Dr. Gulzhanat Tayauova has invited me to her MBA class at Yeditepe University.
I presented on "Creativity, Imagination, and Innovation". It was an intense lecture, a bit long, but I ended up covering a lot of topics from blockchain to Metaverse.
You can find the slides of this presentation.
Enjoy!
Microsoft 365 Copilot: How to boost your productivity with AI – Part one: Ado...
I Was A Guest Lecturer at Yeditepe University MBA Program in Turkey
1. University of East Anglia
Norwich Business School
Brand and Leadership
CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION,
& INNOVATION
7 May 2021
Dr. Fahri Karakas
F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk
4. Slide 1.4
Born and grew up in Turkey – BA and MBA in Istanbul
PhD at McGill University, Montreal, Canada (2010)
Research Fellow at the Open University (2010)
Senior Lecturer in Business and Leadership at
University of East Anglia
Visiting Lecturer at Mountbatten Institute, London
Visiting Lecturer at University of Cambridge
(Pembroke-King’s Programme)
Expert on spirituality in management, published 30+
articles in leading journals
Interested in creativity, OB, design thinking,
entrepreneurship
5. Slide 1.5
Hackathon: Paradigm Shifts
◦ Artificial Intelligence
◦ Metaverse
◦ Crypto, Bitcoin, Blockchain & NFTs
Exponential Thinking
Disruption
Connecting Things Together
Learning from Inspirational Careers
Celebrating Weirdness and Failures
Thinking like an Entrepreneur
5 Seconds Rule
8. Slide 1.8
I have 3 small puzzles
for you now.
Please provide your
estimates.
8
9. Slide 1.9
We do live in interesting times. Forget
traditional jobs, job security, upward mobility
Fortune 500
companies from 1955
vs. 2014.
What % of them are
still on the list? Any
guesses?
9
10. Slide 1.10
We do live in interesting times. Forget
traditional jobs, job security, upward mobility
89% of Fortune 500
companies from 1955
are not on the list in
2014.
10
11. Slide 1.11
We do live in interesting times. Forget
traditional jobs, job security, upward mobility
Guess the average
age of a company
listed on the S&P 500
During 1920s?
Right now?
11
12. Slide 1.12
We do live in interesting times. Forget
traditional jobs, job security, upward mobility
The average age of a
company listed on the
S&P 500 was:
67 years old in the 1920s
Right, now this age is 15
years only and it keeps
dropping.
12
13. Slide 1.13
We do live in interesting times. Forget
traditional jobs, job security, upward mobility
In 2028, what % of S&P
500 companies will stay
on the current list?
Any guesses?
Estimates?
13
14. Slide 1.14
We do live in interesting times. Forget
traditional jobs, job security, upward mobility
In 2028, 40% of all S&P
500 companies will
disappear from this list.
60% are expected to
survive the list – although
this figure might fall even
more radically.
14
18. We lived a decade of events in 2020
For many, 2020 felt like five years packed into one…
• Historic pandemic
• Historic social movement (Black Lives Matter)
• Historic stimulus
• Historic wildfires
• Historic election
• Historic stock market high
• Historic technology breakthroughs (Alphafold / GPT-3 /
Quantum Supremacy, etc)
19. We saw once-in-a-generation events in nearly every sphere of life. Each of these events
rippled throughout society leading to unpredictable second-order effects which upended our
long-held beliefs about media, democracy, business, and citizenship.
We had to fundamentally rethink our lives, relationships, and work.
Here's the thing though… 2020 isn't a temporary blip before things go back to normal. It is
the kickoff to an unprecedented acceleration that few have considered, let alone prepared
for.
If time is like a treadmill, 2020 was running. The near-future will be an all out sprint. How do
we keep up?
Because human biology evolves so slowly we don't notice, ideas (cultures, strategies,
technologies, etc.) evolve so quickly, we can't keep up.
Idea evolution is like biological evolution on steroids.
In other words, in a moment when many are already feeling overwhelmed by change, things
are about to take off even faster.
20 years from now, the rate of change will be 4x what it is now.
Things will keep accelerating from there, and in 40 years, it will be 16x
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25. EXPONENTIAL TIMES
• 20 years from now, the rate of change will be 4x what is now.
• For someone who is about 40 today, when they're 60 in 2040, the rate of
paradigm change will be 4x what it is now.
• For someone who is 10 today, when they're 60, they'll experience a year of
change in 11 days.
• "We won't experience 100 years of technological advance in the 21st century;
we will witness on the order of 20,000 years of progress or about 1000 times
greater than what was achieved in the twentieth century.” Kurzweil
What We Can Do About Time Acceleration In Our Careers
• "In order to keep up with the world of 2050, you will need not merely to invent
new ideas and products but above all to reinvent yourself again and again."-
Yuval Noah Harari
• We are on the precipice of an era of extreme competition - which means that
the amount and pace of competition will accelerate 4x in the next 20 years.
• If you don't prepare now, you will be progressively outcompeted and
overwhelmed.
29. AR Will Spark the Next Big Tech
Platform— Call It Mirrorworld
We are building a 1-to-1 map of almost unimaginable scope. When it's complete, our
physical reality will merge with the digital universe.
https://www.wired.com/story/mirrorworld-ar-next-big-tech-platform/
30. Biomedical Advancements & Ever-Smarter Machines
• More and more of the things that used to be science fiction are quickly becoming
science fact. We may soon live in a total nerd utopia. The full list of potential
scientific and technological breakthroughs that could revolutionize how we work (or
if we work at all) is impossibly long. Here are just a few of the possible drivers of
major change that could transform the job markets of the future:
• Human-like robots
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical "miracles"
• Advanced genomics
• 3D printing
• Augmented reality
• The fusion of man and machine
31. •Choose your top 3 jobs that you would choose
in the future
•Imagine how you will change and transform
and position yourself in the future
EXERCISE
Jobs of the Future
32. Jobs of the Future
• Digital Rehab Counselor: Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the incredible amount of digital information you consume in a
day? Many people do. As more and more of our lives revolve around social media and other online activities, there's a
growing awareness that a lot of us are actually addicted to the technology we use. So one of the top jobs of the future may
involve helping people "detox" from their over-consumption of digital inputs. People with counseling training will likely be
the best-equipped to pursue this type of job.
