A better question might be, “what do you choose to see?”
If I take four professionals to the Whitney Museum of Art, I will find four different perspectives influenced by experiences, priorities and ideas:
The architect sees the building, the sight lines and the way the people and light flow.
The framer notices the craftsmanship and taste in the way the paintings are framed and hung.
The lighting designer can’t help but comment on the new LED’s.
And the art dealer sees the names of each artist and marvels over career arcs.
When you read a blog post, see a successful project or read about an innovation, what do you see?
Do you see the emotions and the fear and the grit of the people behind it?
Do you see the strategy and high-level analysis that went into it?
Or do you see the execution and technique?
Some people are willingly blind to metaphor, viewing each example as a special and singular case. Others manage to connect the dots and find what they need just about anywhere.
You might not need more exposure to the newest and greatest. Instead, it might pay to re-see what’s already around you. Keep treading and remember to work smarter not harder.
