Finding brilliance in the in-between

Hi all –

Brilliant ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, and at any time.

We think creativity only happens when we’re sitting down, focused at a desk. We expect the best ideas to come from certain people. We view a shortened work week after a holiday as one less day to accomplish things.

But I challenge you to think beyond this.

Breakthrough ideas rarely come in those moments when we’re fixated on a problem. They come after, and hit us seemingly out of nowhere. On a walk. When we’re laying down to sleep. In the middle of a shower.

Big ideas come in the spaces in-between.

Because our minds need both focus AND space to uncover the really good stuff. Intense focus directs our attention outward to the details of a problem – giving us the ingredients we need to eventually solve it. Then, when we relax, our attention turns inward – uncovering the unexpected associations we’ve been searching for. You can’t have one without the other, yet many of us try to get by on the hard hours of focus, alone.

Challenging these old thought patterns is another reason why we partner with the most interesting, and unexpected people in the world. People like Danica Patrick for our event last week. Sure, we all know her as an amazing race car driver, but she’s so much more than that. She owns a successful Napa vineyard, has her own athleisure line (Warrior by Danica Patrick), and is a published author (Pretty Intense).

So, get up from your desk and take a walk, or a shower. Riff with someone new for a change. And remember that brilliance can strike when we least expect it.

Where were you when you thought up your last great idea?