• Personal Brand Advisor: Even among large, established organizations, hiring freelance professionals for short-term projects
is becoming a pretty big trend that may expand well into the future. In fact, many futurists foresee a time when most jobs
will be done on a temporary contract basis. If that holds true, workers will need to develop great personal brands and put a
lot of effort into constant self-promotion. Personal brand advisors will help their clients establish and maintain public
personas and professional reputations that make them stand apart from the competition.
• Virtual Reality Designer: Most people like to travel and explore places they've never been. However, you don't necessarily
have to physically travel anywhere in order to see and experience new places. Whole virtual worlds are being created, and
the supporting technology will increasingly allow you to interact with it using all of your senses. A lot of VR users might even
form deep relationships with other people's virtual avatars while having adventures that they would never experience in the
real world. As this technology matures, what's real and what's fantasy will start to blur together. Talented VR designers may
become highly sought-after as VR developers race to fill a growing demand for more sophisticated, realistic, and imaginative
virtual experiences.
33. Jobs of the Future
• Organizational Disrupter: As established companies and other organizations expand, they often lose some of their ability to
innovate. That makes them vulnerable to competition from more nimble startups that frequently aren't so set in their ways.
Since many futurists foresee a coming trend toward smaller, more adaptable organizations, a lot of large companies and non-
profits may want to figure out how to make themselves more like their smaller competitors. The role of a disrupter would be
to introduce a few seemingly chaotic changes in an organization that promote more creativity, risk-taking, collaboration, and
innovation.
• Personal Education Guide: Education will become much more personalized and even more convenient than today's
programs. Personal education guides may act as coaches and counselors in helping people choose on-demand courses or
designing customized training plans that utilize freelance instructors. And they may provide confirmation that their clients
have successfully completed those courses and earned alternative credentials that more and more employers will recognize
as being valid.
• Brain Implant Specialist: The human brain is incredibly complex, but mankind's understanding of how it works is growing
faster than most of us probably realize. As we combine the rapid advances in neuroscience with the advances in computer
technology, we'll end up with some truly amazing possibilities. Special computer chips may one day be implanted into
people's brains for benefits such as virtual telepathy, memory enhancements, disease management, mood regulation,
paralysis treatments etc.
• Personal Microbiome Manager: As scientists learn more about the many kinds of bacteria that live inside us and on our skin,
they're discovering that these microorganisms may play essential roles in our health and well-being. Having the right
balance of bacteria might be crucial for things like preventing obesity, heart disease, chronic fatigue, and mental health
problems.
• Pharmaceutical Artisan: The pharmacy careers of today will probably be around for a long time. But as 3D printing grows
more widespread, it may become possible to quickly produce customized medications for people on an on-demand basis
(rather than giving out mass-produced meds). Artisanal drugs could be developed based on a person's unique genetics,
habits, and medical history. Some pharmaceutical artisans may even create targeted treatments based on a person's own
stem cells.
34. • End-of-Life Manager or Memorializer: Many people, well in advance of their deaths, will want to plan elaborate memorial
services and celebrations that are more extravagant than the kind offered by most funeral directors today. In addition, laws may
change to give more people the choice to end their lives through voluntary euthanasia, something that itself could become a
specially planned event on the scale of a wedding. That might sound macabre or morally questionable right now, but it could
become a big part of the event planning industry in the future. If so, professionals will be needed who can help coordinate
major end-of-life celebrations and craft engaging tributes about dying individuals' lives and legacies.
• Hyper-Intelligent Transportation Engineer: We're quickly moving toward a future in which humans will no longer be the
operators of transport vehicles. Self-driving cars are only the beginning. A future of fully automated transportation networks
will become reality. A new paradigm of smart roads, vacuum-tube tunnels, maglev trains, and many other advanced
transportation systems could replace our current one.
• Cyborg Designer: By combining the best aspects of a natural organism with those of an advanced robot, it may be possible to
create a new entity that is superior to the sum of its parts. So, in the future, highly creative cyborg designers might be in
demand as humans try to merge themselves with machines in order to transcend their natural limitations. Other non-human
cybernetic organisms may also be developed for use in health care, entertainment, sports, space exploration, and many other
industries.
• Robotic or Holographic Avatar Designer: With people spending more of their time in virtual worlds, they might come to be a
little disappointed with the real world. They might want to interact with their virtual friends or significant others without
having to wear their VR gear. Thus, technology may eventually allow those virtual friends to emerge as real-life avatars in
robotic bodies or 3D holograms. In the real world, they could become nearly as common as flesh-and-blood people. But they
will take many different forms, including animals and strange alien-like creatures. Special designers will be needed to help
create custom avatars that are just as appealing or imaginative in the real world as they are in the virtual ones they inhabit.
Jobs of the Future
35. • Space Tourism Guide: Companies like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic already have plans well underway to commercialize space
travel for the public. In the relatively near future, space tourists may be going into orbit for family holidays, a little adventure, or
even to conduct business. If bases are established on the moon, they may be going there too. Of course, most of us aren't
astronauts. That's why special guides will be needed to help people prepare for space travel and get adjusted to the new
environment once they're in orbit.
