In the film A Complete Unknown, a fictionalized depiction of the early years and musical coming of age of Bob Dylan, a young Dylan visits a psychiatric hospital where his idol Woody Guthrie is suffering from Huntington’s disease.
In the movie, Dylan shows up at the hospital unannounced. He not only gets to meet Guthrie but also the legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, who is keeping the folk legend company.
Seeger is not insulted when Dylan focuses his adulation and attention on Guthrie. But Seeger is curious and asks him why he was so intent on meeting Guthrie. Dylan replies that he wanted to meet Woody to “maybe catch a spark.”
Ideas, insights, new designs, innovative approaches, and creative moments are often “sparked” by a catalyst. Sometimes the stimulant has nothing to do with the insight, while at other times they are deeply connected.
Regardless, creative thinkers, strategists, and designers intentionally expose themselves to a variety of stimuli, hoping for just such a spark.
They talk with experts, view artwork, watch films, place themselves in new environments, challenge themselves physically, and do just about anything to facilitate an ah-ha moment of insight. They are on “the hunt,” looking for the idea that will change their thinking or add a unique edge to their everyday creations.
The very idea of intentionally looking to “catch a spark” is an important step for artists, thinkers, and leaders. You can’t find what you aren’t looking for, and the likelihood of landing on a new and novel idea is higher if you expose yourself to stimuli you’ve never before experienced.
While the possibilities are limitless, the best chance to gather an insight is from those people, places, and activities that are imbued with creative energy. Like Dylan, many artists and thinkers seek out those on the cutting edge of what they do.
By engaging others with high talent for creative expression, it’s possible they will say or do something that sets off the chain reaction of imaginative thinking. That’s one reason so many top leaders, thinkers, musicians, artists, and performers seek out each other’s company.
Where do you go looking for a spark?
Make it an intentional process, and you’ll be more likely to find a connection you weren’t thinking of. At the heart of creativity is surprise. When you put yourself next to, near, or in conversation with an extraordinary catalyst, new ideas emerge.
With luck, some, as Dylan says in the film, will strike you “down to the ground.”
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
