THE CREATIVE'S DILEMMA BY CLAIRE DOUGHERTY

The Creative’s Dilemma Explanation (for those unaware of its origins):

The Creative’s Dilemma was inspired by the famous example of game theory, The Prisoner’s Dilemma. Instead of the two criminals, I substituted thoughts and actions. The point of The Prisoner’s Dilemma is that the two criminals need to trust each other and work together in order for them to get the lightest prison sentence. However, the idea of parole is so tempting that the criminals betray the other criminal and end up with a terrible sentence. For both prisoners, the safe option is best.

In The Creative’s Dilemma, the premise is the same. Your thoughts and actions have to work in tandem for you to be truly creative. Often, we find ourselves thinking and acting “safe” or trapped by our voice of judgment and comfort zone. Opposite from The Prisoner’s Dilemma, in The Creative’s Dilemma, the risk area is what you need to choose to be successful.