INSPIRING QUOTE

The Green Light of Paradox

This profound insight from F. Scott Fitzgerald challenges us to embrace cognitive dissonance. In a world where contradictions often seem insurmountable, the ability to navigate them is an extraordinary feature of creative and innovative thinking. But the key is not about being more logical or more unconventional … it’s about being both, and being all, so that you can create one, new beautiful idea.

✅ Actionable insight for your creative endeavors:

• ☯️ Can you see both the potential and the pitfalls of an idea simultaneously?

• ✨ Consider a setback or failure in any area of life. Can you reframe it as an opportunity to combine it with its opposite? How can this setback coexist with success?

• 🌀 Can you envision how replacing the most popular aspect of something will make it even more liked?

CREATIVITY SPOTLIGHT

Creativity Under Pressure

In the annals of wildfire history, few stories are as intriguing as that of Wagner "Wag" Dodge and the Mann Gulch Fire of 1949. On a fateful August day, as flames devoured the Montana landscape, Dodge made a split-second decision that would change firefighting forever.

16 smoke-jumpers parachuted into a remote valley with steep slopes, unaware they were dropping into what would become a fiery inferno as hot as 1,800F. As the blaze exploded, it consumed 3,000 acres in just 10 minutes.

Dodge realized his men couldn't outrun the fires, and in a moment of desperate creativity, he did the unthinkable: He lit another fire.

🔥 He literally created that which would kill him to stop that which would kill him! ☠️ 

This "escape fire," as it came to be known, was Dodge's lifeline. He created a burned area and urged his team to join him in this island of safety. Tragically, in the chaos and confusion, no one followed him. Dodge survived, along with two others who found refuge in a rockslide, but 13 firefighters perished that day (bless them). Dodge's escape fire in the face of certain death became a key element of modern wildfire safety protocols.

🧠 Why This Matters For Creativity

Typically, creativity prospers in diverse ways, especially when we embrace paradoxical and counter intuitive methods. Sometimes we optimize creative thinking by promoting mindfulness and reflection, such as when we think while in a shower or listening to music or while awed by nature.

Rarely, do we want to optimize creativity through fight or flight responses. Beyond the obvious reasons why we wouldn’t want to risk putting ourselves in those type of situations, it makes sense given our brain must prioritize other functions for survival in acute stress situations. But certainly, it makes sense that sometimes transformative creative thinking is our best chance for survival.

Don’t try Dodge’s gambit at home, but do consider how Dodge's story teaches us that counterintuitive thinking can be our greatest asset when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. Sometimes, the solution to our problem might even look suspiciously like the problem itself.

BLINKS, THINKS & LINKS

Curiosity Candy

• A consumer product (water) for free.

  • How about a negative priced (consumer gets a product + cash)?

• A Game Designer Explains the Counterintuitive Secret to Fun.

  • Can you make your work more fun for your employees? More fun for your customers?

• How to make better choices by considering opposing viewpoints.

ACTIONABLE PROMPTS

Duality Drill

Try this exercise to get more acquainted with paradox:

• Consider a polarizing idea.

  • e.g., “AI will optimize my work for me: vs. “AI will takeover my work 100%.”

• How would each scenario materialize?

• List three things you would do for each scenario.