For me creativity is constantly blocked by barriers and obstacles. It is like I have tonnes of ideas to get started with, but there are always things blocking me from just getting started.

A prime example is my YouTube channel. I have tried multiple times to make videos. The last time was the most successful. I managed to create a decent amount of videos in a reasonable timeframe. The main issue I found was keeping it up.

I needed to set up and take down the camera and microphone every time I wanted to record anything. In an effort to reduce friction I have now set up my camera permanently on my desk, along with my microphone stand and Microphone. This way when I want to record anything now, all I need to do is just swicth on my camera (now powered from the mains rather than battery), swing my microphone arm around, open OBS and I am good to go. Only small issue now is the recording interface I use is not currently compatible with the M1 Macs so I still have to use my MacBook Pro for the audio, but I'm okay with this. I can easily line up the audio with the audio from the camera in Da Vinci Resolve and then just drop the camera sound. The camera sound isn't bad, it's just not great by any stretch of the imagination.

For me when creativity comes, I need to be ready. I need to reduce the amount of barriers and friction between me and getting something done. Friction could literally just be getting my current book of of the shelf each time I read - this would honestly be enough to make me not read at all. Instead I have whatever book I am reading on my desk so I can just pick it up and start reading when I have finished my daily journal in the morning.

Friction and blockers, no matter how small, have the ability to stop anyone in their tracks. While it may not happen all the time to everyone, people do have their lapses in judgement and mindset and it is very easy to overlook obstacles as tiny little pebbles when in actual fact they are massive boulders.

In short, removing friction and barriers is key to meaningful productivity.