The infinite player welcomes surprises – surprises keep the game alive.

I wonder whether we’re only using a small amount of our listening capacity.  Perhaps the “listening” devices, embedded in a website’s software, or the loyalty card, or in car tyres (monitoring correct tyre pressure) – a few of the many listening devices in our everyday lives – are enabling us to listen with more than our ears, listening to more than voices and data

The infinite artist listens for the unexpected, attuning her whole life, using what she hears to craft and produce more good and right things for the world through her art.  This “deep listening” makes it possible for her to create and innovate at the edges of her field and perhaps even within someone else’s.  Who knows where this might lead?

Surprise is the game.  Openness to surprise nurtures openness with others, sharing discoveries so more are able to participate – the infinite game, we recall, is keeping as many in the game and to keep the game alive for as long as possible.  Infinite players are not afraid of sharing goodies because they know there’ll be more along.

Not so for the finite player – not only are surprises the reason deadlines are missed, the unexpected jeopardises the deal; if there have to be surprises, then they must be ones the finite player aims to use as control – experience over inexperience, gaining advantage and winning the game.  Ultimately, surprises are about a different future to the one the finite game desires, and finite players want more of the past.

It’s always important to be open to surprises, the infinite game trumps the finite.  The infinite player or artist understands this.  Theirs is a world of abundance.  They will play finite games at times, but they understand there is a bigger picture.  Those who can only see the finite game, believe the world to be one of scarcity.

I’ve previously mentioned three attitudes or practices helpful for producing our art.  They’re useful when it come to listening for surprises too: humility opens us to listen to others, to see the small, the hear what different species and our planet are saying to us; gratitude allows us to value as much as possible so we incorporate as much as possible, and, faithfulness reminds us that daily turning up  and practicing humility and gratitude is transformational.  How each of us we do this will be an extension or expression of our art.