The Marriage of Order and Chaos

As we enter a new age of uncertainty, I am thinking about order and chaos, stability and freedom, and the best ways to move forward in work, art, and life.
 
Some fundamental truths
 
Chaos is a fundamental property of nature; change is a constant. Complexity and interdependence push and pull to create a sensuous irregularity in all things. 
 
And yet, humans thrive on order. In a precarious world that is ever devolving into entropy, we strive for stability, safety, and boundaries. 
 
The art of branding
 
I think about this as I help my clients with brand positioning. Good branding is stable, consistent, and clear. But good companies are innovative and changing all the time. So, the artistry of branding is in threading that needle between stability and freedom.
 
In an ideal world, chaos and creativity give birth to invention, and organized minds make sense of it all and turn it into something useful. This is the alchemy of progress.
 
In pursuit of excellence
 
Innovation requires freedom but also a stable base to launch from - well-developed capabilities, a proven market context, a consistent voice, a community of supporters. Inspired innovation, like great art, is mindful and intentional, solidly anchored in routine and reality. What’s required for soaring success is, in fact, extraordinary groundedness.
 
In pursuit of excellence in any realm, we work with this balance of order and chaos. We imagine, dream and create, and at the same time make commitments, seek security, and hold close what we hold dear. It is only from a safe base that we can bravely explore the world and create the as-yet-unimagined.