A Few Favorite Things: Jonah Lehrer

Every couple of years I come back to this talk. It jumps around a bit, but touches on some fun things like the inspiration of Bob Dylan, the process of leading to inspiration, the chaos and immortality of cities, and the value of approaching problems from different angles.

It reminds me of the reasons that I love design and contributing to the product process. It reminds me of the equal value of the chaos of my “worst” meetings and the joy of my most “successful” ones.

I hope this video gives you something new. I hope you are able to listen and discover. I hope it makes you smile.

Some Questions

These are some questions that I have considered when listening to this video. They have helped me frame inspiration, exploration, and discovery.

• In which ways has a problem you are facing never been approached?
• How is one of your commutes to or from home, to the store, or to visit family, like a problem you are facing?
• When I am at my most frustrated and defeated, what led me to keep going?

Without further ado, please enjoy the 99U presentation by Jonah Lehrer: The Origins of Creative Insight & Why You Need Grit—