Design Your Life, Create Your Story, and Unleash Your Creativity
We are going through one of the most disruptive periods in history.
How do you design your life and increase the quality of your life in such disruptive times?
In this session, we address that question and provide you inspirational tools and examples to design and improve your life.
Below are contents and topics we cover:
- Disruptive changes after the pandemic lockdowns
- Controlling your life in the midst of disruption
- How to be productive and creative (poster exercises)
- How to prepare your creative and entrepreneurial career portfolio
- Designing Your Life Exercise - Workshop (exercise based on Stanford module)
- Mentoring yourself and improving your quality of life in various domains
- Make a list of all your wishes, visions, and aspirations
- How to be super-creative and super-productive
- Digital content creation
- Create 300 pieces of content
- Storytelling
- YouTube is the Future
- TikTok Strategies and Examples
- Content Houses: Sway House and Hype House
- Instagram Celebrities: Ronaldo
- Use Your Imagination: Hunger Games & Stranger Things
- Incredible Success Story of Beeple (Mike Winkelmann)
- Incredible Success Story of J. P. Metsavainio: Milky Way Mosaic
- Create Your Own Renaissance: Your Asset Creation Vision in 10 Years
- Further Visual Resources on Entrepreneurship, Money, and Assets
Almost all of these materials are fresh, which means I have learned them very recently. This approach makes the contents very multidisciplinary, engaging, and exciting.
Enjoy!
Seminar 10 - Wrapping up - This is Your Assets, Your Creativity, and Your Life - 17 May and 20 May 2021
1. University of East Anglia
Norwich Business School
Management Skills and
Personal Development
NBS-7031X
SEMINAR 10
17 May and 20 May 2021
Dr. Fahri Karakas
F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk
13. Slide 1.13
Part 1: Job Application Portfolio (20%) (4-6
pages)
I. Job advertisement
II. CV: Your professional updated CV
III. Your customized Cover Letter
IV. Poster: Creative CV or Vision Board
14. Slide 1.14
Part 2: Asset Creation Project (Seven I or
Entrepreneurial Proposal) (25%) (7-8 pages)
At the heart of your asset creation project is independent thinking and
creativity. We encourage you to play, create stories, dream of possibilities,
and incorporate your own strengths and passions.
There is not one best way to create your asset creation project. It is your
playground and you are encouraged to play/experiment with crazy, risky,
creative, imaginative ideas. You can also choose to experiment with your
hobbies that could become parallel careers for you in the future.
Please choose one of the options:
◦ Seven I
◦ Entrepreneurial Proposal
15. Slide 1.15
Inspiration. Imagination. Insight. Integration. Inquiry. Innovation. Implementation
◦ This option is about creating creative assets for your future. What are you really curious and passionate about? Think
of it as a “Kickstarter” type of project.
◦ Some of the sample artwork or projects or alternative ideas from past students are below:
Establish your own YouTube channel, podcast, or blog
Compose songs and create ideas for your first album
Create your own fashion line, brand, and catalogue (with sample clothing designs)
Create your own book proposal and write sample pages and introduction for your book
Your project should have the following sections:
1.Executive summary: Summarize your artwork as an elevator pitch. How does this work represent and document
your learning and skill development in this module?
2. The artwork: Make sure that you capture your artwork through photographs or Internet links; and clearly attach
these to your appendix. It should be very easy for the graders to access your work online – make their job easier, not
harder.
3. Description and the process of creation: Why and how did you come up with this work? How did you design and
build this work? Why is this work original and unique? How does it connect to the learning objectives and skills of
this module?
4. Explanation and evidence of learning and skill development: Make sure you describe your artwork clearly and
make sure you connect it rigorously with the learning outcomes and skills you have mastered in this module. Explain
how this work constitutes evidence of your learning and skill development.
5. Significance and utility of this work: Where is your contribution? How does this work connect to your personal
branding? How does it connect to your career goals and passions? How can you use this work for your future career?
6. Reaching your fans: Who could be your fans? How do you define your target group? How do you reach your “1000
true fans”? How can you build your audience for the long term?
16. Slide 1.16
◦ Think of this option as a Shark Tank type of project where you want to present a written entrepreneurial pitch.
In this project, you will imagine yourself as an entrepreneur establishing a business after graduation. You will
prepare a focused and creative entrepreneurial business proposal for your enterprise. Think of this option as
an ‘elevator pitch’ where you present your business idea to potential funders.
