06.19.2015 Interview with Dan Goods
Who or what inspires you the most?
Anyone who makes the world a better place.
What types of unique experiences have you had as a result of your profession?
My top three would be:
- Touching objects before they go to another planet.
- Finishing projects that no one imagined could be done.
- The joy of seeing people have an ‘ah ha’ moment.
How much does humor factor into your keynotes and other speaking engagements?
I was giving a talk in China and no one was laughing, I then realized that none of them spoke English! Eventually we had a translator and they were all laughing out loud. I love making people laugh, but my goal is to have people laugh, get goosebumps, and cry all at the same time.
How is it to work at NASA?
I get to interact with people creating the future every day. One moment I’ll be talking with someone creating a new robot for mars, and in another moment have lunch with people who use large galaxies as telescopes. It’s really exciting!
Can you give three tips to individuals struggling with creativity?
- Know that every human is a creative being, we may not all be ‘artistic’, but we are all creative in our own ways.
- Do the opposite of what you think you are supposed to do. It may give you insight into what you should do.
- Creativity is hard, sometimes you just have to put in more hours to push beyond the ordinary.