Lectures 9 and 10 - The Eye-Opening Pessimist Workshop: Do Not Trust The System, Establish Your Own System

University of East Anglia
Norwich Business School
Employability, Creativity and
Personal Development
NBS-5915A
Self-Making Studio
Lectures 9-10
30 October, 2020
Dr. Fahri Karakas
F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk

Assignment
Submission
Guidance

3
 Please bring everything together
 You can submit as a whole document (word or pdf).
 Everything should be in correct order.
1) Job Application portfolio and its parts in order
2) Two creative challenges (imagination experiments)
3) Lecture evidence (6 paragraphs + 2 exercises/learning
adventures)
4) All Seminar Activities/Attachments - 1 through 8 - in
correct order.
 Submission should be made through BLACKBOARD
 Deadline: 12 December Thursday

 Please do not submit your work through
the Hub (no printing, no print outs)
 You will need to finish your coursework
submission through Blackboard
(electronically)

 You can submit as word or pdf file
 Everything should be in the correct order
◦ You might put Table of Contents and Executive Summary
at the start (optional)
◦ Start with the job advertisement you are applying
◦ Then CV, Cover Letter, Poster
◦ Then, add two weekly creative challenges
◦ Then, add lecture evidence (6 paragraphs + 2 learning
adventures)
◦ Then, all seminar activities and appendices 1 through 8

6
Seminar 1: Time Management Grid

7
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Seminar 2: Personal and Professional Development Plan

11
Week Self-Directed
Learning Activity
(i.e. what you did)
Learning/Inspiration/Lesson drawn
1 Listened to
Desert Island
Discs episode
of Dame Zaha
Hadid
I reflected on the critical importance of courage to shake up
traditional practices and concepts of architecture through fluid and
futuristic thinking. Zaha Hadid was one of the most celebrated
architects in the world in a field dominated by men. Her triumph
was to turn the beautiful graphic visions of her sculptural approach
into reality. This is due to her rare courage, conviction, tenacity and
a free creative spirit – all qualities that I find extremely valuable in
my future career. I am inspired to learn more about the unique life
and career of this remarkable woman.
2 Listened to
Desert Island
Discs episode
of Cath Kidston
Known for her floral designs combining the vintage and the
modern, Cath Kidston achieved amazing business success with her
business and brand worth £50 million and 100 shops worldwide.
Japanese are crazy about the brand calling it ‘kawaii’ (cute), a
celebration of cheerfulness. I find it a remarkable success story
based on finding this universal appeal of ‘cheering people up’
through practical design. Listening to her story, including the
obstacles and her vulnerable feelings during growing up her
business, was refreshing and gave me hope. Like her, perhaps I can
nourish my entrepreneurial side one day – all it requires is the
courage and readiness to experiment/fail along with a niche
business idea/solution that makes cheers up people.

13
Six Options – choose one of them
1. Personal Logo Table
2. Ten Responses Table: Your Best Year Yet
3. Table of Role Models
4. Table of Potential Firms and Job Positions
5. SWOT Analysis of Yourself and Your Career
6. Create your Netflix show

14
 Are the following elements present in the portfolio?:
◦ Your job ad
◦ Your CV
◦ Your Cover Letter
◦ Your poster (Creative CV or Vision Board)
◦ Two chosen creative challenges (imagination experiments)
◦ Two Six paragraphs on six Fridays (for each 2 hour lecture session)
◦ Learning adventures (applied exercises) chosen from any lectures (1-12)
◦ Time Management Grid Worksheet
◦ Personal and Professional Development Plan
◦ Top 10 Skills Evidence Table
◦ Personal Branding Canvas
◦ Application of Gibbs Cycle of Reflection
◦ Evidence Table for Self-Directed Learning Activities
◦ Flower Exercise Result Worksheet
◦ Optional Table (choose 1 of them)

19
 Hackathon
 £111 Exercise
 Workshop: Self-Making Studio
 Self-Making Exercise
 Thinking Critically and Questioning the System
 Things to Do – Reminders

