MIND BLOWN
Sep 23rd, 2014 by haileyrae
Give me an everyday situation that produces a somewhat undesirable problem. Ask me to solve it. I will no doubt use my ready logic and deductive reasoning to arrive at a rational solution. Because of my analytical and common sense nature, I have found that my arrivals yield, to my dismay, rather boring and textbook resolutions.
I was schooled in the conformity of mainstream public education. I forgive myself a certain lack of creative swagger. It has been long established that my left brain rules. I’ve been successful throughout my education largely because I’ve been able to ascertain the expectations of my elders and do the expected. This is because – I believe – that structured, in-the-box, follow-the-rules thinking is basically rewarded in public education. I find this an unfortunate situation. Most of my life, I’ve followed the rules and regurgitated the text and I now find myself immersed in University at a time of burgeoning innovation and entrepreneurial revolution.
It is at this time, in spite of my educational history, that I find myself in an exciting new world. So far this term I’ve landed in the perfect place ripe for exploration: the d.studio.
The first day in the studio, class was presented with the backpack challenge. It was then that I knew I was in the right place. I was, and continue to be, inspired by this class! All of my life I have longed for a little excitement, for something or someone to tell me to think differently. I never needed permission but these explorations finally make Uni worth the investment!
I am thinking in ways I’ve only ever allowed during personal endeavours or when daydreaming. I can only really describe the process as an opening of my brain. Through the mini-lectures and the unique opportunities with Shifting Growth, I now start my thinking broadly. The problem is like the seed, and from the seed sprouts thought upon thought, branching connection to connection, and the birth of intertwined and diverse ideas.
The readings invigorate me. It is through lessons like The BadIdeas Toolkit that I realize I have nothing to fear. There is no right or wrong answer. Not every problem in life is like a math equation. In fact life and business are far better captured in the fluidity and artwork of writing. I always feared writing because I thought I was never good at it. Math came far easier to me because it always resulted in one answer; there was always a pattern delivering the one answer. But now, for the first time in my school life, I turn to my fear; I find solace in my fear – writing. Writing makes sense now. Writing is like life. This sentence, this paragraph, this story, will never ever be perfect. It will never be finished, because it can always be changed. This discovery can be translated into the brainstorming of ideas in the d.studio and for the business canvas.
I’ve realized that the only times this thinking process breaks down is when I stop believing in myself. The moment I doubt my idea, revert to bad habits and allow my negative subconscious to rear its ugly head, everything falls apart. I have to get up and walk away, re-center myself and revisit my analysis stages: what, why and when not. I am learning a lot about myself and solidifying my core traits. I thoroughly enjoyed the “About the Ten Faces” reading and identified with The Anthropologist, The Director, The Collaborator, and The Caregiver. I’m realizing more and more that I’m a very people-oriented person and that my empathy doesn’t have to be a detriment in the profit-driven business world, but an asset.
Even GROUP WORK is better than just bearable. I am enjoying the company of my classmates. I feel like I can rely on them; a feat that is truly worth mentioning. I find myself, more often than not, taking on the leadership role. I am comfortable in this position but I also value and appreciate a healthy team dynamic.
For some time now I’ve been at unease about the more structured practices that dominated my educational career. This class is settling that unease. It is opening up articles and opinions that root business in customer experience and differentiation through DESIGN AND INNOVATION. All that logical, left-brained emphasis, no longer feels so sound. Times have changed. This is the age of entrepreneurs and I am so excited to be apart of it.