• Space Nurse or Physician: Going into outer space presents all kinds of distinct medical challenges. The human body simply isn't
designed for a zero-gravity environment. And it will probably be a long time until we have the practical technology to create
artificial gravity. So space tourists will need to be monitored and, in some cases, treated for conditions such as muscle wasting
or exposure to space radiation. Specialized doctors and nurses will likely be needed for extended stays in space in order to look
after the many ordinary people who will take trips beyond Earth's atmosphere.
• Android Relationship Counselor: We're still a long way off from being able to date robots that have human intelligence. But
some scientists believe that artificial intelligence will eventually advance enough to make that possible. If it happens, the social
ramifications could be enormous. The people who decide to pursue romantic relationships with artificially intelligent robots
will likely need plenty of expert advice in order to navigate complex cultural expectations and steer clear of potential dangers.
That will be especially true if we ever reach the Singularity—the theoretical point in the future when autonomous machines
become more intelligent than humans.
• Mind-Transfer Specialist: Yeah, this occupation sounds far-fetched. But some experts think it could become a reality. Before the
end of this century, it may be possible to upload a human mind to a computer and store it for later transfer back into the same
or different human brain. Some people might even have their minds transferred into clones of themselves, synthetic organisms
with artificial brains, or special cybernetic robots designed to extend their consciousness.
Jobs of the Future
36. Slide 1.36
“Creativity is no longer a luxury. It is
a critical survival skill that we need to
adapt to rapid changes, solve complex
problems, imagine new possibilities,
and navigate uncharted waters ahead
of us.”
Dr. Fahri Karakas
44. Slide 1.44
* Halloween
44
A blockchain is a
continuously growing list
of records, called blocks,
which are linked and secured
using cryptography. Each
block typically contains
a hash pointer as a link to a
previous block,
a timestamp and transaction
data. By design, a blockchain
is inherently resistant to
modification of the data.”)
45. Slide 1.45
Who is Satoshi Nakamato?
We simply do not know.
Had his/her identity been known, (s)he could be in
danger.
Governments, central banks, CIA, and big banks
are after Satoshi Nakamato.
No one owns the Bitcoin network, which means
there’s no way to regulate it.
Blockchain is the tech genie and it is outside
the lamp. No way to prevent it. It will
dominate the world in the upcoming
decades.
68. Exercise @
Home:
Four Stories of
Your Life
https://medium.com/journal-of-
curiosity-imagination-and-
inspiration/good-storytelling-is-
at-the-heart-of-your-life-
577d7378f575?sk=af7d98b3956
490a01ba40a2bf5e748e8
78. I have recently read:
Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World–
Peter H Diamandis
• A radical, how-to guide for using exponential technologies,
moonshot thinking, and crowd-powered tools to create
extraordinary wealth while also positively impacting the
lives of billions.
• Part 1: exponential technologies: 3D printing, artificial
intelligence, robotics, networks and sensors, and synthetic
biology.
• Part 2: Psychology of Bold: Larry Page, Elon Musk, Richard
Branson, Jeff Bezos, Singularity University, XPRIZE,
Planetary Resources, & Human Longevity, Inc.
• Part 3: incentive competitions, crowdfunding campaigns,
crowd-powered tools.
79. Spend time every day for your learning and
interests
Share what you learned with friends each
week
Go out of your comfort zone
Develop new skills – stretch yourself
Solve a challenging issue/problem
Take online courses (MOOCs)
80. 20-30 minutes
Write non-stop about 3 pages
This will be your stream of consciousness
No censor – free writing
You delve into deeper and be more focused
81. 2-3 Hours Every Week
It has to be alone: To be receptive
Be involved in creative activities or arts
Have fun, pursue an interest, get inspired
Record your thoughts, ideas, reflections
82. Keep a diary about your learning every day
Record and capture ideas as they emerge
Reflect on your learning and how you change
Create new ideas based on what you have read,
researched, and learned
Reflect and seek deeper meaning
Iterate ideas, projects, and solutions
87. Slide 1.87
Michelangelo finished painting Sistine
Chapel work in 4 years
What will you accomplish in 4 years?
http://www.vatican.va/various/cap
pelle/sistina_vr/index.html
http://www.vatican.va/various/cap
pelle/index_sistina_en.htm
88. Slide 1.88
A Renaissance PERSON uses both left-brain and right-
brain type of thinking.
1) curious
2) risk-taker
3) creative
4) has perseverance and self-discipline
5) has a thirst for knowledge and new experiences
6) excellence in physical, intellectual, artistic and
social fields, which includes deep expertise in at least
one field and is exceptional in other fields
7) and most importantly, is always learning
94. FAATMAN dominates
every landscape in our
lives — not just tech
https://medium.com/predict/faatman-dominates-
every-landscape-in-our-lives-not-just-tech-
4201b572ffec?source=friends_link&sk=6c1f678a93
a93d5d4ecbfa8b584e3cf8
110. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
He was a lawyer. He started staying up late
between 22.00-02.00 every night and
started writing mystery novels. He
finished writing a book every 6 months. He
is one of the best selling mystery novelists
now and published more than 40 books.
David Baldacci
112. HERE IS THE LESSON:
Super-successful people take a long term view, develop smart
systems of creative work, and they carve out time to create
assets that will make everything enjoyable and profitable.
The strugglers, on the other hand, live from project to project, gig
to gig. They are always too busy or too skint to do the work they
really want to do. It is exhausting and demoralising. They are
depleted.
• Creating your own assets is a marathon
game.
• You need to create your own game:
Navigate blue oceans, carve out your
own niche, create your own category,
and master& own that category.
• Compound yourself (your skills,
knowledge, networks, and assets) over
the long term.