20
“The Eye-Opening Pessimist Workshop”
 Game Theory Exercise
 Thinking Critically and Questioning the System
 Charlie Brooker’s Genius: Black Mirror

Thinking Critically and
Questioning the System
WORKSHOP

23
 All traditional jobs are in
decline
 Career ladder is gone
 There is too much uncertainty
 Everyone has to think like an
entrepreneur
 The industrial revolution is over
 The entrepreneur revolution is
starting

24
 This university has no teachers, syllabus or fees: Paris's École
42 is reinventing education for the future (training the next
Zuckerberg)
◦ http://www.wired.co.uk/article/paris-tech-school-ecole-42
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OKfktv3k-0
◦ https://www.42.us.org/the-university/bootcamp-piscine/
 https://www.udacity.com/
 https://www.techinasia.com/online-learning-platform-17zuoye-raises-100m-
series-lei-jun-yuri-milner
 http://www.itutorgroup.com/about_1.html
 https://www.pluralsight.com/
 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/will-the-minerva-project-
the-first-elite-american-university-to-be-launched-in-a-century-change-the-
9624379.html

25
https://fee.org/articles/covid-19-is-disrupting-the-future-of-higher-
education/

28
https://entrepreneurshandbook.co/googles-genius-49-mo-course-is-about-to-
replace-college-degrees-340f459aaa9b

University of the Future
Learning Adventure

Exercise:
How would you design the
university of the future?
How would you disrupt higher
education?
In the next 2 minutes:
Create min. 5 ideas - capture
them on a white page.

My vision
University of the
Future
I try to design and
improve this module
based on this model.
What do you think
university of the future
should look like?
How can we move
towards there?

My vision:
Universities as
Places of
Imagination

https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/you-face-a-very-tough-job-market-now-but-
you-can-still-thrive-
2277bbc99660?source=friends_link&sk=13fdd31c3d14a3f485d025abd53f36dd

ROBERT GREENE’S BOOK ON TERRIBLE RULES OF POWER

UP Documentary –
Your Life Segments
Learning
Adventure

41
The British Documentary “Up” was initiated in
1964 and interviewed children aged 7 about
their lives and dreams.
These children were tracked and interviewed
again when they were 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49,
and 56.
Exercise
Divide your life into 7-year segments and
draw the phases based on these years.
1-7
8-14
15-21
22-28
29-35
36-42
43-49
50-56
57-63
64-70
1.Draw the segments like a lifeline or a path.
2.Give a title to each segment.
3.What were the major life events or
milestones during these years?
4.Think of places/cities/people significant
during this segment.
5.Write down your major roles/jobs/projects
and key institutions during this segment.
6.At what junction are you at currently?
7. Where will you be heading next?
Brainstorm possibilities and write down your
dreams.

AWARD WINNING
DOCUMENTARIES
Self-guided Documentary
WORKSHOP
– please complete at home

PRECARITY: A SAVAGE JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF EMBODIED CAPITALISM
BY VASSILIS TSIANOS / DIMITRIS PAPADOPOULOS
• PRECARIOUS LIFE CONDITIONS ARE EXPERIENCED BY THE SINGULAR
LABOURER TODAY.
THE EMBODIED EXPERIENCE OF PRECARITY IS CHARACTERISED BY:
• (A) VULNERABILITY: THE STEADILY EXPERIENCE OF FLEXIBILITY WITHOUT ANY
FORM OF PROTECTION;
• (B) HYPERACTIVITY: THE IMPERATIVE TO ACCOMMODATE CONSTANT AVAILABILITY;
• (C) SIMULTANEITY: THE ABILITY TO HANDLE AT THE SAME THE DIFFERENT TEMPI
AND VELOCITIES OF MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES;
• (D) RECOMBINATION: THE CROSSINGS BETWEEN VARIOUS NETWORKS, SOCIAL
SPACES, AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES;
• (E) POST-SEXUALITY: THE OTHER AS DILDO;
• (F) FLUID INTIMACIES: THE BODILY PRODUCTION OF INDETERMINATE GENDER
RELATIONS;
• (G) RESTLESSNESS: BEING EXPOSED TO AND TRYING TO COPE WITH THE
OVERABUNDANCE OF COMMUNICATION, COOPERATION AND INTERACTIVITY;
• (H) UNSETTLEDNESS: THE CONTINUOUS EXPERIENCE OF MOBILITY ACROSS
DIFFERENT SPACES AND TIME LINES;
• (I) AFFECTIVE EXHAUSTION: EMOTIONAL EXPLOITATION, OR, EMOTION AS AN
IMPORTANT ELEMENT FOR THE CONTROL OF EMPLOYABILITY AND MULTIPLE
DEPENDENCIES;
• (J) CUNNING: ABLE TO BE DECEITFUL, PERSISTENT, OPPORTUNISTIC, A
TRICKSTER.
46

