Romana Mirza

Studio Pinpoint Brand Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:19:00 +0000

It's not me, talk to the genius

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:07:00 +0000

The Next Chapter is book blogging 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. What better time to come across this wonderful presentation by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love. She speaks of how creatives in ancient times believed that their creative brilliance was inspired by something else, a Damon or genius. She stops just short of saying our creative brilliance comes from God.

Fire-breathing Dragon: friend or foe?

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:17:00 +0000

While writing my post on first draft picks I tripped across this subject which I had to address:

The Competition!

Let me begin with Rapaille. I came across Clotaire Rapaille in some recent research I was doing on consumer behaviour. His "technique for market research has grown out of his work in the areas of psychiatry, psychology, and cultural anthropology", says his website. He develops "The Code" for his clients - the code that must be honoured in order to realize the success they seek. In learning more about him and his work I came across this March 2007 article in the Toronto Star, here is an excerpt:
Canada's culture codes are deeply rooted in our experience with winter, says Rapaille. "Canadians learned from the beginning to use what they call `winter energy' to act so as to conserve as much energy as possible." Because of this, he says, "Canadians do not seek leaders with vision, capable of making major breakthroughs." Instead, they elect prime ministers who serve as guardians.

"If the culture code for the American presidency is the biblical figure Moses, a leader who could make his people believe they could do the impossible, Canadians seek leaders who are capable of maintaining the culture. The culture code for Canada is `To Keep.'

Now back to the subject of this post. My most intimate experiences with "the competition" are in business working in Canada and in America. What I found profoundly different was each country's perception of it.

An American, when meeting the competition, or when reconnecting with a former colleague who is now working with the competition, invites the other to sit and share. Not competitive secrets but overall industry knowledge, perspectives and common challenges they may be facing. Or, perhaps, it's an opportunity to "scope out the competition" - either way, it's communicative.

A Canadian, when meeting the competition, or when reconnecting with a former colleague who is now working with the competition, well, you would never meet or reconnect. It is OUT OF THE QUESTION. Stay AWAY. Don't look, don't turn, don't learn, don't communicate, and most of all, don't even admit you ever knew them.

Why? Maybe it has something to do with Canadian's "to keep" code and America's "can do the impossible" code.

So, where does that leave me? The American-born, Canadian-raised entrepreneur.

I'm left simply with this.

Competition, even the perception of it, to me, is counter-intuitive and counter-productive. Even in team sports I believe athletes see other teams not as competition but as challengers to their own skill and strength.

Competition is: something you fight. You want to get rid of it, not have it in your world. Like a fire-breathing dragon.

Challengers make you better at what you do because they push you to greater heights.

My competition are my challengers, I welcome them, embrace them and I want to be with them. In my world there are no fire-breathing dragons, only strong, astute, intelligent warriors who I want to fight with, not against.

What world do you conceive and perceive? A world of competitors or one of challengers?

Is rock bottom the way to the top?

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:25:00 +0000

On the radio, one day, a few months ago, I heard a portion of a show where the host said "...in hockey, the worst teams get first draft pick to keep the league competitive."

The question that immediately popped to my mind was "Do you have to hit rock bottom to get to the top?"

If I live in a competitive world, and I happen to not be performing very well, then when do I get my first draft picks - and in my world what are they?

As an overall life strategy, do you want to hit bottom so you can pick from the top? In life, is the cream of the crop ever available to you from the bottom?

It feels like in life it would not be, but don't be so quick to judge, sometimes we find things in places we never expected.

Research Notes:
I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to hockey and these three sites helped me gain a bit of an understanding of draft picks - if you're as naive as I am you may want to click through.
How it works
The worst picks of all time
A commentary

in the voices around you

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:32:00 +0000

Finding Creativity: Tanya Babcock
Finding Creativity is a guest posting series where I invite people to share with us how they find creativity in the world.

I am pleased to welcome Tanya Babcock to find creativity in the world. Tanya studied Creative Writing as an undergrad and technology in graduate school. She is a career marketing person with stints in manufacturing and now content management software solutions. In November 2008, she launched The Lakeview Review, an online and print literary journal, to feed her creative side. The first journal will be printed and distributed late January 2009.

When I write, I find my inspiration in the voices around me. They are usually strangers huddled in coffee shops, cafeterias, and banks. A hurried young mother complaining about her husband’s lack of understanding. An older man reminiscing about a family gathering over a piece of pie. I hear words floating in the air and whisk by grabbing a sentence like a pick pocketer and storing my bounty to survey later.

