acting out their creativity too much

[yanming620]

Pls see the following sentence,what does "acting out their creativity too much"mean?
Thanks in advance



he's reining in designers who have been "acting out their creativity too much," says Hans-Gerhard Seeba, a former VW executive.

 

[yanming620]

Does it mean these designers do not have any creativity?

 

[Mister Micawber]

.
Being overly creative, I think-- their designs are too outre. More context might amend my assessment, however.
.

 

[yanming620]

thank you Mister Micawber

the context is as follow

Bernhard's influence is already being felt. He has abandoned some technologies that he regards as unnecessary, like a radio antenna integrated in the rear window. And he's reining in designers who have been "acting out their creativity too much," says Hans-Gerhard Seeba, a former VW executive. Bernhard also pushed the Chrysler project, opting to have his old company build VW's new U.S. minivan rather than re-engineer a European version. The deal marks VW's first major foray into contract manufacturing in North America, a risky but necessary move. It's part of his plan to populate the U.S. fleet with a wider variety of models, including more that are produced locally.​

 

[yanming620]

so "act out" is a set phrase ,isn't it?

 

[Thomas F. O'Gara]

Yes, that's correct - act out is a set phrase, meaning to express one's self, usually to over-express one's self. It can also mean to give some physical expression of what you're thinking or feeling, as in a theatrical performance - hence the use of the verb "act" - and in this sense it's not necessarily bad.