CRUEL OPTIMISM
• A RELATION OF CRUEL OPTIMISM EXISTS WHEN SOMETHING YOU DESIRE IS
ACTUALLY AN OBSTACLE TO YOUR FLOURISHING.
• OFFERING BOLD NEW WAYS OF CONCEIVING THE PRESENT, LAUREN BERLANT
DESCRIBES THE CRUEL OPTIMISM THAT HAS PREVAILED SINCE THE 1980S, AS
THE SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC PROMISE OF THE POSTWAR PERIOD IN THE UNITED
STATES AND EUROPE HAS RETRACTED.
• PEOPLE HAVE REMAINED ATTACHED TO UNACHIEVABLE FANTASIES OF THE
GOOD LIFE —WITH ITS PROMISES OF UPWARD MOBILITY, JOB SECURITY,
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL EQUALITY, AND DURABLE INTIMACY —DESPITE
EVIDENCE THAT LIBERAL-CAPITALIST SOCIETIES CAN NO LONGER BE
COUNTED ON TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THEIR
LIVES “ADD UP TO SOMETHING.”
• ARGUING THAT THE HISTORICAL PRESENT IS PERCEIVED AFFECTIVELY
BEFORE IT IS UNDERSTOOD IN ANY OTHER WAY, BERLANT TRACES AFFECTIVE
AND AESTHETIC RESPONSES TO THE DRAMAS OF ADJUSTMENT THAT UNFOLD
AMID TALKS OF PRECARITY, CONTINGENCY, AND CRISIS.
• SHE SUGGESTS THAT OUR STRETCHED-OUT PRESENT IS CHARACTERIZED BY
NEW MODES OF TEMPORALITY, AND SHE EXPLAINS WHY TRAUMA THEORY—
WITH ITS FOCUS ON REACTIONS TO THE EXCEPTIONAL EVENT THAT SHATTERS
THE ORDINARY—IS NOT USEFUL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE WAYS THAT
PEOPLE ADJUST OVER TIME, ONCE CRISIS ITSELF HAS BECOME ORDINARY.
• CRUEL OPTIMISM IS A REMARKABLE AFFECTIVE HISTORY OF THE PRESENT.
47

58
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfO-3Oir-
qM&list=PLvahqwMqN4M0GRkZY8WkLZMb6Z-W7qbLA

60
 http://unitedexplanations.org/english/2013/07/23/75-
documentaries-that-will-change-how-you-see-the-world/

61
https://medium.com/journal-of-
curiosity-imagination-and-
inspiration/we-will-face-a-full-blown-
international-economic-crisis-soon-
here-is-how-you-prepare-for-it-
c5d93ef2fac6?source=friends_link&sk=
48fcabf7f82c32e714f4a7d52cea75d8
– please read at home
I wrote this article last year, well
before the economic crisis

63
 https://medium.com/@fahrikarakas/how-to-keep-calm-and-be-creative-when-the-world-is-upside-
down-f65cc72af4e3?source=friends_link&sk=325b769ffc91232c5695b44d001bbe27

Save or Earn £111 a Week
Learning Adventure

Which is better – taking $3 million in cash now, or
a single magic penny that will double in value
every day, for 31 days?
Most people will choose the $3m cash
immediately. Indeed, if you took the penny, you’ll
have only about $5,000 in 20 days.

