The Edge Effect in Creativity

Dear Kay,

Hidden Brain seems to be reading my mind these days.

Hubbo pointed me toward this episode of this most excellent podcast.

The question: where and when does creativity most explode?

It turns out that the good stuff happens when people of varied backgrounds and cultures get together—not when people of the same background collaborate. The host of Hidden Brain, Shankar Vendantam, does his typical broad take on the question and ends up wandering through science labs, northern Spain, western Massachusetts, and drags in musicians, scientists, Galician bagpipes and—no surprise—Yo Yo Ma.

We look at the powerful connection between the ideas we dream up and the people who surround us, and what happens when we get to the edge of what is familiar and bump up against another edge. It’s the place where new and extraordinary acts of creativity are most likely to happen.

Here’s the episode. (Click here if the player isn’t working for you.)

Love,

Ann

PS Up top is Nashville artist and handspinner Rebekka Seale, who gave me a lesson in spinning not long ago—one of my favorite moments of creativity in recent days. If you want to see some of the most beautiful yarn in the world, have a look at Camellia Fiber Co., which Rebekka founded six years ago and which is now owned by Silbia Ro. They are our neighbors at MDK World Headquarters, and we are cooking up good fun with them. Stay tuned.