If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it. - Isadora Duncan
In this video, participants in IdeaFestival 2012 explain that curiosity is a crucial and restless state of mind.
Emily Foerster, for example, points out that while any business must of course pay attention to profit and loss statements and return on investment, not taking time out "to play" will harm its future prospects.
With its question-answer-question dynamic, Baratunde Thurston calls curiosity a "virtuous cycle of magic."
But my favorite quote comes from artist Hasan Elahi, who helpfully points out that "interesting things come from people interested in things." In other words, it's impossible to deliver something of interest without having an interest.
What I appreciate so much about the Duncan quote at the top is that meaningful outcomes require of us a certain belief, an interest in possibility and a willingness to reinterpret the facts of the matter in a different way, to be open-minded rather than singleminded, to think "what if?" instead of "what for?"
Curiosity is the dance.
I hope to see you at IdeaFestival 2013!
Wayne