The 3 Friends
Let’s meet Larry, Scott and Brad, and assume they share
similar circumstances.
• Larry keeps doing what he has always done.
• Scott makes some small, positive changes daily e.g. reading 10
pages, cutting 125 calories by replacing soda with water, walking an
extra 1,000 steps.
• Brad makes a few poor choices e.g. buying a big TV (to enjoy his
favourite shows), eating more dessert and adding 1 drink per week to
his new bar.
At month 10, there are no perceivable differences.
By month 25, measurable differences can be seen and by
month 31, the differences quickly become stark.
• Scott loses 33.5lbs, gets a promotion and raise, and his
marriage is thriving.
• Larry is exactly in the same space and feeling bitter
about it.
• Brad, on the other hand, puts on 33.5lbs (weighing

75
 https://www.kickstarter.com/
 Kickstarter is a vibrant community of people working
together to bring new things to life.
 About Us: https://www.kickstarter.com/about?ref=nav
 A Kickstarter project does more than raise money.
It builds community around your work.
 Start your own project:
https://www.kickstarter.com/learn?ref=nav
 Sample projects:
https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?sort=pop
ularity

77
 https://www.patreon.com/
 “We want to help every creator in the world achieve
sustainable income.”
 Explore a range of creators:
https://www.patreon.com/explore
 https://uk.gofundme.com/
 Start a campaign (social responsibility projects etc.)
 https://www.indiegogo.com
 Indiegogo is a launchpad for entrepreneurial ideas.
 How it works: https://www.indiegogo.com/grow/how-it-
works/
 https://www.floship.com/kickstarter-alternatives-you-
should-know-about/

Your Kickstarter
Project
Learning Adventure

80
 Your big idea?
 What do you want to create?
 Something that builds on your strengths,
passion, and hobbies
 Brainstorm and jot down some potential
project ideas

87
1. Curiosita: The Quest for Continuous Learning
2. Dimostrazione: Test Knowledge Via Practical
Experience
3. Sensazione: Constantly Sharpen the Senses
4. Sfumato: Be Comfortable With Ambiguity
5. Arte/Scienza: Balance Science & Art, Logic &
Imagination
6. Corporalita: Develop Poise: the Balance of
Body & Mind

Turning £5 to £5000
Learning Adventure

94
http://iwanttodrawacatforyou.com/

Mind-set: How to make 1 million a year
• You have to help a lot of people to make a lot of money.
• To make $1 million in a year, you have to help so many people that your work
generates just about $2,700 every day.
• ($1,000,000 / 365 days = $2,739.73)
• That might seem impossible, but think again.
• What if every person you helped gave you $1? You’d need to help ~2,700 people.
• If everyone you helped gave you $2…now you only need to help ~1,400 people.
• Imagine if they gave you $5….or $10! The number of people you’d need to help
would go down.
• So here’s the deal: you want to be a millionaire? You’ll need $2,740 today,
tomorrow and 363 days after that.
• How can you help many people? How can you reach people who need your help?
• Anything you want in the world can be yours, if only you’d break it down into
tiny little chunks. Daniel DePiazza

Long Term Thinking and
Productive Habits
https://benjaminhardy.com/want-
to-become-a-multi-millionaire-do-
these-15-things-immediately/
Read and reflect on how you will apply
each principle in your life.
These principles will help you
tremendously in your journey of asset
creation.

Game Theory
Learning
Adventure

101
• Welcome to the first day of the assessment centre for the
Graduate Training Scheme of SuperCorp PLC.
• SuperCorp are the one of the largest organisations in the
world and they recruit only the highest quality
university graduates.
• You and your team have been invited to the assessment
centre based on the quality of your CV and have been
joined by two other ambitious groups of graduate
candidates.
• The aim of the task is to secure a place on the graduate
trainee fast track programme for all members of your
cohort including the other two teams.
• There are three teams taking part in the assessment,
these are, Red, Yellow and Blue.

