Welcome to another edition of the Visual Thinking Toolbox newsletter. Today, I want to explore a theme that is as ancient as it is perpetually relevant, failure. It’s a concept that shapes our very DNA, prompting where we go, helping us grow in our personal and our professional lives.
Back To The Drawing Board:
Failure and Creativity
As I sit here, sipping my morning tea and glancing at the book on my desk that I have just purchased, “Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull, the words seem to leap off the pages, offering wisdom born from years of creative endeavour. Catmull, co-founder of Pixar, shares the roller-coaster ride of the creative process, filled with peaks of triumph and valleys of despair. One statement, in particular, reverberates in my mind: “Don’t use failure as a weapon.”
Isn’t it curious how we often isolate failure, viewing it as a finality rather than a passage? We brand ourselves as either successful or unsuccessful, failing to see the grey areas that lie in between. Catmull urges us to shift our perspective, to see failure not as a defeat but as a pivotal transition.
How many lightbulbs does it take to change an Edison?
This reminds me of Thomas Edison and his iconic invention, the lightbulb. Contrary to the myth of a sudden eureka moment, Edison’s journey was marked by relentless experimentation. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,” he famously remarked. Each setback was a step, a learning curve that illuminated the path to success.
Misadventure Time
If you haven’t guessed already, I am a big fan of storytelling, drawing and animation. “Adventure Time,” delivers all three with aplomb. It’s very whimsical but also profound. Lots of animated series tackle more adult themes. Adventure Time often explores the theme of failure. Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, despite their heroic intentions, often face setbacks and mistakes. These failures are essential experiences that shape their growth and understanding. Each misadventure reveals the resilience and adaptability of the characters, which emphasises that failure is a natural part of life’s journey. The show beautifully illustrates that from each mishap, there is a lesson to be learned, and that true adventure lies in embracing and overcoming these failures with courage and creativity. We love it!
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something."
Jake the Dog
Samuel Beckett’s words, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better,” encapsulate the spirit of perseverance. And Winston Churchill, the epitome of resilience, reminds us, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
In the world of basketball, Michael Jordan’s candid reflections on his career—missing over 9,000 shots and losing almost 300 games—highlight the integral role of failure in achieving greatness. “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Now, how does visual thinking help us navigate failure? Through our whiteboard animations and multi-modal approaches, we visualise and dissect complex ideas, seeing the connections and uncovering the weaknesses. This method isn’t just about understanding—it’s about creative problem-solving and forging deeper connections between ideas.
Artistic Insights: Learning from the Unexpected and The Surprising
Performance Art and the Edge of Human
Marina Abramović, the audacious performance artist, also embraces failure. In her piece “Rhythm 5,” her unconsciousness due to smoke inhalation wasn’t just a mishap but a profound element of the performance, pushing her to explore the boundaries of consciousness in her subsequent works.
Sculpting Perfection from Imperfection
Take Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. Each chisel strike, each moment of doubt, each correction—these weren’t failures but iterations towards perfection. From a flawed block of marble emerged a masterpiece, the process itself a testament to resilience and vision.
Ed Catmull’s reflections on Pixar’s creative culture offer another perspective. The “Braintrust” meetings, where feedback is candid and failures are seen as opportunities for growth, underscore the importance of embracing failure. The near-failure of “Toy Story 2” and the subsequent turnaround exemplify the power of honesty and resilience in the creative process.
In business, the “fail fast, fail often” mentality has been shown to spur innovation. Embracing this approach, as highlighted by a Harvard Business Review study, encourages a culture where creativity thrives, turning failures into stepping stones for success.
The Interconnectedness of Visual Thinking and Creativity
Visual thinking thrives on the interplay between failure and creativity. It’s about seeing beyond the immediate flaws, and envisioning possibilities. At We Are Cognitive we believe in the power of visual communication to transform understanding. Our work in whiteboard animation and multimodal approaches illustrates how breaking down complex ideas into visual narratives can demystify failure and turn it into a learning experience.
Our pillars—inform, teach, enable and inspire—guide this transformation:
Inform
We make data clear and understandable, showing how failure is part of the learning curve.
Teach
Step-by-step visual instruction helps our audience navigate through failures towards success.
Enable
By leading hearts and minds, we encourage a mindset that sees failure as an opportunity for growth.
Inspire
By leading hearts and minds, we encourage a mindset that sees failure as an opportunity for growth.
The Beauty of Imperfection
Reflecting on failure, I often think of how interconnected our ideas are. Consider the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold. The cracks, once seen as flaws, become the most beautiful part of the object, symbolising resilience and the beauty of imperfection. Similarly, our creative journeys are laced with failures that, when embraced, can become the most profound parts of our narrative.
In practical terms, recognising the value of failure can significantly enhance our problem-solving skills. As we navigate today’s world, understanding and embracing failure is more critical than ever. Each setback paves the way for a comeback. So, as you chart your course, remember that every failure brings you closer to your goals. Explore, experiment, and embrace failure—it’s just another step in your journey.
Further Reading
For further reading, I recommend “Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull and “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck. These works explore the importance of embracing failure and fostering creativity, offering insights applicable to any field.
Are you frustrated with your comms? Do you ever wonder if your organisation’s communications are hitting the mark? Find out with our Communications Scorecard Quiz!
Thank you for joining me on this exploration of failure and creativity. Keep thinking visually, stay creative, and remember—failure is just part of the journey. You’ll bounce back.
Warm regards,
Andrew & The Visual Thinking Toolbox Team
If you could pin down the essence of truth, could you draw it? That’s the question that lingered in my mind after speaking with Dan Ariely for my RSA Animate documentary—a project allowing me to reconnect with some of the most compelling thinkers of our time.