Author: Arthur Coddington

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Innovation is in the Flaw

Innovation is in the Flaw

Tonight I flew up to Portland to train for the world championships. This evening flight is always scenic. I looked out the window at magnificent views and wanted to take some photos.

The problem was, the plane windows were scratched. Any beautiful vista I saw was obscured by blurry smudges.

I tried to move my camera lens around the smudges, desperate for a crisp image. Then I imagined something different. What if the scratches weren’t a problem? What if they were the point? What if the photo were focused on the scratches?

My photo shoot immediately transformed. Once I figured out how to tame the primitive focusing abilities of my mobile phone camera, a new kind of image emerged. A more authentic Arthur image. My photographic style straddles the super formal and the worship of imperfection. By letting scratches be not only okay but the reason for the image, I let my creativity loose and reconnected to the kind of art I like to create.

Then a funny thing happened. The flight attendant, Lori, saw me trying to focus and took pity on me. She thought, “that poor guy is struggling so hard to get a nice sunset photo.” She asked for my phone and offered it to the passenger in front of me, hoping he could get a clearer image.

I thanked her and let her know my crazy-looking refocusing was on purpose. I could tell she didn’t quite understand. At the end of the flight, I showed her my favorite image and thanked her again for looking out for me. Not quite sure she believed my appreciation, but I think she got a better idea of the unconventional image I was trying to create.

The flaw – those damn scratches and smudges – were the key to innovation. I’m sure others have taken images like this before, and I’ve used this technique in the past of focusing on an unexpected foreground to create a different composition. Guess I had forgotten. I know I got better results tonight than if I clung to the rules.

It’s a good reminder. When I see something assumed to be a flaw, I’ll be looking for opportunities to innovate.

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Introversion Is Not Something We Grow Out Of

David Johnson has written a much-needed piece called “I Used To Be An Introvert, But” about people claiming to be former introverts. The bottom line: there is no such thing as getting over introversion and why would we want to anyway? We would give up the many traits that set introverts apart: strong abilities for idea synthesis, compelling leadership abilities that harness the skills of the entire team, or the enjoyment of both substantial conversation and quiet contemplation.

David eloquently explores possible motivations for fleeing from introversion. An underlying theme is a misunderstanding of what introversion actually is. So let’s bust some myths with four quick introversion essentials:

1. Introverts are not broken. There is nothing to fix. Introversion is one expression of a personality trait, no more a pathology than extroversion.

2. Introversion is not the same as shyness. There are shy extroverts and there are social introverts. While there is some overlap in the characteristics of introversion and shyness, they are different phenomena.

3. Introverts get saturated differently than extroverts. While extroverts tend to have little endurance for solitude, introverts have lower endurance for social stimulation. Both need to recharge in their preferred environments.

4. Introversion is worse than extroversion. Over the past 100 years, US culture has idealized extroversion, but remember three important things. (1) Before that, an introverted nature was as socially accepted as extroversion is now. Or more. (2) In many cultures around the world, introversion is the preferred personality type. And (3) some of the most effective business leaders in United States history have been introverts.

Introversion is not something we grow out of. It is simply a personality characteristic. We can choose to feel victimized by being an introvert, decide we are broken and give up on our dreams. Or we can embrace who we are, build skills on top of this one personality characteristic and change the world by being our ourselves.

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What Mountain Will You Climb At 61 Years Old?

This is a stunning video about passion, longevity, vitality and family.

Rock climber Francisco Marin is 61 years old. He found his passion, devoted himself to it, and wove the rest of his life around it. As he shows us photos from throughout his life, we see the richness, the many chapters, the varied interests, the other passions he has devoted himself to, the pride in his family. We see how he has simplified his life. In one small living space, he has everything he needs – at least during his current quest to climb Geminis.

EpicTV’s description of the video pitches it as a more difficult rock face than anyone his age has climbed, but it’s clear that the record isn’t what really matters to Marin. Devoting himself to this climb for two years has offered him something more. If I had to guess, it would be about stretching his limits, using his creativity to solve this climbing challenge, and sharing the experience with those he loves. Something we can all aspire to.

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Why Michael Phelps Shouldn’t Retire – And Neither Will I

Michael Phelps swam the 4th fastest 100m butterly time in the world tonight, and the media headlines are about losing.

This is how we know the media has no clue about elite performance.

Phelps, the greatest swimmer ever, finished second to Ryan Lochte, who may end up as the second best swimmer ever. He did it after taking two years off, gaining 30 pounds, then quietly training back into shape over the last six months.

Today’s placement wasn’t about winning or losing. It was a kickoff. An experiment. The smile he showed in the prelims showed it has elements of a game. It’s fun.

While I’m sure Phelps would have been pumped to win, his results show he still belongs among the world’s elite swimmers. That he could be so competitive after such a short time training should terrify his rivals.
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