As a mother of a 2-year-old little daughter, I have to answer very basic questions about every 5-10 minutes, challenging and developing my personal ability to give quick and understandable answers to a lovely face who wants to know. “What this?” “What that?”, and I can already sense the Whys and Hows coming along in the next few months… I thought I’d get prepared to answer her future questions and try and answer it simply.

What is innovation?

Sometimes people create things and discover there’s a better way to create or better things to create. Innovation is when you decide to go “better”.

What does better mean?

Well, it depends who you’re talking about. Some will find “better” in “more money”, others in “more comfort”, others in “more time”, others in “more equality”, “more peace”… It simply means you realise something is missing and you want to create it.

Can we make a better world with innovation?

As said, it depends what you want to do with innovation and what “better” world means. Creating a single definition of “better world” that suits everyone on earth would actually be a innovation in itself, and I’m sure a lot of people are working on it. I actually try to work on it myself so you can be proud of your mum one day and maybe follow me creating a better world.

Can children be innovative as well?

I think children innovate every day, like when you learn how to walk and then run and then jump, you improve your own movements that get you where you want to go (and grab chocolate on the table, for example). I think adults should go back to being child and learning the importance of what they know, what they don’t know, so they can change their way of being, living, and relearn basic values like sharing and caring for others that we tend to forget when… we think “better world” means “more money for me”.

So I am innovation as well?

Yes, we are all innovation. But you’re by far my favorite one.

On that funny note, I’ll go and paint my daughter’s future room, and will get her back home to answer her oh so many questions. I love that job.

Have a nice week-end!