113. Focus on Creative Assets, not Career Ladder
• If you are a creator, you can create your own assets. Out of thin air. (Plus imagination and
hard work.)
• Some of these assets generate money directly – like a book, an artwork sold on Etsy, an
app, or an album that can be sold.
• Others create non-financial rewards, and/or generate money indirectly – like a YouTube
channel, a podcast, a networking event or a blog.
• If you look at your effort and the time you devote to it, your podcast or YouTube channel
may look like a net loss on your accounts. But looking back over the past few years, you
realise how many clients and projects, not to mention how much fun and friendship, have
come to you because of the podcast or YouTube channel.
• Your avant-garde novel may not sell a million copies, but it may win you the respect of the
discerning audience you are writing for, and connections, opportunities and money may
flow from that.
• So forget the career ladder. Instead, create the kind of assets that will bring you more
creativity, connections, and emotional and financial power in the years ahead.
114. Creative Assets
• A creative asset is something you create yourself that (a) is worthwhile and satisfying in
itself, and (b) will make life easier, more rewarding, more profitable and/or more fun in
future.
• Most creative assets are intangible; the obvious exceptions are physical artworks and
artisanal works.
Types of creative asset:
• Creative work – your signature asset; your portfolio of the work you are most proud of.
• Social assets – your network; your audience
• Reputation assets – your brand; association with prestigious brands (publishers,
galleries, record labels etc); prizes and awards
• Online assets – a website; a blog; a podcast; a mailing list; a social media profile
• Intellectual property assets – the trademark associated with your brand; the copyright
in your works
• Systemic assets – a productivity system; a business model that generates value for your
customers and your business.
• Business assets – your product range; your company
115. Keep Doing (Creating)
• Create at least 300 pieces of content
• The people who operate most efficiently, most effectively and with
greatest consistency win.
• Consistency and repetition are the sharpest tools in the toolkit of
winners. Keep doing. Keep creating and producing.
• Keep producing and churning out the best work you can. That may
not be viewed as the best work by others. But it’s a heck of a lot
better than doing nothing.
116. Joe Rogan created more than 4000 podcast episodes. He
signed a deal of $100m with Spotify
117.
118. Treat 2021 as the year of ASSET CREATION
In your individual project in the summer semester, you will be
creating assets for your future.
SEVEN I PROJECT (Kickstarter type project)
ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL (Shark Tank type
project)
• Think about the assets you want to
create for your future
• Do not think like a student. Do not
treat this as assignment.
• Do this for your own future.
• Do something real – create something
real and fresh.
120. Slide 1.120
What I Learned from Publishing 222 Articles on Medium (January 2020)
https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/what-i-learned-from-writing-222-articles-on-medium-
42f3ec6129af?sk=285f371e5406582815e08227b48da070
What I Learned from Publishing 200 Articles on Medium (December 2020)
https://medium.com/illumination/what-i-learned-from-publishing-200-articles-on-medium-
78ce8e2153d3?sk=a8df96c6cd0e1dbad10918a115c363fd
What I Learned from Publishing 150 Articles on Medium (September 2020)
https://medium.com/illumination/what-i-learned-from-publishing-150-articles-on-medium-
d9520326160e?sk=f2a25d84f6a01d4d8895dd536a157d37
What I Learned from Publishing 100 Articles on Medium (July 2020)
https://medium.com/illumination/what-i-learned-from-publishing-100-articles-on-medium-
c9b914c48c6e?sk=577e3a9eac25b350777e2a595db8dd2b
Invest in Your Medium Content Shop
If you write consistently and grow it for a decade, you will be like Walmart.
https://medium.com/2-minute-madness/invest-in-your-medium-content-shop-
fef0cc64a393?sk=b6dc357aa52e7ff99f0b866daf5ea05b
129. My Promise to You: I will also create alongside you
I will work very hard to kick-start my second book project.
My goal is to start writing/drawing/creating my second book (after
Self-Making Studio).
I will also write a new Medium article every day or every 2
days.
• I will be accountable to you.
• Please ask me to report to you:
• What did you do for your book, Fahri?
• Please keep me accountable – be
harsh and question me.
130. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
He quit his job and decided to travel the
world. Every day, he created 1-minute
travel/inspiration videos on Facebook. He
did this for 1000 days non-stop. Who is he?
Hint: His videos end with
“That’s one minute, see you soon"
Nas Daily (Nuseir Yassin)
132. Don’t Bother Waiting For Inspiration.
It’s Not Coming.
• You need grit, struggle and urgency.
• The cold reality is that sometimes, it’s a real struggle to get your best work into the
world.
• That’s why so many of us admire great creators, artists and thinkers but so few of
us will ever become one.
• If you wait to be inspired to do your best work, you’ll be waiting a long time.
Possibly forever.
• Waiting for inspiration is an amateur move. It’s not coming today. It may never. It’s
not coming to you. But you can seek it out.
• The solution: start the work now.
• Do it on the sunny days and the rainy days. Stop giving yourself a “pass” to leave
your gifts on the table unopened. Stop allowing yourself the excuse not to create.
• Push through the uncomfortable stage
• Struggle actually leads to more inspiration
• You don’t get inspired, then do great work. You do great work, then get
inspired.
133. HERE IS THE LESSON:
Seek out small victories. Small victories build new receptors
in the areas of the brain responsible for reward and
motivation. This increase in receptors enhances confidence
and eagerness to tackle challenges. When you achieve a
series of small victories, the boost in your confidence can last
for months.
Small and consistent actions/habits every day is key.
• Be consistent and disciplined – create
every day – do not break the chain.
• If you establish smart habits every
day, you will achieve a lot in the long
run.
• Compound yourself (your skills,
knowledge, networks, and assets) over
the long term.
136. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
He loved playing games. He turned it into a
passion. He is a legend on Fortnite.
He now makes $500,000 a month by playing
games.
His wife is his manager.
He is the world’s most famous gamer.
His net worth is more than $20 million.
He was chosen to Time 100. Who is he?
NINJA (Tyler Blevins)
141. Slide 1.141
A) Please write a story using the following words:
◦ Pepper
◦ Fashion
◦ Journey
◦ Chaos
◦ Lawyer
◦ Bird
◦ Disgust
◦ Dancing
B) Please illustrate this story. You can doodle or
draw in any way that you like. You can create a
storyboard or a comic story. Do as you wish!
142. Slide 1.142
Imagine that you are given an 8th day every week. This day
will be your secret gift. However, this cannot be just another
day. You have to do something unusual or remarkable on
this day.
A) Please design this day as your ideal day. How would you
make these 8th days memorable, creative, and full of
adventure? You can write or draw or doodle on this as you
wish.
B) This will also be a day where you have an artist's date with
yourself (See Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way" to learn more
about this method). Fill your day with lots of inspiration. Get
inspiration from lots of sources. What could be some of
these sources? Brainstorm below. You can consider places,
people, films, books, artwork, travel, hobbies, theatre,
museums, cafes, nature, and more.
143. Slide 1.143
A) Walk around the city of Norwich. You need your cell phone and
an attentive eye for this project. Pay attention to the doors of
Norwich. This project is all about doors:) Please find at least 12
different doors (of different styles, periods, colours etc.). Take
their photographs. Tag each or give each a creative title. Did you
learn new things that you have not realised before? What are they?
B) Imagine that one of these doors open to your childhood. Go
down on your memory lane and find a sweet memory from your
childhood. Where were you? How old were you? What were you doing?
Were you alone or accompanied by others? Describe your memory with
all the details - make it vivid and rich. Write it down as a story.
Why did you choose this memory? Reflect on its significance for
you.
144. Slide 1.144
A) Please go on a treasure hunt for 8 of the images below and
capture them with your phone or camera.
An animal in a cloud
A UEA bunny
Spirals in nature
Your reflection on a glass or window
A plate of food that you have organized to make a portrait (such as human face)
Colourful flower patterns on clothing
A dinosaur in a human-made object
A person who looks like s/he belongs to another century
Two inanimate objects that appear to be in love
The ugliest image you have seen this week
A close-up of a paper sculpture or an origami object
The most interesting sidewalk or walkway patterns you come across this week
The funniest advertisement image (or message or poster) you have come across this week
The above are only suggestions. You can also photograph other interesting images that come up. The pictures don’t
have to be literal representations. They also don’t have to look good—as a matter of fact, the less perfect, the better.
Close up blurs are welcome. Work quickly without thinking too much. You don’t need to spend more than 20-25
minutes on this unless, of course, you just can’t help yourself. Feel free to take friends on your treasure hunt. Chances
are they will see things that you don’t.
B) Create a collage work or a mood board or an artwork using these photographs. Feel
free to add photos from your own collection. Feel free to digitally alter or manipulate
photos or create mashups. Give a title to your artwork. Please write an artist's
description of your work.
145. Slide 1.145
Imagine that you come across yourself in a cafe in London. You
are shocked at first, but then you realize that this is YOU living in
an alternative universe. The other version of yourself invites you
for coffee. You will catch up and have a conversation about your
lives. You are intrigued.
A) Please write a long and detailed description of the other you
living an alternative life.
◦ Where does s/he live? Imagine all the details - family, career, house,
friends, projects, travel etc. If you want to retain some (indispensible)
elements from your current life, that is fine. However, this must be a
different life. An alternative life that is exciting and full of more adventure
perhaps?
B) Draw or doodle about your alternative life. You can design it
visually or come up with a concept map.
C) Imagine the conversation you are having with your alternative
self. Write down that conversation.
146. Slide 1.146
Please respond to the following questions:
1. When did you last feel curious, playful, and excited?
2. How can you increase these ‘magical moments’ in your daily
life?
3. If money was not a factor, how would you spend your life?
4. If you were able to take one year out to learn a new skill, what
would you learn? Why?
5. If your life were 120 years long and you would choose four
different careers, what would you like to do? Imagine four scenarios
(think of lives or jobs that would be fun and exciting to have).
6. If you do not worry about failure or self-image, what might
you try doing?
7. If you could only work 1 hour for your creative project on one
day; what would you do during that hour?
147. Slide 1.147
Please respond to the following questions (you will find 10
different answers each time).
1. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
2. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
3. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
4. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
5. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
6. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
7. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
8. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……
9. If I did not have to do it perfectly ……..
10. If I did not have to do it perfectly …….
148. Slide 1.148
Fill in the Blanks (10 times, each will be a different answer):
1. A risk that I would like to take is……
2. A risk that I would like to take is……
3. A risk that I would like to take is……
4. A risk that I would like to take is……
5. A risk that I would like to take is……
6. A risk that I would like to take is……
7. A risk that I would like to take is……
8. A risk that I would like to take is……
9. A risk that I would like to take is……
10. A risk that I would like to take is……
149. Slide 1.149
You will revisit your failures in various aspects of your life. You need to be
very honest with yourself about failures. If you want to lead an interesting
life, you will be taking risks and face failure all the time. Failures can be
viewed as stepping stones - they can be turned into learning.
Find and revisit these failures or U TURNS in your life: Something happened
or it did not work. You changed approach, pivoted, or dropped it entirely
perhaps? What happened?
A) Entrepreneurship or Professional Work
or Career
What were the challenges?
How did you resolve (or fail to resolve) the challenges?
What did or did not work?
How would you do it differently next time?
