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Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain knows what it takes to create good design, but he also knows what it takes to kill that creativity. On his blog at 31three.com, Jesse privileges us with a list of his top three creativity killers. Read the excerpts below, and ask yourself if you are killing your creativity.

1. Multitasking & Distractions. According to David Allen (the author of Getting Things Done), our minds are like computer RAM. The more active “stuff” we have going on at any one time, the less efficient our brains seem to work. I’ve (Jesse) often found that in order to really focus my creative energy on something, I need to get rid of the other distractions lobbying for my attention.
2. Work Environment. I (Jesse) never really seemed to notice how much the clutter and mess was weighing me down until it was removed. Your work environment goes beyond just how tidy you are though, it also includes the colour of your walls, how comfortable your chair is, as well as the music playing in the background. Anything that is distracting your senses will play a part in how focused you can get.
3. Fear of Failure. I (Jesse) thought I’d share how I get around it. First, I start thinking about the goals of my client rather than my personal goals. I’m finding that when I focus on my clients goals, there’s a good chance my personal ones will work out as well. Another thing I’ll do is think to myself, “what would _______________ (insert favourite designer’s name here) do in this situation?” When I start asking those questions, ideas immediately start coming to mind and ideas start flowing.

So what other ways do you find yourself killing your creativity?