Meet Diana Nichifor, our Social Media Content Curator at CreativeMornings/Berlin. She brings enthusiasm, creativity and curiosity to everything she does, from curating our Instagram account to tell meaningful stories about our talks, to engaging with the community both online and offline at events, guiding breathing exercises at our “Meet, Breathe, Share” gathering.

In our conversation, she shared how her active lifestyle has shaped her since childhood. Dancing and skiing from the age of four taught her the joy of movement, social connection, and caring for both body and mind, and right now yoga is what keeps her centered. She is an inspiration, and often the one who tells me about the coolest new studios in Berlin and wellness tips, and I know I’ll be cooking soon the summer recipe she shared below.

This month’s global theme, LOCAL, resonates deeply with Diana. For her, being local means blending in while staying true to yourself: Language, Observation, Culture, Adaptability, Lifestyle. And sometimes, it’s the little things that make her day, like a shared smile with a fellow cyclist on the streets of Berlin.

1. Diana, as our CreativeMornings/Berlin Social Media Content Curator, what part of this energizes you the most?

I’ve always been a curious person by nature, so meeting new people, getting to know different life stories, and the speakers we invite here at CreativeMornings/Berlin is what energizes and excites me the most. I love how the educational and fun parts blend together, and that I can learn and create something at the same time.

For me, creating comes from connecting different threads, and even when I’m not following the latest trends, I try to make sure my content actually has some meaning. I enjoy translating bits of those stories through my posts or reels.

2. You are a very active person, how did sport influence your life, and what do you love most about it?

I started dancing and skiing when I was around 4 years old, so socializing and being outdoors are a huge part of my identity. I think it influenced me so much in building a routine and caring for my body and mind, but as a kid, I didn't realize it. Now, as an adult, I love the fact that being able to move and practice sports is such a rewarding experience, especially when life throws unexpected challenges at you.

Lately, Jivamukti yoga has been helping me the most; the teachings before and during class really help me navigate the tougher moments in life. I could talk endlessly here, but let’s just say that practicing or learning a new sport gives me a dopamine hit that I’m trying to trick my brain into believing is way better than the one I get from scrolling! :)

3. What else can we find you doing in your free time?

This depends a lot! I definitely like to go to art galleries to see the thought process of other people, their perspectives on life, and their approach to creating art. I’m a cheese and wine lover, so you might find me at those kinds of festivals. I love to assemble food plates and cook dishes with unexpected ingredients (pro tip for summer: peaches, burrata, prosciutto crudo, and balsamic cream).

The other side of the coin, far away from my social life, is that I recharge my batteries by journaling, meditating (yoga nidra or non-sleep deep rest), reading about psychology and neuroscience, and taking myself out on solo dates to discover new cafes!

4. What is a small thing that makes your day better?
Ah, this is easy! I bike a lot in the city and one small thing that makes my day better is when another biker smiles at me and then we smile at each other when passing by! I think this type of volatile but joyful interaction makes me believe people are still good out there :)

5. This month’s theme is LOCAL, what does that word mean to you?

If I had to break down the word LOCAL, for me it means spending time in a place where I blend in through: L(anguage) O(bservation) C(ulture) A(daptability) L(ifestyle).

I’ve been spending extensive time around Italian and German culture, which has made me feel like a local through these points. I always try to grasp the language when I go to a new place; I’m fascinated by observing how others run their lives. I like to understand cultures through behavior or traditions, and then I try my best to adapt and create a lifestyle for myself.

For me, being a local is not identifying 100% with the place I'm living in, but bringing my own identity (my Romanian roots) while keeping good old traits and grasping good new traits from the locals.

–

Interview conducted by Aida Mola from CM Berlin

Photo credit - Aleks Miśkiewicz

March's theme LOCAL, chosen by our Santos chapter in Brazil, reminds us that belonging is shaped by the places that influence us.

As we look forward to our next CreativeMornings/Berlin talk with Charlotte Stobrawe, who studied fashion design in Berlin and has since worked across Europe, in our conversation we spoke with her about how different environments have influenced her creative work and perspective. She also reflects on one of the most significant shifts in design today: the growing tension between rapid digital acceleration and the search for human meaning.

