One day, Elsa Einstein, wife of the famous Albert, saw her husband wander over to the piano, jot down some notes, keep playing, then disappear into a room for two weeks. When he emerged, he had a working theory of relativity that would change physics forever.

What Albert Einstein probably experienced when playing his beloved music—which fed directly into the beauty of his science—was a state of flow that musicians, artists, and anyone really, can reach when their minds are lubricated and ready to unleash unbridled creativity. That creativity can be translated into jazz music, quantum mechanics, and business strategy.

Not to detract from the importance of his physics, but I put it to you that Albert was as much a genius for giving us another equation: “Creativity = intelligence having fun.” My creative agency has played with that idea in our quest to help organizations achieve progressive thinking and extreme collaboration toward any goal.

Companies will commit to intelligence any day of the week, but in the meantime, the fun often gets lost. But your best ideas don’t come to you when you’re hunched over a computer. They spring up on you when you’re on a run, having a beer with a friend, or chilling in the shower.

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