Exploring how "official" permission structures unlock creative confidence
Most adults freeze when asked to draw, worried about being "good at art." Bureau of Sanctioned Sketching removes this pressure through official absurdity.
BSS, a card-based drawing game, explores how permission structures help adults reconnect with creative play and drawing. Building on constraint-based creativity and psychological safety research, BSS grants players "official" authority to be silly, make mistakes, and collaborate without judgement.
Three interventions help: playful constraints, peer support, and bureaucratic irony. By transforming creative play from vulnerable self-expression into compliance with absurd "regulations," players feel safer to experiment. BSS brings permission to play in a wide variety of environments ranging from corporate workshops to the dinner table with friends and family.