1. Charlotte, the global theme this March is LOCAL. Since you’ve lived and worked across cities such as Berlin, New York, Florence, Barcelona, Aarhus, and London, how have these different cultural environments shaped your work?

Living across different countries and cities taught me that the impulse to create is universal — but the way we practice creativity is shaped by our environment.
Creativity has a rhythm. A speed. A tolerance for risk. And those things shift depending on where you are.

Berlin taught me to question systems.
New York taught me momentum and scale.
Florence taught me patience and respect for craft.
Scandinavia taught me clarity and responsibility.

Adapting wasn’t always easy. I had to learn to read people differently and refine the way I communicate.

Over time, I realized you don’t become part of a city or a community simply by living there. You become LOCAL when a place starts influencing how you make decisions.

And those imprints stay with you long after you leave.

2. What shifts in design and the creative industry do you find most significant right now?

What fascinates me right now is the tension between digital acceleration and human meaning.

AI allows us to create anywhere, instantly, at scale. In my current role, I work extensively with AI-generated content for large fashion platforms and the efficiency and possibilities are remarkable.

As a former fashion designer, I still closely follow the industry. In fast fashion especially, data and automation are making design cycles faster and more predictive than ever.
At the same time, I see a renewed appreciation for craftsmanship, tactility, and intentionality — particularly in luxury and heritage brands.

When everything becomes possible and reproducible, what feels human gains new value.

And maybe it’s as simple as this:
AI expands what’s possible. It doesn’t decide what’s meaningful.

For me, the most interesting space right now isn’t choosing between craft and technology — it’s learning how to integrate both with intention.

3. For your CreativeMornings/Berlin talk, what can our audience expect, and what conversations do you hope to start around fashion, places and belonging?

Belonging became something I understood through movement.

Working across countries and very different roles within the fashion industry reshaped how I work and lead. My path moved from production to design, from sustainable to fast fashion, and now to AI-driven content production. It wasn’t linear, but it gave me perspective.

I realized that being “in between” is not a weakness. It’s an advantage.

In Berlin, I want to open a conversation about belonging as both identity and skill. How does working across places influence the way we approach fashion, lead innovation, and collaborate in a constantly evolving industry?

–

Interview conducted by Aida from CM/Berlin

Our global theme for February is CAMINO, chosen by our Oviedo chapter, a Spanish word meaning “path” or “way.” And this month,  our CreativeMornings/Berlin guest speaker is Margarita Fray, a product designer, creative, lucid dreamer, and founder of Dreamsome.

In our conversation, she shared that in her talk she will explore the link between dreaming and creativity, highlight famous examples of dream inspired breakthroughs, and open up about her own dreamwork and lucid dreaming practice.

1. Margarita, the global theme this month is Camino — a path or journey. How does this idea connect to your journey / path with dreams and lucid dreaming?

I was really excited when I found out that the topic of this month is the path / the journey. I believe that dreams are the ultimate journey within. By interacting with dreams, I have been able to deepen my self-awareness and understand what impact certain life situations leave on me. Lucid dreams gave me the opportunity to connect with the deepest, most wise parts of myself. I wrote a longer-format essay about building a relationship with the Dreamer over months and multiple lucid dreams to give a glimpse of that journey:

https://dreamsomespace.substack.com/p/my-biggest-teacher-myself

2. Do you see a connection between dreaming and creativity? How has dreamwork influenced the way you design, think or create?

This is exactly what my talk will be about. Dreams and creativity are closely linked. Both dreaming and creativity help us see the world in a new way and connect dots that we haven't connected before. In fact, the part of the brain that facilitates dreaming is called the Imagination Network. And what creativity is there without imagination?
For myself, I incubate my creative ideas through dreams, and often my best ideas come to me in the middle of the night or in the morning when I wake up from dreaming. I tend to just flush them out into my notes and edit afterwards. Some parts of the upcoming talk have been written in the in-between state.

