This is my 2nd story from this year’s Fast Company Innovation Festival. I get so inspired every year, and this year was no different. I had the chance to hear from three creative forces who don’t just work in different industries, they bend them: Karl Lieberman, Jeff Staple, and Ego Nwodim [one of my favorite players from Saturday Night Live]. What struck me most wasn’t their resumes (which are impressive enough), but the common threads in how they approach creativity, no matter the field.
Where Breakthroughs Really Come From
Karl Lieberman, the guy behind the Dos XX “Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign, admitted it started in about 60 seconds by writing down things he and his team were embarrassed about. They used their own imperfections, and vulnerabilities, and turned them into things that Mr. Interesting would wear as a badge of honor, rather than disgrace. It’s a great reminder: big ideas don’t always need big, drawn-out processes. Check your insides first.
Streetwear Designer Jeff Staple, who created the iconic NYC pigeon Nike sneaker, brought the market reality check. “If I just said I’m only going to make things that I would wear, I would be broke.” His 80 /20 rule keeps him balanced between personal taste and what people actually want. Creativity, in other words, lives in the tension between your vision and the world’s needs.
Authenticity Wins Every Time
Ego Nwodim, with her trademark candor, talked about how she created the viral SNL character Miss Aggie. It wasn’t about some elaborate method acting invention; instead, she brilliantly mimicked how she already spoke with her friends. The lesson? The version of you that people connect with most is usually the one you don’t overthink.
When Creativity Gets Messy
Every panelist acknowledged the obvious: creativity is not a straight line. They each had their ways of handling the messiness:
- Give ideas time to marinate
- Don’t fear failure, it’s just part of the process
- Stay loose, stay adaptable
As Staple put it, “The reservoir of creativity is limitless… park it and you’ll see it’ll come back when it’s ready.”
The Edge of Satire
Lieberman said advertising works best when it doesn’t feel like advertising. (Wouldn’t that be nice?) Nwodim added the comedian’s perspective: knowing which jokes not to put into the world is as important as knowing the ones that land.
How often do we try to oversell our ideas or put too many ideas into one slide, one meeting, one initiative, when authentic clarity is what our audiences really need?
Resilience is the Secret Ingredient
Nwodim closed with a line that stuck with me: “In comedy, I can stand up here and fail in front of all these people, which is great in that it’ll be a reminder to me of my resilience.” If failure is rehearsal for resilience, then maybe we should all get more comfortable with it.
So what do we take away?
- Bring your real self into your work.
- Experiment and let yourself fail.
- Keep moving, because creativity rarely flows in straight lines.
- Use humor, it keeps the process human.
- Don’t be afraid to push boundaries.
The throughline? Creativity isn’t about polish or perfection. It’s about showing up honestly, rolling with the mess, and daring to put something new into the world. Whether you’re writing copy, designing sneakers, or telling jokes, the challenge is the same: stay true, keep going and stay thirsty my friends!