Going Forward: Identify one small action in each domain that you can
implement in your life. How will you go forward? Identify your action plan
and write down an action for each domain above.
150. Slide 1.150
You will revisit your failures in various aspects of your life. You need to be very
honest with yourself about failures. If you want to lead an interesting life, you will be
taking risks and face failure all the time. Failures can be viewed as stepping stones -
they can be turned into learning.
Find and revisit these failures or U TURNS in your life: Something happened or it did
not work. You changed approach, pivoted, or dropped it entirely perhaps? What
happened?
B) Creativity and Arts (music, visual arts, film,
theatre, crafts, dance, writing, and design)
Please re-visit each area above - one by one.
What were the challenges?
How did you resolve (or fail to resolve) the challenges?
What did or did not work?
How would you do it differently next time?
Share your reflections.
Going Forward: Identify one small action in each domain that you can
implement in your life. How will you go forward? Identify your action plan and
write down an action for each domain above.
151. Slide 1.151
You will write yourself two letters. You will imagine that you are 80
in the first letter. You will imagine that you are 8 in the second
letter.
A) The first letter: From your 80-year old self to your current self.
What words of advice and encouragement would this 80 year old,
wise, loving, content version of you, with the benefit of hindsight,
send to the you of today – what guidance would you offer yourself?
B) The second letter: From your 8-year old self to your current self.
•What would your child self tell your current self? Reminders?
Advice? Wisdom? Principles? What is important?
152. Slide 1.152
There are 36 fantasy challenges below (6*6). You can choose 6 of the 36 mini fantasy
challenges below and implement them. You can also choose any mix you prefer. For example, you
can go on 1 fantasy adventure from each link below. In total, you will go on 6 adventures/fantasies.
1. Create six fantastic adventures set in virtual reality
https://medium.com/the-innovation/create-six-fantastic-adventures-set-in-virtual-reality-
c5a89d0eaa8e?source=friends_link&sk=7a2f0ffed0901fa6021b586351b14f6b
2. Create six epic adventures set in outer space
https://medium.com/the-innovation/create-six-epic-adventures-set-in-outer-space-
c903c471799?source=friends_link&sk=013d0a3074417338c022237b63ba7469
3. Imagine you can be part of any fantasy universe
https://medium.com/the-innovation/imagine-you-can-be-part-of-any-fantasy-universe-
ee9d5a4c7c66?source=friends_link&sk=629595f0d3675efe998080dc5f98163c
4. Imagine you can travel back to any period in world history
https://medium.com/the-innovation/imagine-you-can-travel-back-to-any-period-in-world-
history-5fda34e8326a?source=friends_link&sk=ff1fef995d1a5500b37c51739e1671c9
5. Imagine you can travel to the future (any future period and location)
https://medium.com/the-innovation/imagine-you-can-travel-to-the-future-any-future-period-
and-location-10334bcf61f3?source=friends_link&sk=d16706bedd31a8008f5993d0f9b179a2
6. Imagine you will go on six adventures in six countries
https://medium.com/the-innovation/imagine-you-will-go-on-six-adventures-in-six-countries-
43d53675a947?source=friends_link&sk=331356c413d1d354f5280b7b9a9753c1
169. Slide 1.169
On one piece of paper, write down a thing (e.g. aeroplane / USB
stick / lamp / table / mug etc etc) - fold note
On a second piece of paper, write a service (e.g hairdressing /
cooking / filing taxes / collecting garbage etc etc) – fold note
Notes go in two piles: a ‘thing pile’ and a ‘service pile’
CLUSTERS OF FOUR
Every team picks two notes from each pile: two things and two
services
Open your notes!
You have 2 MINUTES to come up a minimum of 5 different Business
Ideas – combining two or more of the things and/or services
You have 3 MINUTES to choose the best one and prepare a
convincing elevator pitch in your team – cool name + visuals help
sell your idea!
169
171. You can analyze TED Talks and BBC 4’s Desert Island Discs as
goldmines of wisdom on self-making and creativity:
TED Talks www.ted.com
BBC 4 Desert Island Discs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/find-a-
castaway
177. Having watched videos of
Ferran Adria, Brian Cox, Elon Musk, and Marina Abramovic,
Think of 4 imaginary lives that would
be fun and interesting to have:
1.
2.
3.
4.
179. Slide 1.179
17
9
Write the title of the Movie:
Your success story/impact/legacy (briefly)
Who would play you?
3 Skills your Cinema Self has (but you do not yet have):
3 Places you need to travel as your cinema self
YOU WILL DISCUSS IN CLUSTERS OF THREE
TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
Feel free to offer ‘pop corn’
184. Slide 1.184
Read more at http://www.look.co.uk/list-for-life/work-life/cv-amazing-gq-intern-without-interview-33245#ZEcP6p8XZYfKMBUf.99
Instead of just
mirroring the style
of the magazine,
Sumukh turned his
CV into an actual
20-page magazine
complete with
features about his
accomplishments,
life and education.
187. Slide 1.187
Your Career as a Wicked Problem
WHAT ARE THE
IMPLICATIONS OF
THIS MODEL?
HOW CAN YOU
COPE?
188. Slide 1.188
Your Career is a Wicked Problem
1. Do not settle with
easiest and most
convenient option
available to you.
2. Cultivate a lot of
diverse seeds,
experiment, and see
which options have more
potential (i.e. grow)
3. Be prepared for
uncertainty through
developing more
resilience,
resourcefulness,
entrepreneurship, and
creativity
194. Slide 1.194
These forward-thinking start-ups have not only identified unexploited
niches in the market that have the potential to become billion-dollar
businesses, a majority of them already are billion-dollar businesses.
◦ A startling 36 disruptors this year are unicorns that have
already reached or passed the billion-dollar mark.
