kind of support while doing so.

What actually helps (in the real world)

Here are a few simple strategies that reduce friction without asking you to change how your brain works.

1. Reveal only one step at a time

If possible, hide future steps, literally or mentally. Focus only on what’s directly in front of you. Don’t pre-fail by looking ahead.

2. Build in permission to pause

You don’t have to finish everything in one sitting. Stop after a step. Take a walk. Come back later. Momentum matters more than speed.

3. Expect discomfort (and don’t panic when it shows up)

Feeling uneasy doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It often means you’re doing something that doesn’t align naturally with how your brain prefers to work.

4. Celebrate progress, not completion

Each step finished counts. Completion will come, but confidence grows through small wins along the way.

Why we think about this while building ENSOhello

This kind of friction is something we think about constantly while designing ENSOhello.

We’re intentionally creating experiences that move one small step at a time, leave room to pause, and acknowledge effort—not just outcomes. Because the goal isn’t to force creative people into rigid systems.

It’s to design systems that work with creative minds.

A final reassurance

Creative brains aren’t broken.
They’re optimized for originality, connection, and meaning.

Sometimes that means we need gentler pathways through linear systems.

We don’t need to change how your brain works.
We need tools, and expectations that respect how we’re wired.

This post is part of our ongoing series, Creative Minds, Explained, where we explore the science behind common creative friction points and share simple ways to reduce them in everyday life.

References & Further Reading

(For those who’d like to explore more — start wherever you’d like.)

• Beaty, R. E., et al. (UCLA). Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts.
  Research on brain connectivity in highly creative individuals.

• Beaty, R. E., et al. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
  Large-scale brain networks and the neuroscience of creativity.

• Sio, U. N., & Ormerod, T. C. Psychological Bulletin.
  Meta-analysis on incubation effects in creative problem solving.

• Carson, S. H., Peterson, J. B., & Higgins, D. M. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
  Reduced latent inhibition and creative achievement.