Each and every week the Square Holes team are deep in the bowels of a number of projects, working to mine all of the insights that we can to help grow businesses and support thriving cities.

These insights are used by businesses and organisations to innovate their offerings, move into new markets, track their impact and hone their products and output. Each week we will be sharing a broad insight that we have learnt for you to use in your own work.

Let us know what you find valuable!

Mahalia: Delayed pride

When I was 19 years old, I couldn’t get out of Adelaide fast enough. I felt restricted by the familiarity and closeness of the state that was my hometown. There were bigger and better cities out there waiting for me. 20 years on, and currently living in Melbourne, my perception of South Australia has matured somewhat. There is a lot to be proud of as a South Australian. Our leadership in progressive politics (and political fashion- hello pink short shorts), our stunning vistas and appreciation and production of the good stuff (namely wine and food), and our dedication to uplifting the arts. We have our struggles (what state doesn’t?), but when it comes down to it

Dylan: Meaningful work

A friend of mine recently started their first office job and was surprised by how hard it was to actually get meaningful work done during the day. Between constant meetings, interruptions, emails and people needing things, they often finished the day feeling busy but not very productive. It highlighted to me how easy it is for distractions and competing priorities to take over if you don’t have clear practices to manage your time and focus. One of the biggest learnings I’ve found is that productivity is not just about working harder – it’s about creating structure, reducing distractions where possible and being intentional about what actually needs attention (when everything is urgent, nothing is urgent).

Jason: Walk 100 miles

I walk a lot, and recently, I’ve noticed the same idea surfacing repeatedly in podcasts, articles and neuroscience research: the importance of boredom.

Not boredom as disengagement, but moments without constant stimulation. Time without every spare second filled by screens, podcasts, scrolling or noise.

Listening to conversations from Zach Galifianakis, Conan O’Brien and Wil Anderson, the same theme emerged again and again — the value of walking, thinking and allowing the mind to wander without distraction.

Neuroscience increasingly supports this. Research into the brain’s “default mode network” (DMN), linked to reflection, imagination and creativity, suggests some of our best thinking happens during quiet mental wandering rather than constant input.

A recent paper from Penn State University explored this growing link between creativity and mental downtime.

Perhaps the brain is less like a hard drive benefiting endlessly from more downloads, and more like a garden. Over-fertilise it, and eventually things stop growing properly.

Maybe silence, wandering and boredom are not interruptions to thinking, but part of the thinking process itself.

I left my headphones at work recently, and it has been nice to give the voices in my head a bit more space to think.

Square Holes is a cultural insight studio.

We design mixed method explorations of people and culture beyond the category,  uncovering the patterns, tensions and shifts shaping behaviour to inform strategy, inspire innovation and enable confident decisions. Our studio model brings together the right mix of thinkers, researchers and specialists for each exploration. If you’re navigating change, entering a new market, or seeking deeper understanding of people and culture, let’s start a conversation >