Design is an inherently optimistic field. We are, after all, trying to make the world a better place. But this optimism can lead to naïveté, and can actually hinder real progress, if left unchecked.

One of the most fantastic definitions I’ve ever heard comes from an anonymous seventh grader in Ohio: “Creativity is doing more than the first thing that comes to your mind.”

Our instinct is to retreat inwardly when tasked with the challenge of coming up with ideas. Instead, we should get out. Here’s my favorite way to find ideas.

How do you know when it’s time to iterate?Founders have to be willing to adapt based on real-time feedback, and iterate accordingly.

Music executive Jonathan Azu uses a simple formula to remain inspired: every two weeks, he meets with a leader he admires.

Marcus Hollinger is a modern day renaissance man. A steady gig as SVP of Reach Records didn’t keep him from starting coffee company on the side. Far from sapping him of creative energy, the side-hustle fuels fresh thinking.

Your company’s next product might be hiding in plain sight: where you’re already servicing your own needs. Thinking about yourself as the first customer among many, instead of the total addressable market, is a game-changer.

Perhaps the greatest thing we can do to establish trust, is to address the elephant in the room — “Is this person safe?” — head on, straight out of the gate. Inspired by Ise Lyfe.

Some of the most creative people I know — from Lin Manuel-Miranda to Whitney Burks — share a common, creative secret: “obscene, ostentatious deadlines.”

Maya Angelou and Thomas Edison gave me permission to keep my space messy. It’s not unlike one of those detective whodunits, every available surface covered in conspiracies. If you peeked into my garage, you’d probably think, “I hope he finds the killer…”

We see sick days as days we can’t work. As a few classic examples of transformation demonstrate, perhaps we should see them as a gift — an opportunity to receive a new vision of the future.

How can a leader create an environment that’s hostile to bias, and one that cultivates the emergence of new ideas? Trier Bryant provides a simple framework to answer this very question.

A recurring theme on the road to creative mastery is how we (wrongly) perceive those who are successful as having never struggled. The truth is, they did. But they persisted, nonetheless.

Stanford Professor Clifford Nass studied hundreds of students, to explore what distinguished self-proclaimed “multitaskers” from the rest of us. His conclusions, and their implications, won’t surprise you.

The best creators are constantly learning. There’s immense value in doing something you’re not good at, specifically for the sake of seeing from a fresh perspective.

Gavin Guidry, Creative Director at R/GA, says, “If my experience has taught me one thing, it’s this: to get the results clients are looking for, they need to forget about cultural relevance, and focus on community relevance.”

A vibrant, productive creative practice is comprised of equal parts inspiration and effort. Knowing when you need which is an essential capability.

Ownership is an exceptional innovation diagnostic. Who came up with the good idea? A dysfunctional team will have a very clear memory of a very straightforward process.

Some problems can be hard to see from different perspectives. William Hardaway, a design leader in higher education recommends taking a light-hearted approach to exposing unexplored angles.

Gathering likeminded learners (aka lunatics) exponentially reduces the ramp of a new pursuit, normalizing courage in the face of intimidation. YouTube sensation Mr. Beast breaks it down here.