3. Last, your CreativeMornings/Berlin talk is coming up soon. What will you be sharing with the community, and what do you hope they take away from it?

In my talk, I will draw the link between dreaming and creativity. I will share famous examples of using dreams to generate creative ideas, my personal experiences with dreamwork, and especially with lucid dreaming (=the ability to be aware within the dream). I really hope to inspire my audience to connect to their dreams more often and perhaps even start learning to lucid dream.

–

Interview conducted by Aida from CM/Berlin

Our first CreativeMornings/Berlin speaker of the 2026 season is Gergő Kókai, taking the stage this Friday with his talk “Hopeful Type.” Gergő is a Berlin‑based font engineer and freelance type designer, with international background gained through both studies and professional work in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and his native Hungary. 

In our conversation, he reflects on the evolving future of font‑making—shaped by new trends and technologies, the value of creative intuition, and our monthly theme Koor·Soo (a faint glimmer of hope) as a call to action within the changing landscape of design community.

1. Gergő, your upcoming talk will kick off the year 2026 at CreativeMornings/Berlin. For our first monthly theme, how would you imagine the idea of ‘Koorsoo’ into design?

I really like how Dr. Andreas M. Krafft, publisher of several scientific articles and books on the future and hope, describes hope: “Hope is when we stop denying reality.” He claims, “I hope …” is often (conf)used as a synonym for wishful thinking, “I dream of …”. To me, hoping feels indeed closer to reality, which I can always engage with and try to influence. It is a call to action. Yet we often reach the limits of what we can do. In design, as in other areas of life, this is where something interesting happens: hope pushes us out of our comfort zones, leads us toward challenges, and ultimately enables growth. 

2.  You’ve studied in the UK, France and Netherlands — how did those international experiences shape your work and perspective?

Even before starting university, I was lucky to have my parents’ trust and the opportunity to spend a year as a high school student in Germany, near Stuttgart. I was part of an international fellowship class with students from several continents. This experience has shaped and influenced my life ever since. I am enthusiastic about traveling, living abroad, and learning languages. Connecting with people from different cultural backgrounds has become natural and easy for me. 

I first discovered my interest in type around 2009–2010 while studying graphic design. I stumbled upon it at the intersection of visual communication and language learning. Since then, my journey across Europe has exposed me to many different approaches and niches in type design, teaching me that it is less about mastering  just one discipline, but to stay curious and keep learning.

3. How do you see your work in Berlin as a font engineer and type designer changing, perhaps with new technology and trends?

Although type design is still a niche, I see more type designers around me than ever before. Greater access to education through online courses as well as traditional institutions and more approachable font editors have opened the field to many people. At the same time, it has become harder to stand out, especially in Berlin, which may have one of the highest densities of type designers.

As a font engineer, you work one layer below visible form. Your decisions shape behaviour rather than aesthetics. Compared to type design, font engineering is a less established field, with much of its knowledge still passed on informally from person to person. This makes it a less crowded but still secure career. 

The future of font-making is wide open, with new trends and technologies pushing designers and engineers. But I believe it is our professional responsibility to trust in the continuity of craftsmanship and creative intuition, and to value the uniquely human quirks in our work.

In the end, every designed and engineered font assumes a future in which reading still matters, and that assumption is a form of hope.

–

Interview conducted by Aida Mola from CM Berlin

This January, we’re kicking off the team interview series with Olena Kosovych, our CreativeMornings/Berlin photographer from the core team, who has been capturing the energy of our events in beautiful photographs for many years.

Olena’s journey into photography began early, shaped by growing up in post-Soviet Ukraine, as she reflects in the interview. Inspired first by her father's love for photography, and later by the people she met along the way, Olena's work has been exhibited internationally in Ukraine, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway.  

In our conversation, she offered her perspective and generous, honest advice for those just starting out in photography — and I already know I’ll be putting tips number two and nine into practice.

1.Dear Olena, tell us a bit about yourself and your introduction to photography. What drew you into this world?