◦ As you come up with your business plan, try to identify real problems in society, create innovative
solutions and commercialise those solutions to a target market.
◦ Your business proposal should have the following sections (each of these should be very focused/brief):
1. Executive summary: Summarize your business idea as an elevator pitch. Where is your unique value
proposition?
2. Business description: What is your core or your "secret sauce" which is not easily duplicated? How do you
define your sustainable competitive advantage?
3. Your product /service: How do you design and build your product or service? How do you develop the idea,
technology and passion necessary to get started?
4. Market analysis: What about the competition in the market? How do you differentiate your business in this
market?
5. Marketing plan: Who are your customers? (A profile of your targeted customer) How do your customers
access/reach your product or service? What is the process for acquiring a targeted customer?
6. Financial/operational plan: What metrics need to be put into place to determine if your product/service is
successful (or not) early in the process? How do you make money? How do you scale to widen and diversify the
revenue stream?
17. Slide 1.17
PART 3) Imagination Experiments/Creative Challenges (10%) (3-4
pages):
◦ Read Section 12 of the Module Handbook and read the weekly challenges set up for you.
There is no one right answer – these challenges are mainly about play, creativity, risk-
taking, experimentation, personal voice, and reflection.
◦ Choose your top two favourite ones and attach them to your coursework.
PART 4) Learning Adventures (10%) (3-4 pages):
Please respond to the following two questions. Please write one short paragraph for each
of the top 10 things (your responses).
1. What are the top 10 things you learned from the lectures in this class?
These could be new insights, perspectives, or lessons. What inspired, excited, surprised,
or helped you?
2. What are the top 10 things you changed or improved in your life because of this
module?
These could be new habits you adopted, or changes you have made in your life.
18. Slide 1.18
PART 5) Seminar Appendix Tables:
Incorporation of Seminar Activities and
Relevant Module Skills and Learning
(35%) (10-13 pages)
Please attach 7 of these seminar activities.
Top 10 Skills Evidence Table
Evidence Table for Self-Directed Learning Activities
Flower Exercise Result Sheet
Choose your own option -1
Design Thinking Application
Creative Toolkit: Café Exercise
Benchmarking Table
Business Model Canvas
Six Hats Thinking Application
Belbin Role Result and Analysis
Personality Test Result and Analysis
Your Birthday Challenges
Evidence Table for Self-Directed Learning Activities
Choose your own option -2
Time Management Grid
Personal and Professional Development Plan
Application of Gibbs Cycle of Reflection
Personal Branding Canvas or Business Branding Canvas
19. Slide 1.19
Work on 5 sections of your individual portfolio
◦ 1) Finish your job application portfolio (Job ad, CV, Cover letter,
poster)
◦ 2) Make progress on your asset creation project (Seven I or
Entrepreneurial Proposal).
◦ 3) Choose your 2 creative adventures and write them up
◦ 4) Prepare Learning Adventures section (Top 10 things you
learned + top 10 things you changed)
◦ 5) Finish 7 seminar activities and attach them.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions or
concerns: F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk
20. Slide 1.20
Are the following elements present in the
portfolio?:
◦ Your job ad
◦ Your CV
◦ Your Cover Letter
◦ Your poster (Creative CV or Vision Board)
◦ Asset Creation Project (Seven I or Entrepreneurial Proposal)
◦ Two weekly creative challenges (imagination experiments)
◦ Top 10 things you learned from the lectures in this class
◦ Top 10 things you changed or improved in your life because of this module
◦ Seven Seminar Activities (whichever you choose)
22. Slide 1.22
22
Designers create worlds and solve
problems using design thinking.
Everything in our lives was
designed by someone. Every design
starts with a wicked problem to
solve.
The wicked problem: Your life and
career
Design thinking can help us create
a life that is meaningful - a life of
fulfilment and joy, constantly
creative and productive, one that
always holds the possibility of
surprise.
23. Slide 1.23
23
Designing Your Life: Build A
Life That Works For You
@Stanford University
There is no single perfect
plan for your life. There are
many versions of “you” that
exist now and in the future.
"There are multiple great
lives (and plans) within me,
and I get to choose which
one to build my way forward
to next.”
24. Slide 1.24
1. List three different five-year plans (you can use the worksheet).
◦ The first life is the one you already live, or that you've already committed to.
◦ The second life the one you'd create if the opportunity to live the first life were
suddenly gone.
◦ The third life is the one you'd live if money and image didn't matter.
2. Give each plan a six-word title. Now write down three questions
about each version of your life.
