Treehouse of Horror
The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror” episodes are a prime example of the advantages and the pitfalls of creative limitations.
At their best, these episodes are an incredible display of writing economy. They have about six minutes to tell a complete story and pack it with jokes. There's no time to waste and there are no words to spare. So they distill the jokes down to a handful of words, or no words at all — just a visual.
When I used to write advertisements, I had to cut 60-second scripts down to 30-second scripts. Sometimes the writing in the 30-second version was actually better than the 60. In the shorter script, I found a way to say the same things more concisely, more clearly, and more directly.
But sometimes the 30 was definitely worse than the 60. There was something lost from the missing context. That extra 30 seconds gave the writing some breathing room and allowed me to tell a more complete story. It allowed me to better deliver the message.
Similarly, the worst segments in “Treehouse of Horror” episodes feel rushed. The pacing of the jokes feels forced. The stories are unsatisfying, not reaching their full potential because of the time restriction.
When you're working on a creative project, putting restrictions on yourself can force you to distill your message and your method down to the essentials, leading to a tighter, more impactful result. But those same limitations can hold you back from expanding and adding context to let your story breathe. With more freedom, you can add details and flourishes that may seem ornamental, but serve a real purpose.
The next time you're being creative, ask yourself: would a limitation counterintuitively free you up to do better work, or would it remove options needed for the best result? If you're forced to work within a limitation, ask how you can use it to your advantage.
Then one day, when you're writing a classic segment for a Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror” episode, remember to thank the person entirely responsible for your creative success: me.
Happy Halloween!