I have been fascinated by the ability to capture a moment through photography since childhood.

I grew up in post-Soviet Ukraine. My surroundings were quite poor — grey high-rise panel buildings, the same dull objects in slightly different interiors, and half-empty shop shelves.

My father was passionate about photography. He used his camera to capture for our family album the one thing the ugly machinery of totalitarianism could not take away: the sincere, joyful emotions of our loved ones.

Meanwhile, I was watching the world around me and noticing its beauty — the incredible variety of forms that plants create throughout the year, the sense of freedom in the vast openness of the steppe, and the way the colours of the sea change. It is a sea people call Black, even though it looks blue.

When I was a teenager, my father allowed me to shoot with one of his film cameras. The possibility of creating a visual archive became a lifelong love for me.

At university, I got my first digital camera. I photographed everything that caught my eye —friends, food, crafts, and all the wild adventures of student life. Later, as a graphic designer, I shot products for catalogues, dishes for restaurants, and events for brochures.

For many years, photography was just a side skill. But in the last few years, I’ve focused fully on it. Now, alongside personal and commissioned work, I create conceptual and art projects. They have been exhibited in Germany, the USA, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Norway.

2. You shot a broad range of events from political conferences, art projects to our Creative mornings talks, plus portraits, personal sessions and family photography. What gives you the most joy or inspiration in your work?

People! Their emotions, experiences, and inner lives.
Everything I photograph now is connected to people. These are events where people come together to discuss important topics and search for connections. Portraits — where every person is a universe, and I feel grateful when I manage to reveal even a part of that through photography. Creative personal shoots — where I accompany bold, sometimes crazy ideas and capture new personal experiences as they unfold. Family sessions or love stories — here I preserve your honest, warm, and deeply sincere moments.

3. What advice would you give to someone in our community who’s just starting out with photography?

1. Master the technical side, because a solid technical foundation frees your hands and allows you to make the best possible shot in any conditions.

2. Experiment.

3. Look at a lot of good photography — visit exhibitions, flip through photobooks — and analyse what you see: what is the context of the se works? Why does this image work?

4. Don’t be afraid of crazy ideas or projects that seem too complex — growth is only possible this way.

5. Bring your ideas to life while they’re still burning. If you don’t have resources, make things work with duct tape and prayers. Experiment — the technical foundation (see point one) will help you shape something out of it.

6. Remember that the best camera is the one you have with you.

7. Shoot a lot

8. Show your work to the world in any way you can

9. Go back to point one and repeat the list — good, relevant photography always requires learning something new.

4. What we can usually find you doing in your free time?

Haha, I try to take good care of my body, because it’s what generates new ideas for me and gives me the energy and strength to bring them to life. Our body is also a source of pleasure and joy in life. So in my free time, I love eating good food, practicing sports (bouldering, yoga, swimming, squash, a bit of dancing and strength training), and hugging the people I love. 

I also read a lot (I’m a member of a Berlin-based book club), watch plenty of films (not series), and enjoy slowly drinking Chinese tea.

5. Our theme this month is Koorsoo (Koor·Soo) - a faint glimmer of hope. When you see this word, how do you imagine this theme visually?

As a fragile sprout breaking through the ruins.
A reminder that life always finds a way and strives to create beauty.

–

Interview conducted by Aida Mola from CM Berlin

The November CreativeMornings/Berlin is focusing on the global theme Growth and our next speaker is Cedric Kiefer. He is the Creative Lead and Co-Founder of onformative, described as a ‘creative innovation studio shaping new perspectives by combining art, design and technology’. 

In our conversation, Cedric shares advice for creatives starting today based on his extensive experience, as well as exploring the role of emerging technologies and AI in shaping a creative perspective.

1. Looking back at the co-founding of onformative 16 years ago, what lessons would you share with creatives starting their journey in today’s fast-changing environment?

When we founded onformative in 2010, we made a conscious decision that proved essential: we deliberately avoided locking ourselves into a specific medium, technology, or aesthetic style. Instead, we focused on developing a strategic, process-driven approach that could evolve with technology and our clients' needs. This adaptability became our core strength and competitive advantage, allowing us to respond effectively to rapid industry changes because adaptation is built into our studio's DNA.

