Tonight, from about 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM, the power in my neighborhood went out. At first, I was frustrated, because I had really wanted to sit and watch some mindless television to unwind after the busy day. I had also wanted to catch up on some emails, Bloglines subscriptions, news feeds and maybe even do some online Christmas shopping.
But, alas, I had to sit in the dark…trying to figure out what to do with myself. So, I, begrudgingly, decided to catch up on some reading. I’ve been reading Scott Berkun’s The Myths of Innovation. It’s been a great read. So, amidst my frustration over wanting to work and get stuff done…I was forced to pause and read.
And I read this:
“Stand still and watch the patterns, which by pure chance have been generated: Stains on the wall, or the ashes in a fireplace, or the clouds in the sky, or the gravel on the beach or other things. If you look at them carefully you might discover miraculous inventions.”
- Leonardo da Vinci (Ironically, I watched some of The DaVinci Code once the power was restored.)
Berkun goes on to talk about the “Myth of Epiphany” - the notion that epiphany, as we know it, is a glorified creation of our minds. He writes that innovation doesn’t just come in a single moment - but after hours (or days or years or decades…) of research and thought. Essentially, ideas don’t hit like lightning bolts - Newton didn’t just come up with the theory of gravity because of the apple and Archimedes didn’t just figure out how to test the density of gold by hopping in the bath tub - they both had a ton of research and thought poured in to their discoveries. Berkun asserts that: “To focus on the magic moments is to miss the point. The goal isn’t the magic moment: it’s the end result of a useful innovation.” (The Myths of Innovation, pg. 34)
So, how fitting that I, frustrated in my inability to work during the blackout, had to stop and read. I was forced to relax. I was forced to think. I was forced to allow the creative juices of innovation to flow; and I think I got something out of it.