102
• You will work in one of these three teams and your task
is to ensure that the whole cohort is successful by all
members being offered a place on the Graduate
Management fast track programme, while obtaining the
best result for your individual team.
• If the cohort is succcessful you will remain in your teams
and join the same functional areas. You will be
supported by a team of dedicated support staff who will
provide the best possible advice and support.
• It is likely that you may also have the opportunity to appoint one
or two members of staff from the other functional teams to work
on steering committees. This is now accepted as usual best
practice.

103
• Success for the cohort is achieved if more than 2300
points are obtained.
• To provide incentives for teams to achieve the best
results for their sections, SuperCorp has introduced a
performance related scheme. The incentive is that the
team with the highest number of points will have their
respective student loans paid off in full for each team
member. They will also have have the opportunity to
run important projects of SuperCorps latest initiatives..
If you are seen to be performing well as a team, the
rewards are yours.

104
• Success for the team is if you achieve more than 820
points.
• The other teams have the same task as you and their
team will also personally benefit if they can demonstrate
high performance during the assessment.
• The performance related bonus will be paid to the team
with the highest pay off points at the end of the day,
with the proviso that both the cohort and the winning
team achieved the criteria for success as given above.

105
You will be required to make seven decisions,
indicating whether you will wish to co-operate with
other teams or not. Before the scenario starts a brief
explanation will be given and any questions answered.
OUTCOMES/SCORING
Blue Y 300 Y -100 Y -100 Y -100 N 500 N 250 N 250 N -10
Red Y 300 Y -100 N 500 N 250 Y -100 Y -100 N 250 N -10
Yellow Y 300 N 500 Y -100 N 250 Y -100 N 250 Y -100 N -10

106
What are the implications?
What did you learn from this game?
OUTCOMES/SCORING
Blue Y 300 Y -100 Y -100 Y -100 N 500 N 250 N 250 N -10
Red Y 300 Y -100 N 500 N 250 Y -100 Y -100 N 250 N -10
Yellow Y 300 N 500 Y -100 N 250 Y -100 N 250 Y -100 N -10

109
EPILOGUE
Charlie
Brooker’s Black
Mirror and The
Perfect Storm of
Technology

118
Inspirational Career of the
Week:
Charlie Brooker
• The genius behind the Black Mirror
• He is the creator of Screen Wipe
• He has a hilarious mini-
documentary series called “How
TV Ruined Your Life!

120
 You cannot trust and leave your well-being and career
to institutions (corporations in particular).
 There is a dark side to human nature and we need to
be aware of it.
 How you can stay positive and hopeful amidst all
negativity is one of the greatest skills that you can have
in your life.

121
 We live in the era of crowdfunding – use it to bring your
fresh and creative ideas to life.
 Your small everyday habits RIGHT NOW shape and
determine the quality of life you will have in the long
term. Habits compound over time. That is why you
need to develop positive habits and improve yourself
and aspire to new heights of performance and learning
every day.
 Develop a positive system of productivity, creativity, and
well-being that works for you. It is your job to develop
this and design your life.

123
 Read & Finish Journeys in the book: Self-Making Studio
 Review lecture and seminar materials
◦ It is your responsibility to learn module skills/knowledge and make
them useful for yourself and your career
 Keep a diary to document your learning, progress, and reflections during each week
 Document/gather evidence on your personal development, learning, and skill development to
make progress on your portfolio
 Finish your 5 paragraphs on Lectures 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, 7&8
and 9&10
 Choose 2 exercises (learning adventures) from lectures
and apply them as your lecture evidence
 Finish your Seminar Activities: 1-8
 Do 2 of the creative challenges/imagination
experiments you have chosen

124
Thank you
Thank you very much for your hard
work and contributions to this module.
Best luck in finalizing your portfolios!
Sincerely;
Dr. Fahri Karakas

Lectures 9 and 10 - The Eye-Opening Pessimist Workshop: Do Not Trust The System, Establish Your Own System

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