The 3 days idea situation internalization rule of highly constrained imagination in knowledge work

When doing hard core high testosterone engineering I learned something about my machine.  Designing cutting edge RF circuit cards was a highly constrained exercise in the use of imagination for creativity. Highly constrained creativity is the type Richard Feynman talked about when he talked about creativity and physics.  He liked it more because it was creativity and imagination you could actually DO something with other than write yet another BS filled science fiction movie with John Travolta in alien drag. Imagine you are working on a highly constrained creativity project.  You start packing your head full of all the constraints.  For example you want to design a new car.  The constraints might be:  1- have 4 wheels  2- get 200 miles per gallon  3- plug in hybrid electric  4- use gasoline, alcohol   5- go 200 miles per hour What I discovered was that if you pack your head full of all the information about a design task for 3 days straight on the 3rd day is when you start to get the really good ideas.  Up till then the results of your constraints and your imagination are not fully cooked.