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To our highly creative brains, a sound is never a sound. These vibrations that pervade our lives contain layers of meaning—a range of questions, intentions, and purposes.

Even the absence of sound contains a world of uncertainty and curiosities, sometimes peace.

We are a species that flourishes when we're seen, when our work matters, and when we connect with and understand one another. What makes all of this possible is the posture of transparency—the willingness to be seen, knowing that transparency may not always be reciprocated or appreciated.

Magic is about adding layers of wonder and surprise in our lives. Whether it’s the magic of a workplace, a show, performance, or one of those moments with great customer support, it awakens our senses and makes us pay attention to the world, encouraging us to appreciate details that are elusive in everyday life.

As the British author, Roald Dahl once said, “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

Whether it’s butter in coffee, bacon on donuts, fashion in the 80’s making a return, or the culture of an organization, weirdness reveals that there are no rules or right answers. Weirdness widens the edges of the status quo, and if we allow it, it adds beauty to our lives because it introduces us to a multitude of complexities that we may be ignoring.

Whether it’s love for another person, love for our work, or a simple love like watching the sunrise or going for a walk, it is an emotion that is the lifeblood of our being. It can confuse and hurts us, but equally true, it can lift us up into a place where meaning and fulfillment pulsates like a heart. Love is simple, but naturally as human beings, we make it complex.

Gaze and eye contact are simple acts, but when our attention transforms into vigilance, we begin to notice things that weren’t immediately obvious. We might notice an extra space in a paragraph or details within the texture of the page that weren’t appreciated. When we turn our eyes to the government, healthcare, traditional education or public transportation, we realize how broken everything is; it makes you wonder how the world stays intact. The difference between those who make change and those who don’t is the difference between pointing at something and saying it’s broken versus pointing at it and saying, “I am going to fix this.”

The theme was chosen by our Washington, DC chapter and illustrated by Donald Ely. This month 142 cities are not only showing you what’s broken in the world, but will also share the framework and mindset for noticing these opportunities, weaving together resources and people, and making a meaningful change that lasts.

Some speakers include:

Akiko Kobayashi, an architect for 15 years and a Passivhaus designer, uses design thinking to help groups explore their proposal and communicate their vision. (Edinburgh)

Conn Bertish, creative director at Cancer Dojo, aims to empower people facing cancer with the tools and techniques to strengthen the human immune system and ultimately enable a more positive outcome. (Cape Town)

Monty Montague, co-founder of BOLTGroup and a winner of various prestigious design awards including four Gold IDEA awards, is passionate about product innovation and design. (Charlotte)

April was all about risk — and the circumstances and perspectives that exist in order for us to take one. This month, we're delving deeper into those circumstances and defining our realities. Reality, on the surface, feels so tangible; so concrete. But (to, perhaps cheaply, use a turn of phrase), in reality, it isn't quite so simple. Our existence is made of several truths, always shifting under our feet.

As a community of creatives, entrepreneurs, community organizers, and out-of-the-box thinkers, we’re no strangers to taking risks. We're comfortable with (and simply inspired by) taking chances in the face of uncertainty. But what's at stake?