Jaqueline Diedam (Brazil), Raoul Döring (Germany) and Yuki Fukuda (Japan) are  our speaker for Friday’s talk on the global theme #BROKEN. But before we all get the chance to meet them at Veedelswerk, we asked a few questions about themselves, their Cologne guide “Not Just Another Guide To Cologne” and what we can expect from their talk:

CMCGN: When you get stuck creatively, what is the first thing you do to get unstuck?
Y: I go out and take a walk through the city. Also talking to people who are not working in the so called “creative field” helps to get out of the stuck – it widen-ups my view and it’s inspiring. Also visiting museums and exhibitions also helps.
R: It might sound like a fortune cookie wisdom but taking a break works wonders for me. I like to just get up from the table, go out, take walks in the park, go swimming, have a coffee, basically do anything but think about the problem. I find that the moment when I come back from this mental break is often the moment when ideas start to come easier.
J: I take a break, and go to Pinterest or Instagram. Seeing great works on social media, and how it’s received by the public really inspires me to go back to work.

CMCGN: Any advice for working in teams?
Y: In our team we naturally worked together without any specific rules. We knew each other before we started the project, so we trusted in each other of what we are doing. During the project, we stayed open to criticism, so we didn’t take any comments of the other personally and always focused on finding the best idea. An advice for working in teams: communicate the smallest things, just to make sure everyone is having the same information and we all are on the same level of knowledge.
R: One of the most important things is to be sure to communicate clearly what you are doing and where everything is heading. In a team, frequent exchange of information is one of the biggest factors for success. Being open for new ideas and different directions is something else that is crucial.
J: Listen and really pay attention to others’ opinions. The biggest problem in teams is always miscommunication. Listening can save a lot of time and energy, make your atmosphere better to work, leading to great results.

CMCGN: Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings?
Y: Mike Meiré who also got nominated for the Kölner Design Preis. I would like to know more about his projects and the creative process.
R: I’m not sure if he has already but Christoph Niemann and his work interests me a lot since a long time. It is not only the outcome of his career that I find great but also his attitude and way of working that is quite interesting.
J: I’m glad to say the person I really wanted to hear has already spoken at CreativeMornings. Anna Bond, from Winter Park, Florida, the owner and creative director of Rifle Paper Co.

CMCGN: What is the one movie or book every creative must see/read?
Y: There are thousands of inspiring books for creatives but since you are asking… There is a very beautiful book that is called “Just another Guide to Cologne”! :)
R: If I could recommend one book for every creative it would probably be “Abstract City” by Christoph Niemann. It’s a fantastic book, very visual, that intersects many creative fields like art and design. Besides that it is hilariously funny too. I got it when I was just starting to be interested in design and it taught me a lot about visual storytelling and simplicity in design.
J: The book I love and always recommend for creatives, is the biography of Florence Broadhurst. Great designer, and incredible woman.