If we’re not careful, our daily to-doing can crowd out innovation. The “that’s the way we’ve always done this” mentality can woo us into obsessing about a task or process. Even worse, it can disrupt what we’re really delivering to our clients: ideas that work.

I’m not dismissing the value of getting things done. Oh my, no. For years we’ve pushed our team to deliver work that’s on time, on budget, and produced with creative and technical excellence. We know that if we’re selling a product, telling a story or raising money, a great idea coupled with lackluster execution erodes the relationship with our client and their relationship with their stakeholders. Client work is serious business.

But the fact remains that really good, world-changing ideas need elbow room, distance from the to-dos. So I jumped at the chance to attend the 2011 South by Southwest Interactive Festival. SXSW brings together thousands of geeks — and a few freaks — to predict and celebrate the next thing, idea or product within the interactive space. Freethinking is encouraged, and many attendees do their part to “keep Austin weird.” It’s a refreshing and freeing environment. Don’t take my word for it. Check out The New York Times photo feature. It’s worth the look.

By far, I most enjoyed the chance to talk through ideas. Late-night conversations with colleagues were punctuated with stimulating panel discussions and presentations. Here are a few of my take-aways:

Some of the most intriguing ideas are, at their core, profoundly simple. Take, for instance, SMITH Magazine (@smithmag). SMITH is a self-proclaimed storytelling community and the catalyst behind the Six-Word Memoir® project. User-submitted stories offer followers everyday inspiration from everyday people — and now fuel a growing publishing model.

Other ideas capitalize on the moment. FarmVille’s contextual, in-game advertising offers brands more reach each week than an episode of American Idol. Zynga, the creator of FarmVille, Mafia Wars and several other well-known social games, sees the gaming space as an immersive storytelling environment in which brands naturally participate in the narrative. Their users agree.

A few ideas are so hair-brained that when they work, you hang on for the ride. How can you not admire the Old Spice campaign out of Wieden+Kennedy? This is not your father’s brand. (Well, yes it is. Only now you’re using it, too, thanks to the thread of story and the social web phenomenon.)

Oh, and one last idea for the next time you’re in Austin: If you’re out late chasing live music, remind your roommate to leave the one-sided deadbolt unlocked. Sleeping in the car is only comfortable in the movies.