TONY: Has anyone told you that you draw great pictures on your blog? Why do the pictures capture my attention?

KATHY: Brains have been getting information from visuals for, well, waaaaaay longer than they’ve been processing words–pictures usually are worth 1,000 words. Our brains are tuned to pay attention to images… after all, a change in light and shadow might be a tiger!

TONY: What’s a recent learning that has rocked your world?

KATHY: Most of us know from experience that being around people with a strong emotion has an influence on our own emotions, but scientists have finally begun to understand why. The discovery of “mirror neurons” shows that our brains are wired to mimic others around us, and the phenomenon of “emotional contagion” (where an angry person can spark anger in those around him, with anger propagating like a virus throughout a group) is extremely difficult to resist. Your mother might have told you to have good role models or to stay away from someone who was a “bad influence”, and now the neuroscientists are backing her up. In my own world, that means being more aware and careful to not get caught up when I’m around those who are bitter, cynical, chronically angry, etc. and choosing to spend more time around those who have the outlook I want to have–optimistic, enthusiastic, and caring.

TONY: What’s your favorite blog?

KATHY: (I can’t give you just one) The most consistently helpful for me personally are 43 Folders, 37 Signals, and Seth’s blog.

TONY: Churches are historically known for risk-aversion. How do you challenge those that are afraid of change? Or, is innovation overrated?

KATHY: A quote I heard once is that people aren’t necessarily afraid of change… they’re afraid of being changed. And the only way to help overcome that out-of-my-control feeling is to be proactive… to innovate and initiate change. Alan Kay, one of the earliest inventors of the graphical user interface, said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” When I meet with people who resist change, I try to help them work on creativity and the ability to both learn and unlearn as quickly as possible. The rate of change keeps increasing, and… the future is not optional.

TONY: Creating passionate users. Why do people become passionate about using a product or service? How do we help people maintain that passion?

KATHY: When you look at things people are truly passionate about, you always find learning and growth and improvement… we’re always trying to gain more knowledge and skill around the thing we’re passionate about, because being better is better! When we’re better at something, experiences become richer, deeper, and more rewarding when we have the knowledge and skill to meet a challenge we believe is meaningful, whether it’s playing great golf, listening to (and appreciating) classical music, or becoming involved in a cause we care about. To answer your first question, people become passionate about a product or service because that product or service (or the company who provides it) helps them get really GOOD at something, so they can have that richer, more meaningful experience.

We can help people maintain that passion by continuing to help them grow, by offering new challenges and opportunities to both acquire more knowledge and skill and experience. Also, people with a passion want to connect with others who share that passion, so anything we can do to support and encourage “affinity groups” is a tremendous help. People who feel more alone in their passion are often those who don’t have anyone to share it with. Another thing we can do is help them find ways to introduce other people in their life to the thing they’re passionate about. They WANT to evangelize, but they don’t always have the tools, and the most important people in their lives are the ones they most want to “get” why they have this passion.

Kathy Sierra has been interested in the brain and artificial intelligence since her days as a game developer (Virgin, Amblin’, MGM). She is the co-creator of the bestselling Head First series (named to the Amazon Top Ten Editors Choice Computer Books for 2003 and 2004). You can catch more from Kathy on her Creating Passionate Users blog…one of my favorites.