--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People can certainly be creative when…" description: "\"People can certainly be creative when they're under the gun, but only when they're able to focus on the work.\" — Teresa Amabile" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/teresa-amabile-24421_able_people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-th_3120111.png" --- # People can certainly be creative when they're under the… ![“People can certainly be creative when they're under the gun, but only when they're able to focus on the work.” quote by Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/teresa-amabile-24421_able_people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-th_3120111.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/teresa-amabile-24421_able_people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-th_3120111.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/teresa-amabile-24421_able_people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-th_3120111.png) > “People can certainly be creative when they're under the gun, but only when they're able to focus on the work.” [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creativity thrives under pressure when focus is maintained, linking stress to productive output. **In simple terms:** Focus under pressure boosts creativity. Key Takeaway Maintain focus to harness pressure. Themes creativity stress focus Mood inspirational practical Type motivational educational When to use this quote - deadline-driven projects - high-stakes presentations - competitive sports Key Concepts psychology performance motivation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance pressure and clarity? - What techniques sustain focus? A Different Perspective Too much pressure can hinder thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Able Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able-focus-526796/) [Be creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-creative/) [Certainly Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-creative-635018/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-gun-5474792/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-work/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Pain is a part of life. It's certainly part of my creative process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/pain-is-a-part-of-life-it-s-certainly-part-of-my-creative-process/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [One must be able to see the bigger picture in order to be able to focus on what needs to be magnified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-gardner/one-must-be-able-to-see-the-bigger-picture-in-order-to-be-able-to/) [Wade Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-gardner/) > [There's not enough said about the beauty of being able to focus on what you do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/there-s-not-enough-said-about-the-beauty-of-being-able-to-focus-on/) [Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/) > [It's helped my outlook, how I interact with people. It's made me more conscious. It's helped me be able to focus, make better decisions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/it-s-helped-my-outlook-how-i-interact-with-people-it-s-made-me-more/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [As time goes on and you become more comfortable in your career path, and things are starting to make sense, and it's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/as-time-goes-on-and-you-become-more-comfortable-in-your-career-path/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [It's good to be able to focus on our job, our basketball and what we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-ingles/it-s-good-to-be-able-to-focus-on-our-job-our-basketball-and-what-we-do/) [Joe Ingles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-ingles/) > [The level of achievement that we have at anything, is a reflection, of how well, we were able to focus on it. Because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-vai/the-level-of-achievement-that-we-have-at-anything-is-a-reflection-of/) [Steve Vai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-vai/) > [“When we are able to focus on what we are doing in this moment, right now, we are able to let go of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carlyle/when-we-are-able-to-focus-on-what-we-are-doing-in-this-moment-right/) [David Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carlyle/) > [I remember a time when I was only able to focus for like 40 minutes and suddenly my head was like a pigeon. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iga-swiatek/i-remember-a-time-when-i-was-only-able-to-focus-for-like-40-minutes/) [Iga Swiatek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iga-swiatek/) > [You realize there are certain things that you'll never do that you always thought would be part of your future. It's a big relief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/you-realize-there-are-certain-things-that-you-ll-never-do-that-you/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [By the grace of God alone, I was able to still focus, when it was time for me to do my job, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginuwine/by-the-grace-of-god-alone-i-was-able-to-still-focus-when-it-was-time/) [Ginuwine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginuwine/) > [If you are able to focus unswervingly on your goals, then all that you desire will become yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-backley/if-you-are-able-to-focus-unswervingly-on-your-goals-then-all-that-you/) [Steve Backley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-backley/) > [To be creative, an idea must also be appropriate - useful and actionable. It must somehow influence the way business gets done by improving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/to-be-creative-an-idea-must-also-be-appropriate-useful-and-actionable-2/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [To be creative, an idea must also be appropriate—useful and actionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/to-be-creative-an-idea-must-also-be-appropriate-useful-and-actionable/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [I just try to let myself really focus on the work that's ahead of me and what my job is and how I bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-just-try-to-let-myself-really-focus-on-the-work-that-s-ahead-of-me/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) ## More by Teresa Amabile > [Creativity is the generation and initial development of new, useful ideas. Innovation is the successful implementation of those ideas in an organization. Thus, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/creativity-is-the-generation-and-initial-development-of-new-useful/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [Creativity takes a hit when people in a work group compete instead of collaborate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/creativity-takes-a-hit-when-people-in-a-work-group-compete-instead-of/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [To be creative, an idea must also be appropriate—useful and actionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/to-be-creative-an-idea-must-also-be-appropriate-useful-and-actionable/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [When people believe that every move they make is going to affect their compensation, they tend to get risk averse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/when-people-believe-that-every-move-they-make-is-going-to-affect/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [Most people aren't anywhere near to realizing their creative potential, in part because they're laboring in environments that impede intrinsic motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/most-people-aren-t-anywhere-near-to-realizing-their-creative/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [“If you want to foster great inner work life, focus first on eliminating the obstacles that cause setbacks. Why? Because one setback has more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/if-you-want-to-foster-great-inner-work-life-focus-first-on/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [To be creative, an idea must also be appropriate - useful and actionable. It must somehow influence the way business gets done by improving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/to-be-creative-an-idea-must-also-be-appropriate-useful-and-actionable-2/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [If you facilitate your subordinates' steady progress in meaningful work, make that progress salient to them, and treat them well, they will experience the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/if-you-facilitate-your-subordinates-steady-progress-in-meaningful/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [“But if the testing is decoupled from the programming task, if it is done by someone else, that programmer cannot enjoy an immediate uptick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/but-if-the-testing-is-decoupled-from-the-programming-task-if-it-is/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [People will be most creative when they feel motivated primarily by the interest, enjoyment, satisfaction and challenge of the work itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/people-will-be-most-creative-when-they-feel-motivated-primarily-by/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [The best way to help people to maximize their creative potential is to allow them to do something they love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/the-best-way-to-help-people-to-maximize-their-creative-potential-is/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [One day's happiness often predicts the next day's creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/one-day-s-happiness-often-predicts-the-next-day-s-creativity/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [“key to leveraging the progress principle: giving people meaningful work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/key-to-leveraging-the-progress-principle-giving-people-meaningful-work/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [“In light of our results, managers who say—or secretly believe—that employees work better under pressure, uncertainty, unhappiness, or fear are just plain wrong. Negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/in-light-of-our-results-managers-who-say-or-secretly-believe-that/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) > [The successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/the-successful-implementation-of-creative-ideas-within-an-organization/) [Teresa Amabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) [Explore all 24 Teresa Amabile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People can certainly be creative when they're under the gun, but only when they're able to focus on the work.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Teresa Amabile" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-they-re-under-the-gun-but-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-they-re-under-the-gun-but-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/teresa-amabile-24421_able_people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-th_3120111.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/teresa-amabile-24421_able_people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-th_3120111.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/teresa-amabile-24421_able_people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-th_3120111.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People can certainly be creative when they're under the gun, but only when they're able to focus on the work.” — Teresa Amabile", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Teresa Amabile", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-amabile/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People can certainly be creative when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-they-re-under-the-gun-but-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-amabile/people-can-certainly-be-creative-when-they-re-under-the-gun-but-only/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```