Creative Bulletin n.294

When we talk about creativity, we usually focus on the action: having ideas, writing a book, making something, painting, working on a project.

But what’s the ground creativity grows from? What are the best conditions for it?

It’s not peace, and it’s not calm. And it’s definitely not what we already know. When we’re in familiar territory, we build strategies—we think them through, study them, refine them. Over time, we learn what our clients want, how to manage our work in the office, how to communicate, which words to use, which ideas resonate. We know how to get to the outcome, which levers to pull.

The more we know, the more we build boundaries that help us move through things easily.

But the most fertile ground is the most tender. We find it when certainties collapse and the rules stop meaning anything, when we realize that the very limits we thought kept us safe are wearing thin and no longer make sense.

Today, Lino—my marketing manager—and I ended up laughing on the phone. Yet another strategy that worked last month? Totally useless now 😅
He said, “Alright, I’m going to try this other one,” and I replied, “This year, we’re trying everything. Honestly, who cares?”

When nothing makes sense anymore, suddenly everything feels possible again.
We started throwing out crazy ideas that, in all their absurdity, might actually work.

I was laughing because I hadn’t felt that bold or that inventive in a long time. I felt free.

🌈 Creative takeaway: To step into a new world, the old one has to fall apart first.

It’s hard to truly feel free to change when everything still feels solid—even when it’s clearly falling apart, we cling to it as long as we can.

But when the ground shakes, maybe that’s the gift.
That’s when real creativity finally has room to show up.

With ❤️,
Matteo

P.S.
In the photo: me getting ready to climb while thinking up wild strategies.