The Courage to Create

What Clerkenwell Design Week taught me about the real influence shaping our industry

During my first visit to Clerkenwell Design Week in London, I expected to see beautiful products, emerging trends, and innovative workplace solutions. I expected to be inspired by design.

What I didn't expect was to leave thinking about courage.

One of the highlights of the trip was an unexpected meeting with Nora Arratibel, the CEO of Ondarreta, a leading Spanish furniture manufacturer. As she shared the story of the business her grandfather started and how the company has evolved over the years, I found myself thinking less about the products in the showroom and more about the people behind them.

Over the next several days, I noticed a pattern.

Showroom after showroom featured remarkable products from small and independent manufacturers. There was incredible craftsmanship, bold creativity, and thoughtful use of materials. Every product seemed to tell a story. Every collection reflected a unique perspective.

And beneath all of it was something even more important.

Courage.

The courage to create something that doesn't yet exist. The courage to challenge conventional thinking. The courage to take an idea from concept to completion without any guarantee of success. 

As I walked through Clerkenwell, I realized I wasn't simply looking at furniture. I was looking at the result of countless people choosing to create.  Like Archie Symes, the founder of Rable Studio, who created this stunning floor lamp from English Oak with a veneer shade.  I was amazed by this simple, yet beautiful piece of art.

The Hidden Force Behind Innovation

When we talk about innovation in our industry, we often focus on the finished product. We admire the chair, the workstation, the acoustic solution, or the textile. We talk about functionality, aesthetics, materials, and performance.

What we don't always talk about is what came before it.

Every product begins with an idea. Someone sketched it on paper. Someone wondered if a different material might work. Someone challenged an industry assumption.

Someone invested time, energy, and resources into bringing that idea to life.

Innovation doesn't begin with certainty. It begins with courage.

It takes courage to pursue a new idea when others aren't convinced. It takes courage to invest in development before knowing whether the market will respond. It takes courage to create something different when it would be easier to follow what everyone else is doing.

That reality was visible throughout Clerkenwell.

Why Small Businesses Have Such a Big Influence

One of my biggest takeaways from the experience was the sheer number of small businesses contributing to the global design conversation.

These companies may not have the largest budgets, the largest teams, or the largest market share. What many of them do have is the freedom to experiment.

They can explore an unconventional idea. They can pursue a niche opportunity. They can take a creative risk. They can focus on craftsmanship instead of scale. They can create something simply because they believe it deserves to exist.

This chair from Sitia, an Italian manufacturer, is a perfect example of that.

That's not to suggest profitability isn't important. Every business must be sustainable. But many of the most memorable products I encountered felt like they were born from passion and purpose before production forecasts and sales projections entered the conversation.

That willingness to create is what gives small businesses such an outsized influence on our industry.

Throughout history, some of the most impactful ideas have started on the edges before moving into the mainstream.

Small businesses often serve as the testing ground for new thinking, new materials, new processes, and new approaches that eventually influence the broader market.

A Lesson Beyond Furniture

As I reflected on the trip, I realized this lesson extends far beyond product design. The courage to create isn't just for designers and manufacturers. Leaders create culture. Entrepreneurs create opportunities. Mentors create confidence. Teams create solutions.

Each of us creates something through our work.

Yet too often, we wait for certainty before taking action. We wait until we have all the answers. We wait until the timing feels perfect. We wait until the risk feels manageable.

But meaningful progress rarely begins that way.

Whether you're launching a new product, starting a business, proposing an idea, changing careers, or stepping into a leadership role, growth usually begins with the willingness to move forward before you know exactly how everything will turn out.

That's courage.

And it's a quality our industry, and one our world needs more of.  I’m grateful to my friend and business partner, Michelle Warren, for suggesting we make the trip to London to experience Clerkenwell Design Week.  It’s a week I won't forget.

The Influence That Matters Most

Long after I've forgotten many of the individual products I saw at Clerkenwell Design Week, I'll remember the people behind them.

The founders. The designers. The craftspeople. The entrepreneurs. The people willing to bring an idea into the world without any guarantee of success.

When we talk about global influences on interiors, it's easy to focus on trends, materials, technologies, or workplace strategies. All of those things matter.

But perhaps the most powerful influence shaping our industry today is something much simpler.

It's the courage to create, along with the stories of those having the courage to take action. 

And many of the ideas shaping the future of work begin with a small business, a bold idea, and someone willing to believe it's possible.

So I'll leave you with this question: What would you create if you had the courage to begin?

A new product? A new business? A new career path? A new idea that challenges conventional thinking?

Whatever it is, the future has always belonged to those willing to take the first step before they have all the answers.