These 50 companies have raised nearly $74
billion in venture capital at an implied market
valuation of more than $277 billion.
◦ Many already are part of our daily lives, whether or not
we know it.
◦ Biotech and machine learning to transportation and retail and even exploring outer
space
◦ Drones and genes to the battles for control in the rapidly growing ridesharing, lodging
and cryptocurrency industries
— these innovations are changing the world.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/16/meet-the-2020-cnbc-disruptor-50-companies.html
195. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Name a real-life person you know that
embodies a science fiction character.
Who might that person be?
•ELON MUSK, of course
196. ELON MUSK as a SUPER-HERO:
Embodiment of imagination and science fiction
198. Slide 1.198
The reason we love Elon Musk is his
BOLD AMBITIONS +
IMAGINATIVE STORYTELLING +
ENORMOUS RISK-TAKING +
WOW FACTOR of ENTERTAINMENT/SURPRISE
Elon Musk created 4 companies worth more than $1
billion each: PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity. He
disrupted 8 industries!!
199.
200.
201. Elon Musk:
How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future
• South African born Elon Musk is the renowned entrepreneur and
innovator behind PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. Musk wants to
save our planet; he wants to send citizens into space, to form a colony
on Mars; he wants to make money while doing these things; and he
wants us all to know about it. He is the real-life inspiration for the
Iron Man series of films starring Robert Downey Junior.
• The personal tale of Musk’s life comes with all the trappings one
associates with a great, drama-filled story. He was a freakishly bright
kid who was bullied brutally at school, and abused by his father. In
the midst of these rough conditions, and the violence of apartheid
South Africa, Musk still thrived academically and attended the
University of Pennsylvania, where he paid his own way through
school by turning his house into a club and throwing massive parties.
• He started a pair of huge dot-com successes, including PayPal, which
eBay acquired for $1.5 billion in 2002. Musk was forced out as CEO
and so began his lost years in which he decided to go it alone and
baffled friends by investing his fortune in rockets and electric cars.
Meanwhile Musk’s marriage disintegrated as his technological
obsessions took over his life ...
• Elon Musk is the Steve Jobs of the present and the future, and for the
past twelve months, he has been shadowed by tech reporter, Ashlee
Vance. Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of Spacex and Tesla is
Shaping our Future is an important, exciting and intelligent account
of the real-life Iron Man.
205. Slide 1.205
Write down your obsessions
◦ Hobbies
◦ Curiosities
◦ Passion
What can you do about these to bring
something new and fresh to the world?
◦ Please think about this question at home.
206. Slide 1.206
CELEBRATING YOUR
OWN ‘WEIRDNESS’
Make a list of 6 things that
make you “weird”.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Do you nourish or restrict
these in your daily life?
207. Slide 1.207
DISCUSS in CLUSTERS OF THREE
Share your weird lists quickly.
Who is the most weird among you?
Celebrate that person!
Try to find a film or fiction character that
would resemble your friend.
Write pop corns for one another.
212. My current academic CV is about 10 pages.
It only lists my accomplishments.
Nobody sees my failures.
213. A small sample of my failures include:
• I was rejected by all PhD programmes after my undergraduate.
• I applied for more than 100 academic jobs when I finished PhD and it was the
time of economic crises – got rejected by all.
• I have got at least 120 rejections from academic journals
(I have around 30 publications i.e. successes)
• I do have many spectacular fails. I have even put a kettle on the oven and it
melted down
229. Slide 1.229
A one-minute description of
the Business Idea:
What is the idea?
What need does it solve for
whom?
Why is the idea unique?
230. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
He was a homeless man, but he is now a
millionaire. He made it happen through
entrepreneurship and edutainment. He
makes raw inspirational songs for
entrepreneurs.
Hint: His songs include: Shopify Rap, Bitcoin
Rap, Life of an Entrepreneur, Self-Made
Chris Record
235. “The 5 Second Rule” by Mel Robbins
The moment you have an instinct to act
on a goal you must count 5–4–3–2–1
and physically move or your brain will
stop you.
237. Don’t Bother Waiting For Inspiration. It’s Not Coming.
• You need grit, struggle and urgency.
• The cold reality is that sometimes, it’s a real struggle to get your best work into the
world.
• That’s why so many of us admire great creators, artists and thinkers but so few of us will
ever become one.
• If you wait to be inspired to do your best work, you’ll be waiting a long time. Possibly
forever.
• Waiting for inspiration is an amateur move. It’s not coming today. It may never. It’s not
coming to you. But you can seek it out.
• The solution: start the work now.
• Do it on the sunny days and the rainy days. Stop giving yourself a “pass” to leave your
gifts on the table unopened. Stop allowing yourself the excuse not to create.
• Push through the uncomfortable stage
• Struggle actually leads to more inspiration
• You don’t get inspired, then do great work. You do great work, then get inspired.
239. Slide 1.239
Your career is a wicked problem. You need to imagine
fresh possibilities and act as a designer and
entrepreneur of your life.
Robots and AI are not going anywhere – be open,
learn, adapt, and develop advanced skills to work with
them.
Be yourself, be weird and be proud of it. Celebrate
what makes you weird. Do not conform to
expectations of others. Invest into your unique
strengths, passions, and obsessions.
240. Slide 1.240
Imagine and design new projects for the company that
you are applying for. How can you contribute to the
table?
Start writing up your customised cover letter. In your
letter, clearly match and exceed the job requirements
one by one.
Failures are valuable – celebrate your failures. Fail
sooner rather than later. Fail early and fail often.
Learn from your failures, develop resilience, and go
forward.
241. Slide 1.241
Your brain loves humour and surprises. Try to engineer
humour and surprise.
