New Books Network Margaret Heffernan, "Embracing Uncertainty: How Writers, Musicians and Artists Thrive In An Unpredictable World" (Policy Press, 2025)
Apr 11, 2026
Margaret Heffernan, author and former CEO with BBC media roots, explores how artists turn uncertainty into creative opportunity. She discusses how artistic habits sharpen decision timing, the limits and uses of historical analogies, and why companies need artists for imaginative strategy. Topics include scenario storytelling, cross-domain innovation, hedging bets, and the governance challenges of AI.
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Artists See Uncertainty As Creative Medium
- Artists treat uncertainty as the medium for discovery, not a problem to eliminate.
- Heffernan observed TV producers and creatives who consistently produced work that felt timely despite long development cycles, like House of Cards airing as Thatcher fell.
Sit With Problems Before Closing
- Embrace uncertainty as opportunity and stay curious rather than rushing to fix problems.
- Heffernan recommends wandering, observing, and sitting with a problem to notice novel possibilities before choosing a path.
Timing Decisions Carry Asymmetric Risk
- Decisions carry asymmetric risks: acting too early or never acting both threaten innovation.
- Artists develop an instinct for when they're ready by learning from early attempts and the opportunity cost of choices.
