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Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for graphic designers, no curiosity at all will surely kill creativity says Bob Hambly, a Toronto illustrator and creative director with Hambly & Woolley Inc. Speaking at the recent RDG Ontario’s Creative Business Summit in Toronto, Hambly referred to curiosity as the “designer’s secret weapon”. He said the act of being curious is a cyclical thing. From curiosity comes discovery, which in turn stimulates pleasure, and repetition of that pleasurable “thing” results in mastery which stimulates even more curiosity. What that means is that curious people are innovative, open-minded, creative, receptive and adaptive to change and above all, excellent learners. All great qualities of a graphic designer.

The sad part, Hambly stated, is that as we age, our desire to learn and our sense of curiosity begin to wane. As we progress more into adult hood, we become skeptics and even fearful. That once delightful sense of curiosity begins to shrink. At some point in our adult lives, we cease to play.

“We need to learn to play our whole lives,” said Hambly. “We shouldn’t associate it with being a child.”

As a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conventions of Print companies in Toronto and the surrounding area, Hambly always offers encouragement to graphic designers to be purposeful in nurturing their sense of curiosity. Hambly advises students to carry a notebook and a digital camera to record observations; to ask questions and challenge the thoughts and opinions of others in a non-judgmental way. Above all, take risks – failure is a great spawning ground for curiosity.

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