Is this a cognitive bias, as the definition suggests? Or is it a healthy pattern for artists and creative people? In this post, I am going to explore the IKEA effect on artists.
As an artist, you have surely fallen in love with one of your creations, while a pretty similar idea, product, or service that comes from someone else feels more average and less interesting. This is called The Ikea Effect. And it describes how people overvalue things into which they have put a lot of effort.
What is the IKEA effect, and how is it applied to artists?
The Ikea effect is a marketing strategy that bases its strength on many studies showing that if a person partially contributed to the creation of a product, they are more likely to place a disproportionately higher value on it. As you may have already guessed, the name ‘the IKEA effect’ derives from the manufacturer and furniture retailer IKEA, which sells furniture products that require assembly.
Artists, on the other hand, tend to fall victim to the IKEA effect more than others.
Because if you place a higher value on a product or idea that you “partially” participated in, imagine being the “only” creator of it.
We are speaking of artworks, statues, buildings, songs, music, choreographies, and so much more. But I refer to painting the most, as it is my primary art expression.
How is this cognitive bias affecting your art career?
I have written in the past about Disliking the art we create… and how unhealthy it is as it stems from comparing our art to other people’s art, spending more time looking for inspiration, looking at what others are creating, and developing our taste, and less time developing our skill and practicing art, which creates a gap between what we can do and what we want to do!
But what if we are too in love with what we create, just because we created it?
Firstly, we will continue to devote resources (energy, time, money, etc.) to failing projects just because we have already invested something in them. I know that as artists, we often perceive our efforts as successful just because we put a greater amount of effort into those creations. What I’m saying is that just because you think something you created is awesome doesn’t mean it actually is. And for that, I previously shared a great article that will help you critique your own art.
Furthermore, as an artist, you may develop a “not invented here” approach. This means that you refuse to repurpose great ideas, learn from other artists, and open up to new art styles just because these ideas were developed elsewhere in favor of your own basic ideas.
How can you avoid the IKEA effect on artists?
You can always defend against the IKEA effect to allow yourself to progress in your art career, and you can do that by following these steps.
You’ve gotta acknowledge that loving what you create just because you created it is an unconscious bias
I know that before typing this article, I was unaware of my own bias regarding the IKEA effect, as I am mostly not the one to praise my own work or fall in love with it. However, I can still identify the effect on my own actions to a manageable degree.
Surely, in the past, I’ve loved my project ideas more than others just because I’ve worked on them. And it showed by refusing to sell my paintings, as if the art that was sold was less good than the one I created. It can also be identified as procrastination to avoid finishing my paintings and showing my ideas to the world out of overprotection and many other destructive behaviors.
Make prototypes of your ideas
I learned that sketching my ideas strips the thing I have in mind of its glory. In my imagination, I only saw the projects I was thinking of as successes. Failure to complete the task can show you that your idea is not as majestic as you think it is. Make sure you test your plans and ideas early. And share those that you’re embarrassed with to make them easier to bring to life.
Keep an open mindset
Ideas are not to be protected. Talk about what you have in mind, accept feedback, and go on with your life. The best ideas are the ones that have been stolen and reworked over and over. I cite the concept of airplanes as an example.
Talking to people from your field or others you trust can help mitigate your bias against one solution. Putting your work out there for people to learn from, discuss, and exchange ideas with is an ideal way of contributing to the art and innovation fields.
Conclusion
The human brain is a very complex organ that comes with a bunch of pros and cons. Being an artist is a vulnerable way of living that puts you on the edge of falling into some of the most destructive human tendencies if you are not careful enough. I hope you found this article interesting and that I helped you learn something from it. Enjoy creating <3
