Description
Creativity is something all of us are born with. As children, we draw, sing, imagine wild stories, and build strange inventions. We do this without fear, without hesitation, and without thinking whether it is right or wrong. Over time, however, society teaches us to become “normal.” Schools reward the right answer more than original ideas. Workplaces praise discipline over experimentation. Slowly, that free spark fades, and many adults begin to believe they are not creative at all. But the truth is that creativity never dies—it only gets buried under rules, traditions, and expectations.
The book Orbiting the Giant Hairball is about rediscovering that lost creative energy, even if you are working inside a large company with endless rules. The “hairball” is the author’s image for bureaucracy. It is made of tangled policies, systems, and traditions that keep growing and wrapping around everything. Once you fall deep into the hairball, you risk becoming stuck, following old rules without room for new ideas. The book shows how to avoid being trapped without having to completely quit the company. Instead of escaping, you can “orbit” the hairball—close enough to contribute, but far enough to stay original.
The first important message is that everyone is naturally creative. When the author asked first graders if they were artists, almost every hand shot up. By sixth grade, only one or two hands remained raised. This is proof that society slowly teaches us to put our creative genius aside. To rediscover it, we must embrace the childlike willingness to be foolish. Foolishness is not the same as recklessness—it is the courage to try, to play, and to see things differently.
The second key idea is that corporations naturally create hairballs. They start with a single rule, then another, then hundreds more. Each rule may seem useful at first, but together they become heavy and restrictive. Just like gravity, the larger the hairball grows, the stronger its pull becomes. People inside begin to believe that following procedures is the same as doing good work. The problem is that procedures are built on the past. They describe what once worked, not what could be possible tomorrow. If everyone follows them blindly, innovation dies.
But the solution is not to reject the hairball entirely. Rules and systems can bring stability. They keep businesses functioning. The trick is to orbit. Orbiting means staying close enough to be connected to the company, but far enough to keep your freedom. Imagine a planet circling the sun: it is tied to the sun by gravity, yet it still moves in its own path. Employees who orbit the hairball respect the company’s purpose but do not get trapped in outdated processes. They create original work that still serves the company’s mission.
The author’s own story at Hallmark Cards illustrates this idea. When he followed the standard corporate style too closely, his work became dull. But when he moved to a more playful department that encouraged experimentation, he found his creativity again. By orbiting rather than being absorbed, he contributed far more value to the company.
Another danger in corporations is what the author calls “hypnosis.” This happens when employees accept company traditions without question. Just as chickens can be hypnotized into standing still on chalk lines, people can be hypnotized by corporate rules. They accept the chalk lines drawn for them and stop moving beyond them. To resist this hypnosis, you must hold on tightly to what makes you unique. No one else has your combination of experiences, talents, and passions. By bringing your authentic self to your work, you resist the freeze of conformity.
The book also challenges the idea of strict job descriptions. Most job descriptions act like cages, limiting what people can do. They describe only one set of responsibilities, leaving no space for growth or surprise. But creativity flourishes when people are free to move, just like dancers on a dance floor. On a dance floor, no one is assigned a rigid space, yet everyone manages to flow together. In the same way, if employees are given freedom, they will find ways to collaborate, adapt, and innovate. A designer who also has skill in technology might step into a project on the company’s new website. A writer with a knack for research might join a strategy team. Without cages, hidden strengths come alive.
The dance floor metaphor is also important for companies. Many leaders fear that removing job descriptions will create chaos. But the reality is that people naturally adjust and find their rhythm with others. By trusting employees, companies can discover new possibilities they never expected. Flexibility makes organizations stronger and more adaptable to change.
At the heart of this book is a hopeful message: creativity is not something rare, nor is it the gift of only a few people. It belongs to all of us. The challenge is not to find creativity but to protect it from the forces that try to smother it. The hairball of rules, the hypnosis of culture, and the cages of job descriptions are all traps. The way out is not rebellion or escape but balance. Stay close enough to the company to contribute, but never so close that you lose your originality.
The author reminds us that foolishness, play, and individuality are not enemies of work—they are its lifeblood. By orbiting, by staying playful, and by honoring what makes us unique, we can both serve our organizations and keep our creative spirit alive.
The lasting lesson is simple: beware the suffocating pull of corporate normalcy. Do not let your imagination be buried under endless procedures. Remember the child who once believed they were an artist. That child is still inside you, waiting to play, to try, and to create something new. Orbit the hairball. Stay close enough to matter, but far enough to stay free. That is how you rediscover your creative genius.
