We’ve all felt it—that creative slump that hits in the middle of a packed calendar. You’re on your third meeting of the morning, your inbox is overflowing, and your biggest idea of the day is... getting to the end of it.
Creativity doesn’t disappear because of lack of skill. It disappears because there’s no room for it to breathe.
At DolFinContent, we believe creativity isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. And when teams are drowning in busywork, that necessity gets buried under to-do lists, approval chains, and constant context switching.
Instead of pushing through the fatigue, what if we asked a different question—What would it look like to work creatively, not just constantly?
That’s the question CEO Eliott Wahba challenged creative leaders to explore in a recent strategy session, introducing a framework we call Curiosity in Motion—a structured way to reignite inspiration while still delivering results.
If your team is stretched thin and stuck in reactive mode, this approach might just be the reset you’ve been looking for.
The Cost of Constant Output
Most marketing and creative teams today aren’t short on tasks—they’re short on time to think. The pressure to always deliver, always respond, always optimize, has replaced the conditions required for deep, original work.
Our research shows:
- Nearly 80% of creatives say they lack space for meaningful or bold thinking
- Over 70% report burnout symptoms tied to task overload
- More than half say they spend more time reacting than creating
We’ve normalized a workplace that rewards urgency over impact.
But as Wahba points out, this kind of overcommitment isn’t just unsustainable—it’s unproductive.
“You can’t build standout work if every hour is spent putting out fires. Creative success comes from clarity, not chaos.”
—Eliott Wahba, CEO, DolFinContent
What Is the Curiosity in Motion Framework?
The framework is built around a simple tension: exploration vs. execution. You need both. But most teams over-index on the latter—leaving little space for experimentation, insight, or discovery.
Curiosity fuels new ideas, questions assumptions, and breaks old patterns.
Motion grounds creativity in real-world delivery—turning insight into action.
When you toggle between both modes intentionally, your work becomes more focused, more original, and more energizing.
Rebalancing the Workday to Reduce Burnout
Wahba’s approach to creative leadership focuses on reshaping the way teams think about output—not just increasing it. The idea isn’t to do more, but to work in a way that creates more meaning.
Here’s how teams can use the Curiosity in Motion model to shift their approach:
1. Don’t chase more work—chase more meaningful work
When everything feels urgent, nothing truly important gets the attention it deserves.
Instead of asking, “What else can we do this week?” ask:
- What’s driving real impact?
- What are we doing just because it’s always been done?
- What could we stop doing without losing value?
Wahba referenced a consulting firm that cut nearly 30% of internal reports and meeting recaps after realizing they were read by no one. That time was reallocated to building creative prototypes that actually advanced client outcomes.
2. Ask better questions to spark better thinking
Creative thinking thrives on reframing. Instead of trying to solve problems with the same language and logic, try new prompts:
- What if we started from scratch?
- How might we do this with half the budget?
- What’s the most surprising way we could approach this?
These types of questions don’t just unlock new ideas—they break teams out of passive execution and into active creation.
“Better questions lead to better outcomes. If you want different results, start with different thinking.”
—Eliott Wahba
3. Apply three tactical lenses: Master, Hack, Challenge
To help teams move between curiosity and execution, Wahba recommends adopting three rotating mindsets:
Master: Refine one core capability. Get exceptionally good at it.
What’s one skill, format, or channel we can own better than anyone else?
Hack: Find quick ways to test, not perfect.
What’s the simplest way to validate this idea today—not next month?
Challenge: Break a rule. Try the unexpected.
If our competitors are doing it this way, what would it look like to do the opposite?
This triad creates a creative rhythm: explore, test, and refine. Then repeat.
Creativity Isn’t Extra—It’s Operational Efficiency
There’s a common misconception that creative thinking slows teams down. But when applied strategically, creativity actually helps you:
- Reduce low-value work
- Streamline decision-making
- Improve campaign performance
- Keep your team engaged and motivated
Wahba shared the example of a retail client who swapped their monthly 50-slide reports with three data visualizations that told a better story in less time—and saw stakeholder alignment increase as a result.
“Creativity saves time because it gets to the point faster—and makes the message land harder.”
—Eliott Wahba
The Way Forward
Creative work is hard. But it shouldn’t be draining. It should challenge you, stretch you, and energize you.
The Curiosity in Motion framework isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s about giving you a better lens to decide what belongs there in the first place.
So the next time your team feels stuck, burned out, or uninspired—don’t ask how to work faster. Ask how to work better.
And if you need a partner who can help you break the cycle of reactive execution and bring more purpose into your creative process, DolFinContent is here to help. Let’s Chat
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