One such piece has haunted me for twelve years. It was a conversation I heard which titillated me with such delight I could not help but chuckle when I heard it. I was an undergrad studying creative writing at a liberal arts college when I happened upon an odd conversation. I had rushed in from another class with only two minutes to spare and sat down by two men looking fairly relaxed and indifferent to all the people around them. One leafed through a novel on his desk and said very coolly, “today, I spit on an Acura.” Immediately I thought, “What a wonderful and powerful first line for a story.” My reader would be drawn into such an opening line, “why, oh why do you wish to disparage this stranger’s car?” Is it a statement on impoverished youth angered by the privileged? Has the hero/heroine been wronged by someone who drove such a vehicle? Was it a game between two friends? What type of back story could I give this character? I didn’t listen to why this man in my class felt the need to spit on the car. I wanted the reason to be my own. Someday, I thought, I will invent the who, the why, and the how. I will breath into it one day all the words to give it depth, character, and meaning. And until then, I will walk along thinking: “Today, I spit on an Acura.”

I know there are many writers out there who have a nagging starting sentence, middle sentence, or character aching to be heard. I wanted to be able to give these writers another place to be able to work on their craft, collaborate with those in the field, and read works by many able to bring closure to that nagging sentence. I did this with The Lakeview Review. The Lakeview Review launched on November 3rd of this year and includes a collaborative blog, an online writing workshop, and a book club. At the end of January 2009, we will be publishing a journal (online and in print) with several first-time writers and the winners of our Winter 2009 Writing Competition. I’ve personally read some beautiful prose, and I predict choosing a winner on December, 31, 2008 will be a formidable task in deed.

It has been an ambitious endeavor (marketing nation-wide, scheduling a trade show in Chicago, advertising and introducing the journal to universities and writing associations across the country). I am elated by the response, and I hope this popularity will only increase as we continue to deliver quality writing, teaching and discussions.

Tanya, we wish you all the best in your creative and entrepreneurial endeavors and hope that we'll be able to feature your lucky winners at month's end!

White House Green Approach

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:23:00 +0000

Green in America: Q Collection
This guest posting series was inspired by Obama's campaign commitments to keeping jobs in America and finding alternate energy sources and focusing on sustainable living. In the coming weeks and months find creativity in the world will feature American designed, American built sustainable product.
We begin with New York-based Q Collection. A company that I met in 2007 that are doing incredible work. Here Jesse Johnson, co-founder, answers our question:

President-Elect Obama’s focus on sustainability and keeping jobs in America reflects the needs of all Americans. As an American-based manufacturer who is indeed keeping jobs in America, and as a company who is founded on the principles of sustainability and safe furniture, what would you recommend as ideal pieces from your collection for the White House – and why?

Thanks for inviting us to respond. Q Collection is a mission-based company focused on designing home furnishings that are just as safe and healthy as they are beautiful and well made. In other words, we design beautiful, top-quality furniture and textiles while eliminating materials that are of concern to human health and the environment. As we say, everything we design is PEOPLE SAFE. PLANET SAFE. Anthony and I co-founded Q Collection in 2003 and started with adult furniture and upholstery textiles. In 2007, we introduced Q Collection Junior – a collection of children’s furniture and organic cotton bedding. The line is now available in over 100 retail locations in the US and Canada.
We recommend two pieces from our collections. One for the Oval Office from Q Collection. The other for Sasha or Malia’s room from Q Collection Junior.
President-Elect Obama is coming to office as a strong advocate for ‘greening’ the American economy, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and creating skilled jobs domestically. The designs from Q Collection and Q Collection Junior uniquely address all three of these goals.

Oval Office:
The ideal piece from our collection would be our Abigail Settee.
The design is unique, bold and memorable – fitting for such a historic location. It is inspired by an 18th century / Georgian wing chair. What you can’t see, however, is even more important.
First, in terms of ‘greening’ our economy, we use only proven non toxic materials that don’t harm human health or the environment. For example, we have completely eliminated the use of formaldehyde (a typical component of wood glue and engineered wood known to cause cancer in humans). Instead we use water-based, non toxic substitutes.
Second, we rely on the use of natural materials and have completely eliminated the use of petroleum-based components. So, for example, unlike typical seat cushion foam made from polyurethane, ours is natural latex and contains so petroleum (or toxic materials).
Finally, the Abigail is hand-crafted in Obama’s home state. What better way to showcase how it is possible to keep skilled, ‘green’ jobs local than furnishing The White House with hand-crafted, USA-made furniture?

