Creativity: How Do You Find an Answer Without Google?

Why is a Charlie Horse called a Charlie Horse?

In a world where the answer to any question is just a few keystrokes away, the act of wondering has become a rare luxury. Got a cramp? Google it. Heard a weird phrase like "charlie horse"? Google it. Mystery solved in 0.48 seconds. 

But what if we didn’t? What if, instead of reflexively reaching for our phones, we sat with the question for a moment? What if we asked someone, thought about it, or guessed wildly based on context?

“Charlie horse”—sounds like a nickname for an old baseball injury, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s what happens when your calf muscle rebels and locks up mid-sprint. Or perhaps it’s the ghost of an actual horse named Charlie haunting gym-goers who forgot to stretch. The point is, wondering sparks creativity.

When we stop Googling every little thing, we open the door to connection and imagination. Ask your grandma where the phrase Charlie horse came from—she’ll probably tell you a story involving her neighbor’s cousin’s uncle who pulled a muscle during a family reunion tug-of-war. Ask your coworker and you might end up laughing about the time they cramped up mid-Zumba class. Suddenly, a simple question becomes a shared moment.

And here’s the secret: delight lives in the discovery, not just the answer. There’s joy in guessing, in debating, in hearing different takes and weird stories. Sure, Google is fast—but it’s also a dead end. You ask, you get, you move on. No creativity required. No memory made.

When we trade search engines for human conversation and curiosity, we start to see the world as a playground of ideas again. And that’s where creativity thrives—in questions without immediate answers. In the process of figuring things out together.

So next time you hear something odd—like “charlie horse”—don’t search. Ask. Guess. Wonder out loud. You might still end up Googling it eventually, but you’ll have way more fun along the way.

This is a great comedy sketch about this subject, super funny:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ4o1N4ksyQ&t=159s

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