How too much collaboration destroys creativity-and how to fix that

"And I know I'm not alone. Collaboration overload has crept into creative teams everywhere-shaped by hybrid schedules, the pressure to stay visible when we're apart, and a steady flow of digital tools like Slack and Teams that keep us connected but can slowly chip away at focus. Creative teams have reached a point where we are spending so much time meeting, messaging, and circling each other's work that nobody has the space or clarity to actually create."

"Collaboration overload is not tenable. One reason is that the expectations of the next generation call for an urgent shift in how collaboration happens. Many emerging creatives want room to explore ideas independently, develop a point of view, and contribute something meaningful-not spend their days in back-to-back meetings and endless threads. When collaboration becomes constant, it leaves no space for the kind of personal exploration that builds creative confidence."

"And as AI takes on more of the administrative and production parts of creative work, the value of human creativity shifts toward originality, taste, and discernment. Those qualities need room. Creatives need autonomy to imagine what AI cannot. Collaboration is nonnegotiable. But so is autonomy. Creative teams thrive when those two forces support each other rather than compete. We need to protect deep, independent thinking while using collaboration to enhance our work."

Collaboration overload has crept into creative teams, driven by hybrid schedules, pressure to stay visible, and constant digital tools like Slack and Teams that erode focus. Teams spend excessive time in meetings, messages, and circling peers' work, leaving insufficient space and clarity to create. Emerging creatives seek autonomy to explore ideas independently, develop a point of view, and contribute meaningful work rather than endure back-to-back meetings and endless threads. As AI handles administrative and production tasks, human creativity shifts toward originality, taste, and discernment, which require protected solo thinking. Creative teams thrive when collaboration and autonomy alternate in a rhythm of solo work, ensemble critique, and restorative rest.

Read at Fast Company