My advice for creatives starting today: 

Reframe your relationship with change. View the constant flux of the creative and technological landscape not as a challenge to overcome, but as your natural working environment. This shifts your focus from reacting to change to proactively engaging with it as a source of inspiration.

Build your foundation on adaptable approaches rather than fixed specializations. While it's tempting to master a single popular tool, tools inevitably become obsolete. Instead, develop strong problem-solving frameworks. A flexible process for research, experimentation, and collaboration will outlast any piece of software. The ability to define a problem, explore possibilities, and find unique solutions is far more durable than mastering any specific tool.

2. How does collaborating with emerging technologies and AI foster creativity and growth — not just for the project, but for the people involved?

Collaboration with emerging technologies, especially Al, fundamentally shifts our role as creators. While the current discourse around Al feels revolutionary, for us it's an evolution of principles we've practiced since the beginning. When we started working with generative design, we were already defining systems, shaping processes, and curating outcomes. The process itself became a core part of the concept and project itself.

Working with Al follows this same philosophy. In an age where anyone can generate visually pleasing content, intent has become paramount. The story behind creation, the conceptual framework, and the artist's intention matter more than ever. This places immense value on the how and the why, the human intent, rather than just the what. The process behind the creation is another story to be told, that reveals the depth separating human creativity from generated output.

For our team, this has been a catalyst for growth. It sparks curiosity and pushes us to engage with fields like machine learning and data science.

Paradoxically, working with non-human intelligence has highlighted the value of uniquely human qualities: our intuition, our ability to provide conceptual direction, and our creative vision. The specific tool, whether a generative algorithm, Al model, or physical medium, becomes just one part of a larger creative strategy that we define.

3. Your upcoming talk is titled ‘Shaping New Perspectives: Embracing Uncertainty in Times of Constant Change’. Can you share an example when embracing uncertainty led to unexpected growth?

The founding of onformative itself is a perfect example. We didn't start with a rigid five-year plan or narrow definition of what we would produce. Instead, we embraced the uncertainty of where our process-driven approach would lead us. This openness was crucial, it allowed us to evolve from a small team focused on a niche field into the diverse, multidisciplinary studio we are today.

We've learned that uncertainty becomes a powerful creative asset when approached with the right framework.

The key is maintaining clarity on the objective, the problem we need to solve, while remaining flexible about the exact path to get there.

We've developed strategies to navigate this ambiguity and consistently find the right solution.

This balance allows us to pursue promising new directions that emerge during the creative process, often leading to solutions that neither we nor our partners initially imagined. It has transformed our client relationships from delivering predefined deliverables to embarking on collaborative journeys of discovery built on trust in the process.

Embracing uncertainty isn't about being lost, it's about having confidence in your process to discover the best possible destination along the way.

–

Interview conducted by Aida Mola from CM/Ber

After the conversation in August with Ellen, our videographer, the next member interviewed is Jørn, a senior team member and long-time community contributor in Berlin. If you’ve ever attended CreativeMornings/Berlin, chances are your first ‘hello’ came from Jørn Erdmann, since he’s been for years the friendly face behind the registration desk - welcoming everyone and handing out our name tags. 

🎵 Today, we get to learn more about Jørn, who shared how he became drawn to the CreativeMornings community, what he enjoys most about it, and who he would like to invite to speak in Berlin - from anywhere in the world. Another highlight of our conversation touches on music and architecture, including the standout moment of his big gig playing side drum at the re-opening of the Olympic Stadium Berlin, and his appreciation for Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) and the green spaces in different seasons - that brings a soft side to Berlin.

1. Dear Jørn, you’ve attended CreativeMornings/Berlin talks since 2013 and became part of the organization team more than five years ago — what first drew you to the community, and what has kept you engaged?

