The Art of Discovery: Living for the Surprises of the Day
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You may’ve heard me say before: creativity lives where you let it. Your creative surroundings don’t have to be perfect—they just need to be yours. You may’ve also heard me say that we shouldn’t wait for inspiration to strike before we act, create, or explore.
I hold onto those two truths. And today, I’d love to add a third: The Art of Discovery.
When we wake up in the morning, we don’t usually expect to be surprised. And if we are, it’s often by something stressful—a work fire to put out, a problem we didn’t see coming.
But what if surprise could come through discovery?
We often think of surprises as something gifted to us—an unexpected joy from someone else. But what if we stopped waiting for surprise to find us…and started looking for it instead?
Think about it this way: What if we approached our surroundings with calm curiosity—not just with our eyes, but with our full senses, our full selves?
Maybe today you’ll notice a coffee shop with beautiful arched windows instead of the graffiti on the sidewalk.
Maybe you’ll wander into an old library filled with green-and-gold lamps and literary treasures, rather than seeing just another building in a sea of buildings.
Maybe you’ll find a quiet nature trail tucked away in serenity, instead of focusing on the bustling city streets.
Our surroundings aren’t limited to our bedrooms, bathrooms, or living rooms. They’re everything we’re in proximity to. And when we pay attention, we may be surprised by what we’ve overlooked.
If we let it, this kind of discovery can fuel our creativity. It can spark fresh ideas. It can shift our perspective and energize our work—whatever that work may be.
Sometimes we wait to be surprised. But the surprise is already all around us. We just have to choose to see it.
So, what will you choose to see today, my friend, to live for the surprises of the day?
