Growing up, Kyle Kesterson and his family hit the lowest of lows moving in and out of homeless shelters and standing in line at food and clothing banks. It led to frequently moving, attending 14 different schools, becoming one of the worst kids in the school district and finally dropping out after being told by teachers that he’ll “most likely end up flipping burgers, in jail, or dead.”

Discovering art and creative expression saved his life and put him on a path towards carving his own path and ultimately creating positive impact around him. You can get tickets hear his upcoming talk on ACTION August 7 at the Olympic Sculpture Park.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your career?
Creativity to me is just seeing something for more than what it’s labeled to be. Approaching an object or challenge with, “it could be this, or it could be this,” and playing with how it comes together, allows for that creative lens to stay flexible and flowing. It gets applied in every facet of my career, from solving problems, to building products and creating content, to managing teams and building culture, and to how we communicate internally and externally.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration?
My best creative inspiration comes right after reaching what I call the ‘butthole pucker factor’. It’s that threshold where comfort and fear meet, and after identifying the fear, I hold my breath and step into it as boldly as I can. It’s in those moments I am truly present, learn the most about what I am capable of, and come back with new ideas and energy. Lately it’s been adventuring through the wilderness with my dog, Bean.

What’s the one creative advice or tip you wish you’d known as a young person?
I wish I had learned earlier that purpose is birthed from struggle, and the more intense the struggle, the more of an opportunity for deeper impact. Knowing that would’ve shifted my experience to embracing the challenges and hardships as gifts for developing character and perspective.

Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings?
Richard Tait, Founder of Cranium / Golazo

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?
I make fun of everything.

What’s the most recent thing you learned (big or small)?
When your world is small, your problems are big. When your world is big, your problems are small. Dave Cole, former CEO of Redbox/Coinstar told me that, and has pushed me to make my world very big.

What myths about creativity would you like to set straight?
Creativity is not art, painting, design, sculpting, crafting, building. Those are just technical expressions of creativity. With creativity being just looking at something for more than what it is labeled to be, everyone is creative.

What has been one of your biggest Aha! moments in life?
Recently I’ve noticed that much of my creativity comes from avoiding pain and discomfort. If I happen to work myself into a comfortable situation, where I have little to no stress, I self-sabotage in a way that allows for chaos and challenges to surround me. That tension that builds lights me up and I reach new ways of seeing and thinking, which leads to fresh ideas and solutions.  

What is the one movie or book every creative must see/read?
Orbiting the Giant Hairball, Gordon MacKenzie