Way back when, I was a fan of Greyscalegorilla on YouTube — a channel packed with great Cinema4D tutorials. But of all his videos, one caught my eye: it was a video about his talk at Creative Mornings in Chicago. Near the end, he mentioned that Creative Mornings chapters were all over the world. That got my attention — where else were these talks happening?

I have friends and family members in the U.S., mostly in New Hampshire, Florida, and California, so I thought I'd look for one there. Surprisingly, I found that there was a Creative Mornings chapter here in Berlin. I joined right away and went to the next talk — and I've been an addict ever since.

What I like about Creative Mornings is the fact that you get to observe what people love doing — how they do it and how they present it. You can easily identify that there are various types of people. There are those who enjoy writing: their keynotes have few images, but good-chosen fonts and of course there’s nicely layouted text.
And then of course there's the aural type. Their slides tend to be, how should I put it… minimal. Not many images, no fancy fonts — but they usually speak freely and with confidence.

And then of course there's the visual type — great pictures, maybe video, and well-thought-out typography.
I don’t judge; there’s neither good nor bad. It's just different — it's the way people are, and that’s what makes it so fascinating to me. I love the creative diversity.

2. From anywhere in the world, if you could invite any speaker to a CreativeMornings event, who would you love to hear in Berlin and why?

I can come up with a few people whose talks would be great to hear.One of my friends works for Google in California — he'd definitely be a great candidate. It would be immensely interesting to hear something about such a huge global company. Plus, he's a very intelligent guy and has loads of stories to tell.

And then there's Chip Foose, American car designer. He generally makes custom cars based on classic American models. He starts with a sketch of his design, and then he and his team rebuild the car from the ground up — metalwork, upholstery, paint, everything, the works. His cars have won a lot of awards, and the craftsmanship and creativity are just incredible.

And finally, my sister. She is a fashion designer and presently a fashion design manager for a large international fashion retail chain. Creating fashion on that kind of scale is truly impressive. Producing fashion for so many people takes a special type of creativity.

3. In your profile, you mentioned that making music would be your backup career. If your life were a song, what would its title be?

Song titles, yes that’s a problem. I always struggle to find good song titles for the music my buddy and I make. We’ve come up with so many bad titles it would fill up the World’s Top 100. 
If my life was a song this would be my title: „Joy“

4. On another note, what else can we usually find you doing in your spare time?

Once a week, I meet up with my best friend — we’ve known each other since day one of first grade. We make music on the computer. Technology these days allows you to have unlimited possibilities; you can play any instrument that comes into your head, even if it’s only virtual. It’s amazing. As drummer I was never able to play melodies and chords, but those tools opened endless possibilities for me.
My buddy and I don’t stick to a specific genre. We write songs in all kinds of genres — it's not a big deal project, it's just for fun. There's absolutely no commercial interest behind it.

We used to play together in a lot of bands previously — he was on bass, and I was on drums.

I even played side drum in a bag pipe band here in Berlin. It was great fun. My biggest gig ever was for the re-opening of the Olympic Stadium Berlin, being part of a massed pipes and drums band made up of almost 80 musicians was incredible. What a sound!

Making and listening to music has been a large chunk of my life all along — one of my two large creative outlets. I honestly couldn’t imagine life without it.

5. Lastly, the global theme for October is SOFT. In a city like Berlin — known for its boldness — what does “softness” mean to you in a creative context?

Since I originally studied architecture, the word “softness” immediately makes me think of Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau. Berlin has lots of hidden gems when it comes to Jugendstil architecture. One particularly beautiful ensemble is at Mexikoplatz in Zehlendorf. The Jugendstil square is surrounded by several large residential buildings and features a unique Jugendstil S-Bahn station — truly one of a kind. You can find it on the S1 line.

In graphic design “softness” reminds me of muted or pastel colors — and all things with soft fonts and curvy shapes.
When I think of Berlin, “softness” are all the parks and lakes. All those greens through out the city, make Berlin a very special place. I live in the southwest, where we have the Grunewald Forest with its beautiful lakes. And many other wonderful parks.

"Softness" is an early spring morning, right after sunrise — everything is green and lush, and I love a gentle breeze.

