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Silicon Valley is where I grew up and now where I once again reside. We moved almost a year ago but it’s still a bit hard to adjust to a new city. For instance, one thing I miss is the creative culture in LA County. The large number of coffee shops, barber shops, food trucks, and the local vibe reflected the high percentage of creative residents. Many people aspire to be filmmakers, musicians, or the next fashion magnet. I used to drive for Lyft and in my car I had cooks to CEOs that all seemed to embrace the creative culture. Returning to the Bay Area is a bit of a culture shock. The main impression I have is that the dominant tech industry in the area definitely appreciates innovators in tech or business. But they have little idea about the value of creatives and artists and it shows. Let me explain what I mean.
Innovation isn’t enough
Innovation isn’t enough. Finding meaning in what we make matters, too. We can all learn from artists because what we make is more than a thing. It’s something we hope fits into the story of the people we serve. So solving an issue—or innovation—is only half of the creative process. How will what we make mean something beyond its function? Sure, there are complex problems that, if resolved, will mean a lot to people. For example, when cancer is cured, life wins. That is about as powerful of a connection we can make between the thing we make and the meaning it holds. Famously, Picasso claimed that he never intended to put meaning into his works, reminding people that if they do find meaning, it came from them, not him. However, all artists hope for this magic where people feel seen by what an artist makes. The song is their song. The painting displays their memory. The chef’s menu recalls all the best flavors we know yet elevates them to a place we’ve never been.
Creativity is addition
Transformation comes from transcendence, whether through a song, painting, or menu. Masterful art captivates us and asks hard questions about life, even disturbing us—if we’re willing to ponder deeply enough. Innovation’s limitation is that it mostly exists to bring us the future. It’s mindset says that this moment is fleeting, so the quicker we innovate, the better off we are. Facebook’s Zuckerberg used to say “move fast and break things.” However, if you want to make something that connects to the soul that lasts beyond your years on this planet, you need to be about the kind of creation that adds to the world. Reject zero-sum thinking and the greedy corporate playbook. Make things and make money, too. A problem is that most think we are an innovator or an artist. Creativity is about addition. The truth is this. We can both innovate to solve a problem and create to address a shared human pain. (I talk a lot about the bridge between innovation and art in my new book, MINDBLOWN).
Breathing In versus moving fast
But what about breaking things? Many understandably ask, “Isn’t it true that we often need to ‘break things’ in order to have progress?” Sure, when a system or issue is toxic or past its prime, we require forward motion so progress may equal breaking something. But to be a bull in the China shop wreaking havoc misses the mark. And moving fast doesn’t mean you win. That’s akin to a pyrrhic victory where you get somewhere quickly, but it’s a dystopia rather than an improvement. My observation is that Facebook made us more connected and did it fast. But it’s also true Facebook broke a lot of things. It broke our empathy filter, appreciation of multiple viewpoints, and created toxic echo chambers that divide us. All of this was to sell its users to advertisers. Now, that’s broken. What if creativity is instead about restoring what is broken? What if it’s about reaching to the past and recovering, reimagining, and retooling the best the world offers? We can move fast and break or breath in and make.
Newness is overrated
There’s a reason it’s difficult to breathe in, contemplate, or exercise empathy and our smart phones are ground zero. The lust for the next thing is an addiction, trapping us in an endless cycle of upgrades with our technology—which is a solid metaphor for how we see life today. We look to replace parts of ourselves like a car needs an oil change or new tires. Naively, we seek transcendence through mediated knowledge or experiences. The hope is that the next device or app or AI will fill in the gaps in our starving souls. But what if the gap is where we need to live? Silence, like rests in a musical score, exhales. The constant intake of media “content” hooks us to someone distant and unknowable, ignoring the touch and look that warm, embodied people offer. Grounding in a moment and place offers the balance of breathing in and breathing out. That is why the idol of newness is a poor substitute for living in the here and now.
I’d rather make than break
Culture shock is typical. Soon, I will discover and rediscover the amazing offerings of the Bay Area while actually recalling things I don’t miss about LA. The good news is that there are amazing people right here. “Here” is the operative word. Wherever I live, do I live in the moment and in that place? If I move too fast and break things, what I am likely breaking is that. Right now. Am I willing to breathe in and see my creativity flow from this time and place? And do I seek to add something to the world that is bigger than me? As always, the worthy struggle is simply to keep creating and remember this. No matter if I am the innovator or artist, I can choose to make things that mean something or I can move fast and break things. I’d rather make than break. How about you?