For one thing, productivity is based on a model of continuous output, a need to account for every minute of the day, to prove that we are indeed contributing. Creativity, on the other hand, is a messy and disjointed process that often requires large chunks of unstructured time. One cannot corral our creativity through sheer willpower and endurance, but that hasn’t stopped us from trying. We continue to favor models of work that reward sustained performance and falsely believe that doubling (or tripling) our efforts will result in a proportional increase in creative output.
