Why Creativity is an Act of Optimism

Laurel Stark reminds us how remarkable it is that we make things.

Laurel Stark is a belonging-obsessed creative director and brand marketer with a history of building teams and experiences that pierce culture and drive business and humanity forward. From globally recognized inclusion efforts like The One Club/3% Movement’s Next Creative Leaders program to boundary-pushing work for brands like Google, TikTok, and the Sims, Laurel’s ideas have been called “world changing” by Fast Company and “industry bettering” by Adweek.

I decided to interview Laurel about a keynote she recently delivered with a message we all really, really need to hear right about now.

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KG: Recently you were asked to address Microsoft on a topic of your choice and you chose "Creativity and Optimism." What drew you to this subject? 

LS: My dear friend and collaborator, Kiana Pirouz, and I regularly voicenote back and forth about our daily observations on the intersection of media, culture, and creativity. The day before I got asked to give this talk, I was chatting with Kiana about how choosing to be creative right now feels revolutionary because of how much optimism it takes. 

In a time that calls for radical re-imagining on just about every front, I wanted to help creative people tap into that delusional optimism. The optimism that lets us dream up an idea from scratch, and believe in its potential so deeply that we literally will it into existence. Without instructions. Without proof it’s possible. And often in the face of naysayers and against ridiculous odds. 

Whether we want to hear it or not, we are being called in this moment to imagine a better world—something that isn’t real yet, but could be if we sit with it long enough. 

KG: I wholeheartedly agree.

In your keynote, you shared that "the brain is velcro for bad experiences and teflon for good ones." How can we overcome this evolutionary pitfall in our creative pursuits, which are inherently vulnerable? 

LS: A neuroscientist named Dr. Rick Hanson actually discovered that the human brain has a natural negativity bias. So we are actually wired to internalize negative experiences more deeply than positive ones.

How wild is that?

But once you acknowledge that your brain is lying to you to keep you safe, you can start looking for proof of times that being optimistic worked out: a brave project that won an award, a leap of faith you took in a job that massively paid off. You'll start to notice that in spite of what your brain says, staying optimistic is actually a self-fulfilling prophecy. If finding that optimistic mindset feels like too much of a leap in these times (trust me, I understand), aim to just stay curious about what's possible.

Curiosity is the gateway drug to optimism.

KG: Truer words were never spoken. If I was a tattoo person, I would ink that across my forehead.

I love how you address silliness as an ingredient in solutions. I recently talked about the importance of mischief to great marketing in a keynote I delivered. Why do we forget the playfulness of creativity that was instinctive to us as children? 

LS: I blame our workplaces. It's my deep hope that the future of work will be designed for creativity. Because the current workplace model is designed for conformity and efficiency: decidedly NOT for creativity. Take those structures and systems that weren't built for us, and add the pressures of shrinking timelines, finances, the evolving expectations of leadership, and the fact that the world is on fire, and it's no wonder we have a hard time accessing that sense of wonder and playfulness that seemed so available to us as kids. Revolutionary creativity requires us to dream beyond our current reality—and we so rarely have the physical, emotional, or mental space to truly do that as working creatives.

KG: Tell us about your "Optimistic Three" 

LS: This is a tool I use to get into the optimistic mindset. By reframing the challenge as an opportunity, and “organizing” the opportunity into the right category, you can right size the ask and organize your approach to it. 

The “Optimistic Three” categories are: 

1. A brief no one asked for. This is a special kind of opportunity, because the only person who can assign it to you—is you. Whether you realize that a process you need is missing and feel compelled to take it on, or you’re moved to action by a headline you see out in the world—this category is special, because when the problem picks you, it means you’re in a unique position to deliver a revolutionary solution.

2. Level up the original ask. This is when the opportunity to do something for your company or community intersects with a bigger opportunity to make a difference. It’s the yes and of opportunities. It’s probably the most common kind of opportunity, and the most flexible, because you can decide what “make an additional difference” actually means.

3. Take a super big swing. These opportunities call you to think well outside the status quo. To disrupt a sector or go against “best practices.” They really don’t come along often. But when they do, it’s important that you dig deep and find your bravery, because they’re the chance to prove that the potential win outweighs the potential risk.

KG: Very cool. Now, tell us about your  "Abundant Formula." 

LS: You’ve heard of girl math, well this is my version of creative math. This formula is designed to break you out of delivering the safe option, and help you take a step back and ask yourself some bigger questions so you can really unlock optimistic creativity.

Desire (What would we like to do, feel, or accomplish)

+ Discomfort (What reality feels limiting or at odds with my desire) 

x Best possible outcome (What feels like the most exciting, fulfilling solution at this moment)

The desire should always be simple and singular. The discomfort should always be brutally honest—what are you really up against? And the best possible outcome is to get you thinking beyond what would be “good enough.” This is where you really let optimism lead.

KG: In your Microsoft keynote, you shared 3 key projects from your career that model your Optimistic Three and Abundant Formula. Of the three, which one do you feel most embodies optimism? 

My favorite kind of project is “a brief no one asked for.” And Next Creative Leaders is the result of the first time I ever felt called to answer a brief I hadn’t been given.

In 2015 I was an aspiring creative leader and I found myself utterly uninspired and rather sad that almost everything I saw that was celebrating creativity—from juries to promotions to “top creative lists” spoke to white men being the mold. I didn’t see myself in those creative leaders, in their words, their leadership style, or their work. And it nagged at me until I had the courage (and a BIG IDEA) to do something about it.

Abundant formula for Next Creative Leaders.

The desire: To see more diversity in who got a platform in our industry—be that a promotion, a jury opportunity, or the chance to talk about their work.

The discomfort: I was at odds with the awards machine in our industry that skewed so heavily in favor of white men, and it was overwhelming to think about how to make that loop of success more inclusive.

The best possible outcome: Creating an impact that became a self-fulfilling prophecy—by celebrating a wider representation of creative leaders, we normalize a broader definition of creative leadership in our industry.

Turns out a brief no one asked for led to something I can’t picture our industry—or my life— without. Developed collaboratively with The One Club for Creativity and The 3% Movement, Next Creative Leaders has grown into a truly unique, international creative competition that identifies, celebrates, and gives a global platform to talented women and gender expansive creatives who are making their mark on the world through their work and leadership. We’re a true representation of the future of the industry. And in the past nine years we’ve been running, we’ve helped accelerate the careers of 169 intersectional creatives around the world. We’re definitely the self-fulfilling prophecy I hoped for back in 2015.

KG: Amen to all of that. I’ve been amazed at the caliber of entries and how simply inviting people who aren’t the “usual suspects” to self-nominate has resulted in a celebration of phenomenal talent that may have gone unnoticed without Next Creative Leaders.

One final question for you, Laurel. After everything you shared in your Microsoft keynote, did anything surprise you about the questions from the audience?

LS: As a queer woman who has made a career out of being in rooms where I felt like an outsider, it's never lost on me what a privilege it is to be invited into the room and asked to share my perspective. I cherish the opportunities to be in community this way. Questions came up on AI, DEI, and how to show up authentically for our colleagues, customers, and our kids. I was truly touched by how many people embraced the learning opportunity so they could step into optimism and lead in this moment. It gave me a lot of hope for our industry and our world. 

KG: That is an optimistic way to close out a talk about optimism! I want to invite my newsletter readers to keep learning from you on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Until next time, remember that culture is the new creativity.