Discover inspiring innovative ideas around you. These
might come from all walks of life. Be alert and open to
learning.
Creativity, at its core, is connecting unrelated things
together.
242. Slide 1.242
Be greedy about your learning. Read widely and diversely
beyond disciplines.
Imagination and asset creation are linked very closely.
Imagine and create your own game.
Establish a system of productivity and creativity to create
your own assets.
Consistent Small Actions + Smart Moves + Hard Work + Play Your Game
Establish a system of productivity and creativity to create
your own assets.
Develop effective meta-habits:
https://medium.com/mind-cafe/8-meta-habits-to-make-2020-your-
breakthrough-year-3dd00429cf3
243. Slide 1.243
Search for novelty and variation in life.
Your brain loves surprises, twists, and unexpected things.
Move, dance, run, bike, spend time in nature.
Read 41 creativity lessons article and apply these lessons
in your life.
https://medium.com/swlh/41-creativity-lessons-i-have-learned-as-i-have-entered-my-
41st-age-92f3552970af
Your imagination has no boundaries. Use it more often.
244. Your most crucial task is: Create
your own creative assets. Start
now!
Use your Seven I or Entrep. project
as an opportunity to create your
own intellectual and creative
assets.
Do not take yourself seriously. Take
your work seriously.
Do not be trapped by your ego –
this will make you mediocre.
You cannot learn and grow if you
try to be clever all the time. It is
much better to be naïve, hungry,
foolish, playful, and curious.
Review of Takeaways
248. Slide 1.248
Peter Jones, of Dragons' Den, meets Britain's top
entrepreneurs, finding out how they made their millions
and investigating whether there is a blueprint for success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foWMmY3xSuk&index
=13&list=PLPchIv5B039ZzRaZTJ_5Hqm6uyH46IsbS
◦ Richard Reed – Innocent smoothies
◦ Michelle Mone - Ultimo lingerie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhxLuG7qtwA&index
=12&list=PLPchIv5B039ZzRaZTJ_5Hqm6uyH46IsbS
◦ Chris Dawson – The Range
◦ Constantines – Lush Cosmetics
250. Slide 1.250
Bolles, R.N. (2018). What Color is Your
Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job
Hunters and Career Changers. Berkeley, CA:
Ten Speed Press.
Cameron, J. (2016). The Artist’s Way: A
Course in Discovering and Recovering Your
Creative Self. London: Pan Macmillan.
Burnett, B. and Evans, D. (2016). Designing
Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful
Life. Knopf Publishing.
Harvard Business Review
Fast Company
Wired
Forbes
254. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Who are the biggest Global East Asian act
in history?
Hint: They generate 3.6 billion for South
Korea’s economy.
•BTS, of course
255. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Can you tell the names of all members of
BTS from your memory?
258. What can we learn
from BTS?
https://www.newstatesman.com/
culture/music-
theatre/2019/06/bts-
phenomenon
K-Pop Infrastructure: Rigorous
training for more than a decade
Bang Si-Hyuk – CEO of Big Hit
“Love Yourself” narrative, work with
the U.N. and openness on topics like
mental health.
Mental health and the desire to
belong in society.
Their aesthetic and music allow both
surface enjoyment and deeply
cultural examinations.
259. BTS Success Story
• RM (the leader), J-Hope, Suga, Jin, Jimin, Jungkook and V.
• They are the biggest Global East Asian act in history.
• BTS generates $3.6bn – not a typo – a year for the South Korean economy.
• In 2017 1 in 13 tourists to South Korea cited BTS as the motive for their
visit.
• The band has topped the US Billboard album charts three times in a single
year, a feat equalled only by the Beatles.
• BTS have taken artist-admirer intimacy to Himalayan heights: The Army
• An entire industry: Producers and songwriters, choreographers, set and
costume designers, video directors, social-media handlers comprise a
formidable world-class creative and business organism.
266. Slide 1.266
It is not easy to scare yourself and set yourself new
challenges and adventures. But if you do it, you will be
rewarded. You will be happier.
What kind of a super-hero are you? How will you help
other people?
The world needs interesting, unique, weird people –
like you!
You can get inspiration from 100 different people and 100
different fields.
And then imagine you are a farmer and you are growing
100 creative projects: Let 100 flowers bloom!
267. Slide 1.267
You need to live exponentially and avoid mediocrity.
Life is short and you are the hero. Make a difference.
Being part of something large feels good. We are a
community of learners & experimenters.
Create your own category and be the owner of that
category.
Develop your personal brand. Build it on your authentic
self. Turn your weaknesses into strengths by being open.
268. Slide 1.268
Do not take yourself seriously. Take your work seriously.
You cannot learn and grow if you try to be clever all the
time. It is much better to be naïve, hungry, foolish,
playful, and curious.
Do not be trapped by your ego – this will make you
mediocre.
Use your semester project as an opportunity to create
your own intellectual and creative assets.
Your most crucial task is: Create your own creative
assets. Start now!
269. Slide 1.269
Remember the Squash.
What did you learn from the Squash?
You need a bit more chaos, randomness, dance, singing,
independent learning, writing, and creating in your life.
Improvisation is magic – it improves your life instantly.
Surprises, adventures, puzzles, exciting ventures, new
projects, artistic pursuits are good for your health.
270. Slide 1.270
Your diary is your best friend.
Your diary is a seed catalogue of all your ideas. Write, draw,
reflect, capture your ideas every day.
We live in an imagination economy. Ideas are the new
currency. Your attention (i.e. your time) is the most
precious thing in the world.
Life is not only about the next goal to be captured. There
is more to life than that. We are not machines. We need
adventures. Sometimes, you need to relax, breathe, loosen
up – just be.
What if you had quadruple lives – wouldn’t this enrich you
as a person?