Piercing the Barrier of Disbelief – PopTech Inspiration

So I am writing this the morning after Nelson Mandela has left us. An example of “piercing the barrier of disbelief,” if there ever was one. Nelson Mandela is probably as far from the skateboarding community as one can get, but he shared many of the same commitments to creativity, perseverance and the power of acceptance. This is not a post on Nelson Mandela, but a reflection on a powerful and inspiring talk I saw at PopTech 2013.

Rodney Mullen is a professional skateboarder, company owner, inventor and also known as the “Godfather of Street Skating.” In his talk he said, “piercing the barrier of disbelief,” which continues to resonate with me. This is something that we, as creative individuals, have to do everyday to help our colleagues and clients solve their challenges in ways they never thought about.

Rodney emphasized the importance of culture to inspire. The importance of a supportive culture cannot be written off as a touchy-feely, nice-to-have when collaborative problem solving is critical for business success.

As creative professionals, we create something out of nothing everyday, in a way “jumping off a cliff.” It is important to acknowledge that surrounding yourself with people that uplift your beliefs, and “catch you,” is critical to sustaining creative momentum. Sustaining a culture that believes collectively to “pierce the barrier of disbelief,” is the not-so-secret ingredient to your business success.