3. Rank each life plan on whether you have the resources to fulfill it,
how much you like it, how confident you are in it, and whether it fits
with your general perspectives on life and work.
◦ (The worksheet comes with images of gauges you can use for the rankings.)
Here's what completed Odyssey Plans or Life Design Prototypes might
look like:
32. Slide 1.32
Please go over each area in
your life right now.
Evaluate yourself – try not
to be too judgemental and
try to be compassionate to
yourself.
Write down whatever
comes to you. Record your
observations and
reflections.
Think of and write down
small positive actions to
take
60. Slide 1.60
◦ He promised himself to create digital art every day. He created a
futuristic image every day for 13.5 years.
◦ He created an image each day from May 1, 2007 through Jan. 7, 2021. He
never broke the chain.
◦ This meant he created 5,000 daily futuristic images over 5000 days.
◦ He then combined all of these images into a jpeg file.
◦ He called this file: “Everydays: The First 5000 Days”
◦ This digital collage was sold as an NFT (non-fungible token) in an online
auction at Christie’s.
◦ How much was this NFT sold for? $69 million!
◦ What is the name of this artist? Beeple - Mike Winkelmann
61.
62.
63.
64.
65. Slide 1.65
◦ At night, most people see darkness. Not this guy. He sees opportunities and
excitement when he looks at the night sky.
◦ He is an astrophotographer. He lives in Finland. He spent each night
photographing the universe and capturing images. He worked every night. The
nights are very long in Finland. Many silent and lonely nights.
◦ On March 16, 2021, J-P Metsavainio tweeted out an image that he had spent 12
years creating. A panoramic of our galaxy, the space between the Taurus and
Cygnus constellations.
◦ A mosaic of 234 frames that shows 125 degrees of the sky and 20 million stars.
◦ It’s an awe inspiring masterpiece that convey passion and beauty - one of the most
spectacular astronomical works you have ever seen.
◦ What is the name of this astrophotographer? J-P Metsavainio
66.
67.
68. Visualize where you
will be in 10 years
- I will create 2000 YouTube
videos in 10 years.
- I will write 2000 Medium
articles in 10 years.
- I will write at least 5 books
in 10 years.
- I will create at least 2
online training programs.
- I will create an asset
creation summer school
and hackathon.
- I will make at least 1
million$ in 10 years. I am
now writing myself a
check to this amount.
79. Entrepreneur Revolution – Daniel Priestley – 10
Challenges
1: Make 3 calls daily. Just start conversations (by phone, email, and face to face) about your Vision,
without knowing where they'll lead.
2: Save 10% of your income. Create a separate bank account and put at least 10 percent of the money you
earn into that account. Leave it untouched as part of "your wealth." It will make you feel psychologically
safe and assure your long-term survival.
3: Avoid the 'naysayers.' Seek out friends who inspire you. If you have no one to inspire you, you're better
off spending time networking.
4: Carry as much cash as reassures you. It stops you worrying about immediate survival issues, because
you're literally 'in touch' with your cash flow.
5: Build your network, 2 lunches at a time. Buy lunch for two new people a week. Build your network, 2
lunches at a time. Look out for other entrepreneurs and business people who will give you new
perspectives on things. Bring people together, win referrals, see opportunities, and learn. A lively
network builds wealth like nothing else.
6: Tune out The 24hr 'news.' You won't miss all that stuff in your 'circle of concern.' You will focus better,
in your 'sphere of influence.' When you focus on your Vision, you will make your own news.
7: Keep a journal. Record, so you can recall and repeat high-value activities. Mark your milestones. Don't
allow your ideas, plans, goals, and targets to elude you. Explore your business mindset on paper.
8: Plan your business around your vacations. Vacations are about recreation; literally making yourself
anew. Prioritize your leisure time to make more of your business time.
9: Get structured. Set up your systems for wealth creation now. Consult your accountant and your lawyer
so as not to lose out in taxation, unprotected assets, or missed investment opportunities.
10: Build your winning team now. Get people around you who buy into your Vision. Build your winning
team now. People you can trust to live up to their commitments. Avoid 'yes men' in favor of genuine
communicators. The people you hire today will be the ones who deliver tomorrow's success.
97. Slide 1.97
Thank you
Thank you very much for your hard
work and contributions to this module.
Best luck in finalizing your portfolio
projects.
Sincerely;
Dr. Fahri Karakas
98. Slide 1.98
Thank you for your contributions
– you have made this module truly
enjoyable and fascinating.
Thank you