Weekly Reflection #20 - Play and Rigor
Each week, I share one insight. One piece of wisdom. One question to reflect on. (and a little Lagniappe)
Insight
Claude Shannon juggled in the hallways of Bell Labs. He built a flame-throwing trumpet. He rode a unicycle through the office. He was also the father of information theory, the mathematical foundation that drives every digital system you've ever touched.
Shannon relentlessly followed problems that fascinated him. Information theory started as a puzzle he couldn't put down. He was a mind at play and the world-changing part was just a side effect.
Play and rigor aren't opposites. They're the same thing when you're genuinely curious.
Wisdom
If you start from the position that there is no right or wrong, no good or bad, and creativity is just free play with no rules, it's easier to submerge yourself joyfully in the process of making things. We're not playing to win, we're playing to play. And ultimately, playing is fun.
Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Reflection
What would you build if no one was watching and there was no ROI to justify?
Lagniappe
- I've recently built a place to play with ideas. Check it out. My first experiment on func.lol is live: Prime Moments. Enter your family's birthdays and find out when everyone's age is prime at the same time. My family's current prime moment inspired it. Pure play, no practical purpose.
- Debug Mode DELAYED - Pushing the FREE Office Hours back one week. Next session is April 23rd at 11AM Central on YouTube Live.
- As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Reply and let me know what resonates.