Don’t Dim Your Curiosity: Making Space for Big-Ideas

Many people are not wired, or not interested, to spend long stretches of time in abstract, imaginative, or big picture conversation, and that mismatch can become a real barrier to growth if most of your current relationships live in the concrete and practical. Seeking or building a community where creative, conceptual thinking is normal is not indulgent; it is often the precondition for doing your best work and feeling fully seen.​

Why abstract thinking feels lonely

Abstract and creative thinking asks people to play with ideas that are not directly tied to today’s to-do list or an obvious outcome, and that is uncomfortable for many. Some people strongly prefer tangible, actionable talk, what needs to get done, who is responsible, what the rules are, because it feels safer, more efficient, and more familiar. When a conversation shifts into “what if,” “why does it have to be this way,” or “imagine a system where,” those same people may get bored, anxious, or even dismissive, leaving a creative thinker feeling naïve, too much, or out of place.​

Over time, this gap in conversational style can turn into a quiet, chronic isolation. You might share an idea and get blank stares, quick subject changes, or remarks that subtly shame imagination as unrealistic. In response, many people start muting their curiosity, talking only about work, errands, and headlines, and telling themselves that the abstract parts of their minds are a private hobby rather than a core strength. That self-silencing is often experienced as vague frustration or restlessness, but underneath is a simple truth: there is nothing wrong with you for wanting deeper or more speculative conversations.​

Why like-minded people matter

Being around people who naturally engage with abstract and creative ideas does two things. First, it normalizes your thinking. When others light up at the same questions and stay in the deep end with you, you stop pathologizing your own curiosity. Second, it accelerates your growth. Complex ideas usually need dialogue, friction, and feedback to sharpen, and that rarely happens in rooms where the default is “keep it simple and practical.”​

This does not mean cutting ties with people who prefer the concrete, nor does it mean that every friend or colleague must be your intellectual twin. It means accepting that different relationships serve different functions, and that you are allowed, even obligated, to seek out at least a few relationships where your natural mode of thinking is not just tolerated but welcomed. When your social world includes both grounded pragmatists and big-picture explorers, you gain stability and inspiration rather than having to choose one over the other.​

Leadership and the challenge of thriving

For people in leadership roles, the search for a community where they truly thrive can be even more complex. Leaders are often expected to be both highly practical and quietly visionary, to deliver immediate results while also holding space for long-term, creative thinking. That tension can make their abstract side feel professionally risky. In many organizations, creativity in leadership is still underrated, which means a leader who naturally asks unconventional questions or proposes nontraditional approaches may be subtly discouraged from showing that part of themselves.​

Leadership also changes the power dynamics around the community. The more responsibility a person carries, the fewer peers they may feel they have, and the harder it can be to find a circle where they do not have to be “on” all the time. Creative leaders often report that they struggle to locate spaces where they can think out loud, test half-formed ideas, and ask naïve questions without those ideas instantly being treated as directives or judged as impractical. The result is that many end up leading innovation in public while, in private, experiencing a deep hunger for colleagues who share their curiosity and appetite for abstraction.​

Thriving as a creative, abstract thinker in leadership usually requires finding or building a small set of relationships where both sides of that role are understood. That might be a peer group outside the organization, a cross-disciplinary network, or a handful of trusted collaborators who value both critical and creative thinking and are willing to wrestle with complex questions without rushing to closure. When leaders finally land in those spaces, their strategic imagination tends to expand, their impostor fears tend to shrink, and their capacity to model creative courage for others grows dramatically.​

Imposter feelings when you finally arrive

Seeking out a more abstract or creative community almost always brings imposter fears to the surface. You might worry that everyone else in the room is more accomplished, more articulate, or more legitimate than you are, or that your curiosity is not sophisticated enough to count. Fear of failure and not measuring up is one of the biggest obstacles to engaging fully in creative work, and the same pattern plays out socially; people hold back ideas because they imagine a silent panel of judges.​

A more helpful view is that communities for abstract, creative work do not need experts; they need participants. Showing up with honest questions and a willingness to think out loud is already a contribution. If imposter thoughts arise, treat them as a sign that you are finally stepping into the kind of space you have been missing. When the stakes feel high, start small, join one event, post one thoughtful comment, or suggest one conversation topic to a trusted person. Over time, as you experience others responding with interest rather than dismissal, your nervous system learns that you are not faking it; you are home.