A Concept is a Hiden Lover

Dear IMA Diary,

Today (11- 11- 21) we were talking about concepts, what? How? Why?

I find hard to define something huge in few words, it is probably not possible. Frank Ouwens was our host and he has been working on categorize into new terms a way to define concepts and after some explanation and examples I left that room clear and confuse at the same time. How does it possible? well, maybe been confronted the whole time with new concepts, words and references 300 km per hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Dramatic? Yes, I am.

C-REATING PHASE – THE BIRTH OF THE CONCEPT

I have understood that as imagineers we are incisive, we are never satisfied with the first idea and we are in constant movement, changing by the context and appreciating the adverse, the unpredictable; everything in this “Imagineeering” world seems cliché and ideal from this side, as saying that we are not looking for a product or a result, we are looking for an experience and a process; in that sense, the channel for “Imagineers” should be –innovation- and we are together connecting possibilities to get there, with an important approach: fill of meaning the path.

Every path has different points, the most important are the beginning and the end, we need a purpose to start with something and that has to be something that mobilizes us as creators, but, how to start with this creating phase? sounds fun in my head when my thoughts say that those two (Beginning and end) parts should be highlighted at the same moment, so: start with the end – The Vision- this is the biggest dream, where we want to get, the aspirational future. And having in mind that huge vision it is possible to move and continue with the concept, because this would be the way to get there – The HOW-. It should be pointed out that every part-person involved in the process is a vital piece to complete the puzzle and all contributions will determine its evolution.

Unfolding the concept of the concept

Ouwens proposes 3 levels of a concept that I am going to sum up (because, this is for a general view, I don’t mean to bore you and off course my head is not clear enough until try over and over).So, I will talk about them as lovers.

Concept: The basic, he/she does not pretend to be too much inspiring, he/she is practical and concrete and could be easy to copy, no soul inside, no butterflies in the stomach.

High Concept: Friend zone, he/she is inspired enough for being curios, for having good conversations and be together, he/she enables collective creativity and connect easy, he/she is the perfect one who ignites and facilitates emergence, the one that you want to date as friends and learn from he/she but, does not complete you enough to transform your future life together.

Creative Tension Engine: The lover, he/she really provokes, is always listening your feelings and emotions and is open to change if it is necessary; he/she understands your desires and helps you to build the ideal future, the vision, he/she is filling the meaning constantly because is sure that is not only about how to get there but also why. High level of butterflies in the stomach. (You know who he/she is because is strong and has identity, you know that you are not changing him/her for no one or nothing else).

Certainly, I believe that all of us deserve –The Lover- in our lives, this creative tension engine who allow us to follow our craziest wishe... It is about being in the right place with the right people. No even Ouwens has the truth to get to it but, he shares his flirting expertise to give us some tips:

1. Look for someone meaningful, distinctive and enduring in the time

2. he/she needs to be simple talking about communication, not too complicated to introduce with your family and friends.

3. Please, try to find someone without boundaries, open-minded in this VUCA world.

4. Make a balance between external and internal values, both are important.

5. He/she needs to be visionary to inspire, get involve, explore, co-create toward the goal.

6. Don’t forget imagination, it is relevant when we talk about innovate and find new ideas.

7. Fine the generative vibe inside he/she, always shaking and inspiring new possibilities and adventures together.

8. Don’t fall in love with someone who talk without sensitivity, the way he/she uses his/her words helps you to narrate the best story.

Finally, I found a way to unfold the words, dramatic and romantic are my feelings in this blog, at the end open the theory and interpret it is the key to understand. I would love to have time to reflect with the others (my ima partners) and share our thoughts, I feel like it would help me to clarify ideas.

BONUS – GAMEPLAN

Is still the same day and we started the second half of the day with cookies and chocolates, I noticed that after lunch and a heavy morning we start with weird behaviors, mess around and play.

We are preparing everything for the Hackathon ( It is about 3 days creation session for the municipality of Breda, but I will talk about this later when it is time) and to start, our lecturers proposed to create a gameplan, another way to say work plan, is just for a good sound and to feel playfull, the second half of the day we were working in a workplan to something that we did not know exactly what it was with people that was not in our final groups, but, there was cookies and chocolates, what else I can ask to live?

The work plan consists in understand the goal and the dream for the project that we are going to create, oh no wait, we are going to create a –CONCEPT- (I love that we are not just listening and learning about topics, but also we have the opportunity to experiment it). If we think about a project we can say it is a game, as a metaphor, then we can see it from another perspective. To be concrete: We as a work-team stablish rules and steps to be clear, safe time and have a support to start without being completely blind.

The group was a bit distracted, laughing about everything, trying to complete the task with not success, but was enough to understand the tool and use it next in the real hackathon situation.

P.S. Why the examples are always the same? (Cocacola and nike)

P.S. I am really excited about this block and its topics.

With love,

My sensitive soul,

Laura