The Cities of the Sea

The cities of the sea. Isn’t that a beautiful phrase? It speaks to the poet in me; one day I’ll figure out a way to use it creatively.

It’s from a book called Where Good Ideas Come From, by Steven Johnson. You can imagine what the book is about from its title, but what you might not expect is the extended and lovely analogy inside, between creative spaces and coral reefs.

My first reading, years ago, made me think of diversity & inclusion. I was engaged with work projects that had me seeing things through that lens, and Johnson makes wonderful arguments for the good diversity provides when it comes to innovation.

Now, though, I think I missed a key point.

Now, I see the book more as a thoughtful and unique commentary on courage. Not just the courage to build environments where creativity and dynamic thinking thrive, but the courage to purposefully go put ourselves in those spaces.

Coral reefs are sometimes referred to as “the cities of the sea.” They both attract and support the wonderfully diverse ocean life that calls them home. And actual cities, with their diverse populations, are hotbeds of innovation because they bring different people and ideas together. And so any spaces—physical or virtual—that have this “cities of the sea” dynamic will be ones where the serendipitous ideas happen.

And we can put ourselves in those spaces!

You’ve surely heard the adage that “fortune favors the prepared mind.” Well, Johnson writes, “Chance favors the connected mind.”

I spent a lot of time in 2022 in the NFT space, commonly known as “web3” if you’re unfamiliar with it. And without explaining the broader philosophy of web3, I’ll tell you what happened when I connected with others in that space: my learning curve accelerated. My inspiration went up like it hasn’t in years. I made emojis (after googling how), built a wiki, wrote a blog, began learning productivity tools and audio editing. Started seeing myself as a creator in ways I never had. Realized I was far more capable of helping others than I’d believed.

All from having the courage to jump into a space “where people are encouraged to explore their own interests and passions, and where there is a culture of collaboration and sharing.”

We’re unlikely to do our best work, or become our best selves, in isolation. The more we can find or create spaces where we connect across difference, across geography or hobbies or interests, the more likely we’ll encounter things that make us better.

Things that maybe help us make other people, or even the world, better.