Elhanan Helpmanis on a quest for knowledge. He is a researcher in transition, constantly redefininghis fields of interest by altering the questions asked and the techniques used. Likemany of the great economists, Elhanan has worked in many areas: open economy macro,trade under uncertainty, the new international economics, growth theory, andpolitical economy, to list the most famous. However, this interview is not intended as areview of his contributions. Rather, it is about what drives Elhanan's creativeprocess: his wide-ranging reading, his characteristic stubbornness in tacklingproblems, the conceptualization of his larger research agenda, and his recollectionsof how he initiated transitions between fields. It is a very personal interview forthose in search of creative inspiration.