While I was at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in September, I got to meet one of my and my son’s musical heroes— Damian Kulash Jr., the front man of OK Go. If you don’t know the band’s work, I highly recommend you take five minutes right now and go to YouTube to watch any of their mind bending videos. The music is extraordinary, but the visuals will take your breath away and make you ask yourself, “How in the hell did they do that?”
In a world obsessed with perfection and predictability, I found that Damian Kulash offers a refreshing perspective on creativity that turns traditional thinking on its head. His approach to innovation is less about planning and more about play, discovery, and embracing the unexpected.
“We don’t start by knowing it,” Kulash explains about the creative process. “It’s all about discovering the thing.” This philosophy has been the driving force behind OK Go’s groundbreaking music videos that have captivated millions worldwide. From dancing on treadmills to creating intricate single-take videos with 64 iPhones, the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of artistic expression.
The secret to their creative success lies in what Kulash calls a “sandbox” approach to creativity. Instead of starting with a fully formed idea, they create a flexible space for exploration and collaborative innovation. “It allows everybody who’s involved to actually make the project better,” he notes. This method isn’t just about generating ideas, but about finding connections that spark something truly unique.
Failure is an integral part of this creative process. Kulash candidly shared a project where they spent months developing a video concept that ultimately looked “disgusting” – a mosaic of dancers creating a human face that turned out to be unexpectedly grotesque. But instead of giving up, they pivoted, finding new ways to approach the original concept.
Innovation, for Kulash, is about finding wonder in the world. He draws inspiration from unexpected sources, including his seven-year-old twins and the current moment of technological uncertainty. “I am amazed that it has made me love the world and find more wonder in the world,” he says, highlighting how creativity is fundamentally about maintaining a sense of childlike curiosity.
The band’s collaborative approach extends to their business model as well. They’ve remained fiercely independent, rejecting the traditional music industry model that prioritizes current trends over meaningful connections. “We want to make connections with our fans and listeners that last for a long time,” Kulash explains. The band does however partner with innovative brands for commercials at the Super Bowl and big experiential marketing events that create vastly different exposures and revenue streams than most bands.
Perhaps most importantly, Kulash understands that true creativity requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to play. “There’s very little that people haven’t tried or done,” he says. “It’s a matter of stumbling upon things that light some creative spark in yourself and then chasing them.”
For aspiring creators, Kulash offers a powerful message: creativity isn’t about having the perfect idea from the start. It’s about creating space for discovery, embracing collaboration, and remaining open to unexpected possibilities.
In a world that often demands certainty, OK Go reminds us that the most innovative ideas emerge from a willingness to explore, fail, and reimagine what’s possible.