My dog Coco used to love waking me up at 4:30 in the morning to go for a walk. She enjoyed the early spring sun just as much as I did.

The way the grey and muddiness of winter suddenly turns into fresh greens and colorful blossoms never ceases to amaze me. The creation of so much from so little is astonishing. Spring and early summer are the most wonderful seasons in the city — that’s the time when I revive.

That’s “softness” to me.

–
Interview conducted by Aida Mola from CM/Ber

The world feels hard in so many ways. Couldn’t we all use more softness?

Soft is gentle, empathic, and vulnerable. But being soft is not a weakness. It is a sign of deeper strength. Having the courage to walk through life without armor. A willingness to listen before speaking. Welcoming whatever comes with open palms. Pulling someone close for a hug.

What if our work was softer? What would we make with a little tenderness? Art that truly resonates. Innovations that heal instead of harm. Communities that hold one another instead of tearing other people down.

Soft can be a quiet form of resistance. Practice subtlety, trust, and intimacy in a world that celebrates loud braggadocio, knee-jerk reactions, and blunt force.

Let’s snuggle up and let down our guard. Soft can be our salvation

As the seasons shift and September unfolds, we turn our attention to this month’s CreativeMornings global theme and to the next event hosted in Berlin.

As a preview of this Friday’s talk, in this conversation with Julius Hassemer, the upcoming guest we discussed about rituals for resilience.

1. Connecting our September global theme BLOSSOM with your talk titled ‘Rituals for Resilience’, what’s one ritual you’d like to see blossom across workplaces

Various teams and companies already have so called check-ins at the beginning of their workday. I do not only want to see more of that. I'd like to see a style of check-in, in which participants feel saver, free, calm and inspired. I think this works in a surrounding in which people are appreciated for being (socially) courageous, in which superiors show vulnerability and in which a moment of silence is a good thing an people can appreciate the calm.

2. Looking ahead, what small step can each of us take to start building resilience in our own team?

Establishing consent explicitly. Agree with others, whether you want a hand shake, a fist bump or a hug for a greeting. Double check whether the location of your meeting feels good to everybody. Ask for a pronoun. Also approach people who not appear to agree with the way things are done - if you get it wrong 5 times but in 1 occasion your colleague needs your help, this is a big win.

3. Being creative is an important part of many people’s life. In your experience, does building resilience help creativity grow, or does it require separate practices?

We live in a world, in which being individual, exciting, outstanding is considered positive. Even being "hardcore" - whatever that means - is desirable, as well as being extreme, having live through pain or having a lot of tattoos (maybe a new word, like "crassism", could capture this desire for the extreme). Yet, in my courses at WeTeK Berlin gGmbH, I often see people profiting from a clear structure, from explicit consent, from naming one's prevalent fear and working on it. So yes, I think fundamental resilience is the basis for creativity. Only on top of what feels secure, we can experiment, be extreme, go crazy for a while in order to discover new perspectives.

_

Interview conducted by Aida from CM/Ber

Our theme for September is BLOSSOM. It was chosen by our Pereira chapter in Colombia, illustrated by Edwin Morales, and is presented by Adobe.  

Every blossom is an act of becoming. The quiet force of roots pushing through the dark, the slow unfurling of a bud, a sudden burst of color. But plants don’t blossom on command. Each flower requires the right amount of sunlight, water, and nourishment across the cycle of the seasons. 

It’s the same for creativity. Our next idea lies dormant, while we fertilize our mind. With attention, protection, and space to play, our work becomes what it is meant to be. Petal by petal, the passion inside us bursts into a glorious bouquet.

But remember that flowers don’t bloom purely for their own sake. They share their fragrance, attract pollinators, and serve the larger ecosystem. Your creativity needs to pollinate as well. So, share your gift. Spread more ideas, more beauty, and more courage. 

To truly blossom, you must take the risk of opening up. This is your season. You deserve to be seen. Offer your abundance of color to the world! 

Ask yourself, “what within me is ready to blossom?” “What can I nurture to help others do the same?”