Everything we knew about “normal” was thrown out the window when the world shut down in 2020. Businesses collapsed, routines fled, and unpredictability became the default. This unprecedented chaos created brand new problems, which required brand new solutions. As a result, innovation exploded.

 Technologies for remote work, like Zoom and Slack, have evolved from being an option to being essential. Telehealth grew in popularity. The schools ended up being digital. The most amazing of all is probably the fact that vaccines that normally take 10 years to research and implement were created in less than a year.

 That kind of progress doesn’t come from calm, predictable conditions. It happens if the consequences are great, the pressure is intense, and there is no other option than reconsidering everything.

 In other words, chaos did not stop invention – it shifted it into high gear.

 There are examples of this far beyond global occurrences and huge businesses quickly modifying. The creative process is also influenced by chaos. Kelsey Lowther, a payroll specialist, shared a personal take on this.

 “I feel like chaos kind of gives you more things to hear or see or think about all at once. So, it may jog your brain [to] come up with other ideas,” Lowther said.

 Lowther’s perspective highlights how even everyday workplace disruption can spark creative thinking on a personal level.

The best ideas rarely come to mind when one is trying to “be creative.” The best ideas typically appear when the mind wanders or falls a little out of harmony, perhaps while on a walk, stuck in traffic, or the shower.

 This is a result of the brain’s demand for innovation. The creative mind is trapped when circumstances are overly regulated. However, the human brain feels driven to form new connections when things become a bit confused or unclear. The ability to think creatively depends on what psychologists call “divergent thinking.”

 Rajeshwori Malla, junior computer information sciences and data analytics major, believes chaos pushes people to think differently.

“Chaos forces people to let go of routines and think differently,” Malla said. “When everything feels unstable, you’re almost pushed to find new paths you wouldn’t normally consider. It breaks patterns, and that’s where fresh ideas come from.” 

 Talking about the pandemic, Malla added, “Chaos made innovation happen because there was no other choice.”

 In Malla’s own life, she regularly uses “small chaos” to stay creative. 

“[I] use small chaos by switching up [my] environment, challenging routines, or giving [myself] weird limits, like trying to solve a problem in half the usual time,” Malla said.

 Divergent thinking is the thought process employed to generate multiple possible solutions to an open-ended question. It is the exact opposite of convergent thinking, where the focus is on generating a single correct response.

 Divergent thinking thrives when there is no pre-defined structure or formula. It allows the brain to break away from conventional patterns, leading to creative connections and ideas.

 That is to say, disorder – be it a hectic day at the office, a global crisis, or even a messy desk – grants the optimal environment for divergent thinking. If the surroundings are uncertain or in disarray, the mind is forced to think differently and to imagine alternatives we may otherwise never think of.

 This ability to create new ideas and solutions is what innovation is all about. And while structured, controlled environments may inspire habit and routine, it is the unpredictability of chaos that pushes creativity to its limit.

 As per this article by Elon University, even chaos is evolving in the modern digital age. A lot of the technology employed today is engineered by influential groups that built it to benefit the corporation, not the consumer. A lot of platforms work behind the scenes with invisible algorithms deciding things without the public even knowing.

 As AI grows bigger and more sophisticated, it’s harder for humans to stay in charge. If not careful, this kind of digital disorientation will strangle innovation instead of advancing it.

 One may wonder: “If chaos is such a wonderful creativity tool, does that mean everyone should go out of their way to bring disorder into their lives to spark innovation?” Not quite. But it does mean that rather than resist chaos, the best course of action is to harmonize with it.

 When faced with hurdles, whether in life or the workplace, the only way out is innovation. Consider the rapid shift to work-from-home in 2020. Businesses did not have time to wait for the perfect solution. They improvised quickly, mostly using whatever hardware they could get their hands on, and that gave rise to the widespread adoption of tools like Zoom and Slack. They were voluntary tools before; today, they are essential.

 According to a Cognizant article, businesses that welcome disruption, such as the move to remote work, can stimulate innovation and creativity in ways that were previously unheard of, demonstrating that crisis doesn’t hamper but rather speeds up progress.

 The feeling of urgency created by the pandemic did not kill innovation; it turbocharged it. And this is what we see historically. Innovation increases when there are high stakes, when the pressure’s on, and when there is a breach of the norms. It’s during all that confusion and chaos that the most groundbreaking concepts tend to occur.

 As Steve Jobs himself once penned, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

 What is the takeaway from this? Instead of resisting chaos, be able to embrace it. Chaos forces one to innovate because they are left with no other choice. By stepping out of rigid traditions and embracing a bit of messiness, more creative breakthroughs can be produced.

 Whether it’s providing more time off to think, taking a step back to think outside the box, or simply acknowledging that perfection isn’t always innovation, sometimes it’s the messy, spontaneous moments that produce the best concepts.

 When faced with challenges on an international scale, like climate change and technological disruption, uncertainty will remain a key driver of innovation. Those who can accept living in uncertainty will be best positioned to address these problems and create solutions for the future.

 Chaos is creativity’s closest friend rather than its enemy. Try leaning into a chaotic environment the next time instead of fighting it. The best ideas are produced in these uncertain times because innovation thrives on uncertainty.

Edited by Reid McEvoy and Stuti khadka