The creative industry loves to talk about solutions. But what if our greatest asset is problems? What if the very thing we like to avoid — the thing we see as an unwelcome or uncomfortable obstacle to doing our most significant work — is, in fact, the most essential part?

In our talk, Arielle Bodenstein and I argue for the importance of problems in our work and in the world. Drawing on our experience as strategists and storytellers, we explore what it could look like when we embrace complexity, seek out friction, and see the potential in problems.