People are inspired by honesty, by truth, by attention, by meaning. That may be one of the most valuable things we can strive for: to give people the environment to be open and honest in a productive way.
We’ve always thought that the most important thing for creativity is the environment. Many people do. But people seem to focus on the physical environment; they put up weird artwork or make interactive whiteboard spaces. These have inspirational value, but they’re not the real thing that inspires people.
A curvy couch with a slide down the armrest can’t look you in the eye and listen. A magnetic wall with a million little magnets arranged in the shape of a high-five doesn’t care what you say to it. These external conditions can add to a creative environment, but only when the emotional-and-mental space is right. They add a spark, not the fuel. The fuel is within people, and it’s up to them whether they wall it off or let it ignite.
Madison is such a great city. Numerous people have stopped by today to add the support of their positive energy, which was absolutely the inspiration for this post. I feel like when we ‘stick to our guns’ of truly being about consciousness and cooperation in the present moment it clicks with people on a level they’re not used to experiencing in the day-to-day grind. And that click is music to my ears. The most beautiful sound in the world is to hear someone say something they’ve always thought but never said before.