We are in the midst of a brainstorming for the McKay & Co. logo and website. The inspiration for the visuals are for the moment (everything can always change and surprise us in an innovation process...) very much associated with the mountain symbol for a very simple reason:
This summer, in the whirlwind of my brown-out, I read David Brooks's book "The second mountain" and I found his words thought-provoking, for someone like me who’s interested in innovation and collective intelligence.
For the author, there are two mountains you can climb in life. The first mountain is that of individual freedom: it is the mountain of autonomy and action, of personal happiness and independence. The problem is that people, in this climb, are sometimes unable to find meaning in their lives and, in the absence of that "why" (the big WHY!), they constantly choose short-term fulfillment. The ascent of the first mountain usually ends with a plunge into the valley of suffering ...
The second mountain, on the other hand, is the mountain of commitment: it is the mountain of meaning, reciprocity and interdependence. Choosing a life of commitment, of interdependence (and putting one's ego a little aside) is choosing a better future, not just for oneself, but for everyone. It resonated for me and the intention that I put into my everyday work.
This summer, to embellish the McKay & Co. office, I ordered Blanca Gomez's "Nadadora" creations. I love these two illustrations since, unlike what Brook writes, I believe that the place between the two mountains is not necessarily a place of suffering, but perhaps a place of clarity and acceptance of one's basic and legitimate needs. As in the illustration, the descent can be dizzying, a plunge into the void, but the destination in the valley can be calm and silent. It can be an exquisite moment, like a peaceful swim in a lake.
So I'm not afraid to cross these two mountains, and to have a pit stop in the valley. And that's exactly what I want to relay to McKay & Co. ; the simple idea that in order to innovate and reinvent oneself, individually and collectively, the view of the valley is just as important to contemplate, as the panorama from the top of these two mountains.
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