IE Business School, Masters In Finance Application.

1. - Aakanksha Bansal
I. SHOW US AN ACTIVITY YOU ENJOY DOING.
TELL US HOW IT CONTRIBUTES TO YOUR
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

2. Weaving Dreamcatchers &
Paper Craft
• I enjoy making paper gift articles and love
weaving dreamcatchers.
• Dreamcatchers, a symbol of unity to Native
Americans, was traditionally a hoop of willow
bark in which a web was weaved using
horsehair and the same was hung above
people’s (especially children’s) bed to protect
them from bad thoughts and dreams.
• I first started weaving dreamcatchers about
three years ago after I was gifted my first one
and was fascinated by it. I have been doing
paper craft since my childhood but have recently
started making gift articles from paper.
• I have not only gifted but sold my products
through local fairs and Internet.

3. HOW DOES IT HELP ME
IMPROVE?

4. Paper craft and Weaving has helped
me become creative.
To me, creativity is not only about
thinking out of the box but also about
finding ways to do a task more
efficiently.
As I make more products I don’t just
like to come up with new ideas but
also to find more efficient ways to
make the same ones.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Improve Creativity

5. Develop Patience
Weaving intricate webs is
time consuming and
requires a lot of patience.
Sometimes, weaving a
single dreamcatcher can
take days. Hence, this
activity has helped improve
my patience while doing any
sort of work.

6. Paper craft and weaving are great
confidence boosters for me. My work is
usually appreciated and received with
a lot of enthusiasm. This gives me
confidence to make more new
products.
Confidence
Weaving and paper craft has led me to
be innovative by thinking out of the box.
I have converted simple dreamcatchers
to lanterns, tea light holders, bracelets
and keychains, made paper wallets and
experimented with gift wrapping.
Innovation

7. Moreover….
• Weaving sessions have been like meditation session for me. I have been able to
unwind after a busy day at work by weaving.
• They have also been times when I have been able to let my mind run wild with
choosing different colours and patterns.
• Weaving sessions have also been the time when I have been able to think and
make some important decisions in life.

8. Paper craft requires preplanning. I have
to think and plan the procedure and
imagine the end result before I start my
paper project. I believe this skill will help
me perform better at my work.
I have been able to sell a few of my
articles at local fairs and on internet.
During these fairs I have been
approached not only by various
students and housewives but also
businessmen and individuals with
varied professional background.
Interaction with such a variety of
people has helped me develop
better communication skills and
increase my social network.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Social networking Preplanning

9. At times, even after preplanning the process
of a paper project or a dreamcatcher, the end
result does not always turn out to be how you
have imagined it. These scenarios have
helped me develop the skill of quick thinking
and finding alternative solutions. This has
helped me learn to be prepared for glitches
even after pre planning and to find alternative
solutions for the same.
Focus
While weaving dreamcatchers, sometimes
a single mistake can mean that the
weaving has to be started from the very
beginning again. This has in turn, taught
me to be focused towards my work. I feel
that this quality is very important for
professional work and hope to apply it to
all my future endeavours.
Quick thinking

11. Thank You
In dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own.
-Albus Dumbledor