“Hell, There Are No Rules Here--We’re Trying to Accomplish Something.”

“Hell, There Are No Rules Here--We’re Trying to Accomplish Something.”:

Creativity isn't an exact science, and sometimes you have to break the rules to come up with innovative solutions. Thomas Edison knew that, and in his lab he didn't bother with strict rules or regulations.
When a new worker came in to work for Edison, he asked Edison what rules he should follow, but was a bit surprised by Edison's response:

I approached him in a humble spirit: “Mr. Edison, please tell me what laboratory rules you want me to observe.” And right then and there I got my first surprise. He spat in the middle of the floor and yelled out,
“Hell! there ain’t no rules around here! We are tryin’ to accomplish somep’n!”

Of course, the general rule of Edison's lab was if Thomas Edison was working, so were you. But the point is that rules and boundaries often block innovation. Sometimes you just have to let them go to really get something done.
Accomplish Something | Swissmiss
Photo by Kevin Galens.