A new tool for inspiring creativity and solving problems has hit the internet.
It’s a free website called The Creative Cards, and it gives artists helpful, outside-the-box creative constraints and prompts whenever they might need a jolt of inspiration, perspective or chaos in the creative process. It was built by Hermes of the Sound + Creativity Substack.
There’s no login, no fees, you just go to the website and draw a card based on the type of constraint you’re looking to insert into your process. Prompts include:
- “Make this for the person you were five years ago.”
- “What would you make if no one was listening?”
- “What do you always add?”
- “Sketch the whole song in 20 minutes.”
- “Automate something by hand: Imperfection is expression.”
Hermes says:
“The cards inject chaos and create serendipitous moments in your creative process. Draw a card, get a prompt, and let it guide your musical creative process.”
Creativity Loves Constraints
Constraints often act less like limitations and more like creative catalysts, giving artists a clear framework within which ideas can take shape and evolve.
When time, tools, themes, or formats are intentionally restricted, creators are forced to move beyond default habits and discover unconventional solutions, leading to more distinctive artistic choices. Psychologically, boundaries reduce the paralysis of infinite options, allowing artists to focus their energy on problem-solving rather than decision overload.
Whether it’s composing within a fixed tempo, designing a show with minimal gear, or writing lyrics around a strict concept, constraints encourage experimentation, resourcefulness, and sharper storytelling — turning obstacles into a structure that actually accelerates innovation.
How to Use The Creative Cards
There’s no right or wrong way to use this.
Some cards are constraints you apply to your current project. Some are mindset shifts that reframe how you’re thinking about your work. Some are technical challenges that push you into unfamiliar creative territory.
You might draw a card at the start of a session to set the tone, draw one when you’re stuck or maybe you might ignore the first three and use the fourth.
The point isn’t to follow every prompt religiously. It’s meant to interrupt your default patterns and create space for something unexpected to occur, both within you as well as aleatorically at some point during your working methodology.
This was inspired by Oblique Strategies: Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas, a card-based method for promoting creativity created in a 1975 partnership between musician/artist Brian Eno and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt.
This was first published in a printed deck of cards that came in a black box. Nowadays you can find every card in the set online.
Try out The Creative Cards today, and use it whenever you’re in need of a mindset shift to save your workflow.
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