‘When you ask a creative person how they did something, they may feel guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.’  —Steve Jobs

How many of us can relate to this? This speaks to the way our minds work with regard to creativity–how we get our best ideas and how we evolve. In part it’s the ‘mindpop’ thing—the seemingly unbidden insight that pops into your head when not focusing on the subject. It’s not linear and in fact it often seems disconnected from effortful work. That’s why creative professionals often don’t look like we’re working—we get this. I once had a very nervous, very tight corporate client in my studio actually ask me when we were going to start working—she was so unused to that model of creative productivity. Creative thinking actually requires, after filling your head with as much information as you can, to step back, take a break, go do something unrelated to the work at hand. That’s where the true seeing comes in— the right brained, non linear, pattern seeing, fresh and spontaneous insights that really make a difference, that make things better.  The work is everything that has led up to that moment….and the boldness to act on the insight….even though it didn’t feel like work.