Coloring Inside the Lines: Why Playing by the Rules Supercharges Your Spark
Think Being a Team Player Kills Creativity? Think Again
So…I’m in this storytelling/comedy class. Our teacher is a former comedian - actually, an insult comic, to be specific. It’s a blast - a once-a-week chance to share stories, laugh at ourselves (and each other, empathetically), and get better at the whole process.
So, why did I feel insulted when our teacher said, “Oh, Randye, you’re always such a team player”? All I’d done was reply to the email she sent to the class, because she told us she needs to know the emails have been heard?
I call that empathy. I call that respect. Hey, my parents raised me right.
So why did that label suddenly feel like it was really, “Oh, Randye, you’re so boring?”
Last weekend I was part of a mentorship weekend, where our leader had made it very clear that if the door to the meeting room is closed, we need to wait to enter, that she needed her space respected so she could give us her all once we entered.
So - I waited outside the door. A fellow mentee said, “yeah, I get it, Randye. I’m a rule follower too.”
What? Me, the rebel, the outspoken voice, the creative right-brained person in any group, a (gulp) rule follower?
Why, once again, did that feel like an insult?
The phrase immediately conjured images of someone who’s all rules, no edge—a human safety manual. Is this a polite way of saying I’m not creative or bold enough?
It isn’t.
As an improv actor (among other things), and also as a grandma who has played her fair share of board games with little ones who aren’t ready to understand the rules, much less play by them (“No, Grandma, everytime we pass “payday” we get money, we don’t have to land on it!”), I know that when you embrace the limitations, the game is much more fun. Your creativity is ignited, not extinguished.
Yes, I like to color inside the lines. But then I can use every single color in the box - or not. There’s lots of creativity left inside the team boundaries.
Being a team player is actually kind of a secret weapon. It doesn’t mean you’re boring or lack vision; it means you’ve mastered the ultimate creative superpower—empathy. Yep, the ability to understand and connect with people. If that’s not the foundation of creativity, I don’t know what is.
Here’s what I’ve learned about why being a team player isn’t just not boring—it’s downright essential for creativity and fun:
1. Team Players Get People (and That’s Gold for Creativity)
You can’t be a team player without empathy. It’s all about seeing the people around you—their ideas, their frustrations, their quirks (yes, even the person who emails in ALL CAPS)—and finding ways to work together. When you make the effort to understand people, you can create things that resonate.
Plus, empathy helps you pick up on ideas that aren’t even fully formed yet. Ever noticed how the best ideas can start as a tiny spark in someone else’s eyes? A team player fans that spark into a flame. It’s not just collaboration; it’s creativity in motion.
“when you embrace the limitations, the game is much more fun. Your creativity is ignited, not extinguished.”
2. Rules Aren’t the Enemy; They’re the Canvas
Let’s be real: creative people love to rebel against rules. But here’s the plot twist—rules are what give you a framework to push against. A team player knows which rules to follow and which ones to bend (or, maybe, break just enough).
Tim Brown from design firm IDEO explains, "Play has rules, especially when it's group play. When kids play tea party, or they play cops and robbers, they're following a script that they've agreed to. And it's this code negotiation that leads to productive play" This structure provides a framework within which participants feel secure to contribute ideas and think creatively.
Think of it like cooking: you follow the basic recipe for brownies - because seriously who doesn’t like brownies? - but then you throw in some wild thing that makes people say, “Wait, what is this?!” That’s how structure fuels creativity.
(In case you’re wondering, I sometimes add raisins and some other things to my brownies. There. The secret is out)
3. Team Players Keep the Fun Rolling
Nobody likes working with the “lone genius” who sulks in the corner or hijacks every meeting. Team players make collaboration not just bearable but fun. They bring people together, defuse tension, and make sure everyone feels included—even Karen from accounting, who always “forgets” to mute during Zoom calls.
When people feel seen and valued, they’re way more likely to share ideas. And yeah—laughing through a brainstorming session beats silently staring at Post-it notes any day.
So, What’s the Gist?
If someone calls you a team player, don’t take it as a dig. Take it as a nod to your ability to navigate relationships, spark creativity, and keep things moving without letting the train derail.
Being a team player isn’t about dimming your creativity to fit in—it’s about amplifying it to include others. Because when you bring empathy, structure, and a little fun to the table, you’re not just a team player. You’re the one who helps the team play.
