Where do you find your inspiration?

I recently got to experience live music again at a festival. As for many of us, I worked from home the last few years and rarely got to go to the office. Suddenly wading through eighty thousand people to get to the next stage was exhausting, but also strangely boosting my energy at the same time. If that’s possible. It definitely felt good. Standing there in the open desert, fenced in by palms and being part of a tribe recognized by their large boots, glitter eye make-up, macramé bikinis, and the occasional cowboy hat. Perhaps not my usual tribe and I probably should have stopped going to these events years ago. But there is something about a good rock festival you can’t achieve by going to a seminar, and it's not just the music.

My friend and travel companion of many years was the curator for this experience, always keeping a steady course in the direction of the next stage.

Gong !

The band Japanese Breakfast was the upcoming act. They came on and the music kicked off with the song Paprika. Michelle Zauner is the singer, songwriter, guitar player, and GONG player it turns out when we reach the first chorus. Smashing a well-lit GONG center stage got our attention. I asked myself how often you really see a Gong played at a live concert! I don’t think I‘ve seen one since I experienced the band Gong in a dark cellar back in the early nineties. That time the main singer was a seventy-year-old Australian hippie in a shiny smurf suit. This was something else.

Sable the Game

A few songs in, Micelle announced from the stage that the next song was called Glider - a song from a video game called Sable where she wrote the music. Throughout the brilliant concert, there was always a well-produced video projected in the background. For this song, we got to see the main character fly through a cell-shaded scenery from a remote planet. Writing pop music, performing and writing a soundtrack to a beautiful videogame. I became a huge fan.

Crying in H Mart

Days later as we’re heading home and I’m mentioning to my friend that I read somewhere the singer also found the time to write. We locate the airport bookshop. We had little hope of finding the book between the bottled water and sleep-on-a-plane-neck-pillows, but suddenly it was there, center stage on display as it turned out to be on the NY Times bestseller list. Michelle Zauner's book is called Crying in the H Mart, a story about growing out of different cultures, losing loved ones, and becoming who you're always meant to be. We got copies and bawled our eyes out across the Atlantic. Strong stuff. Highly recommended.

The Landing

Coming home and wrapping up the journey and the different parts of this story I hope to share something of value. I think it’s about inspiration and how we tend to go to the same places to find it in the tech industry. We sign up for the popular meet-ups, share the TED talks, go to the summits, listen to the successful people in our own industry to learn how it was done and then try to replicate the script. I challenge you to go see a pop show, rock gig, rap show or a contemporary music concert with people who ooze creativity and energy. Exposing themselves to their users and audience. Getting 1:1 feedback. On the spot. This time, I discovered an amazing pop band, record, a beautiful indy game to play with my family, and got to read a book about a world I knew very little about.

So i encourage you to see something recommended by your hip friend in the industry or your weird nephew. Try locating younger humans with strange attire. Clothes too big or too small are a good indication they will have secrets about the good stuff. Being there, standing as a part of a crowd of people sharing an experience will sometimes be pure energy and surprisingly something our dusted-down lizard brain will hardwire onto. It could release a landslide of thoughts and ideas, but you have to let it happen. Enjoy the music ??