Children's Rooms:
For Sasha and Malia Obama, we recommend our Solare Dresser from Q Collection Junior. It is great looking, very functional with ample storage space and can evolve with their needs. Like the Abigail settee, it is an ideal showcase for ‘green’ design, including such unique features as the use of only water-based, non toxic materials and the complete elimination of formaldehyde. There is also no use of petroleum based materials. All materials have been reviewed for safety by a toxicologist. All wood is solid, locally-sourced and certified. This piece is hand-crafted in the USA.
Solare also supports sustainable jobs. The knob pulls are hand-carved Tagua nuts sourced from South America. The act of using these pulls, historically referred to as ‘poor man’s ivory’, instead of plastic or metal has the effect of promoting well-paying jobs in economically disadvantaged communities.

One last thing to note is all our packaging in 100% biodegradable.

Jesse Johnson, Co-founder & CEO

engineering, surrounding, listening, eating

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:06:00 +0000

Finding Creativity: Clive Piercy
Finding Creativity is a guest posting series where I invite people to explore how they find creativity in the world. In November 2008 we hear from creative professionals: industrial design, fashion design, writing and graphic design.
I'm pleased to introduce Clive Piercy who is based in Santa Monica, California. Please tell us, what is your design profession and the major focus of your work?
I am primarily a graphic designer and creative director. After 20 years running a medium-sized design office, I came to the conclusion that small is good and opened Air Conditioned, with a view to working with the kind of clients that I feel best suited to: creative companies, on projects large and small, with people I get on well with and respect. That last point is very important to me.

When you look for inspiration where do you go to find it?
This is a bit like the question I get asked by students more than any other..."where do you get your ideas from...?" My life and work are inextricably linked, there is no distinction between the two, and I am interested in all of the pure and applied arts: architecture, film, fashion, painting, photography, writing and music. I say all, but to be honest I'm not big on poetry and I struggle with modern dance. I have difficulty taking it seriously. It's the tights! I think it important to give yourself the best chance to be creative or productive, by engineering the right kind of work environment, surrounding yourself with beautiful objects, listening to stimulating music, eating great food and generally not getting too uptight about things. After 30 years I'm beginning to believe that I can actually do this for a living. Funnily enough, I don't look at a lot of other graphic design, I prefer the influence to come from a more distanced perspective... that's why I read a lot. Words force you to make up your own pictures.
When you think of venturing out to find creativity in the world where do you think of going?
I love lateral thinking. Something that you are familiar with represented in a new way. I work unashamedly in the mainstream, but I try not resort to mainstream solutions. Wit and humor feed my soul, and I love things that look effortless. Of all the artists and designers that I look up to, Paul Smith, Tibor Kalman, Tim Hawkinson, Underworld, Philippe Starck, Bruce Weber for example, the vast majority of them can be characterized by the fact that even though they produce profound work, it is clear that the element of play is never forgotten, and is often close to the surface in their work. I try to do that too.
What have you always wanted to redesign or recreate, and why?
I love product design, but I don't have the patience for it. Making a change to a design and then having to wait for months to see the results drives me nuts, and I cannot do it. I also love football (soccer to you...) and I think I could make improvements in the team outfits that they wear, along with the graphics and insignia. My dream job would be to redesign the identity for a major cultural institution that I have a deep affection for... perhaps the BBC or the National Trust in England, and over here maybe the.... can't think of any over here in the U.S., maybe NPR... though they don't appear to have much regard for good design.

Name something we can do to expose ourselves to something outside of our worlds, outside of the bubbles and environments we inhabit?
Well, "exposing ourselves to.... " is easy. But I don't think that's the point at all. It's much more important to know the difference between looking and seeing. And to love what you do. To conduct a dialogue with yourself, and to indulge in the act of introspection. To act with grace and consideration, and try to look on the bright side. I always say that doing all that miserable-looking, angst-ridden work is easy... try doing work that brings joy to peoples' lives. That's MUCH harder. Laughing helps, too.

read a lot, find some place to explore

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:28:00 +0000

Finding Creativity: Felicity Loughrey
Finding Creativity is a guest posting series where I invite people to explore how they find creativity in the world. In November 2008 we hear from creative professionals: industrial design, fashion design, writing and graphic design. Stay tuned.

I'm pleased to introduce Felicity Loughrey who is based in New York, New York. Please tell us, what is your design profession and the major focus of your work?
Thanks for this Romana. I write for magazines. Recent stories I have worked on include essays about mum blogs, women and the economy and children’s television. This is a recent story from Camouflage magazine, a publication devoted to shoes. I wrote a piece about my youth as a shop assistant in Canberra, Australia. And below is the Vogue Australia article that brought me together with you Romana.

Tell us when you look for inspiration and where do you go to find it?
Half of the work I do is from commissions – like an editor will have a topic they want me to write about and I’ll research it and write it. The other half of my work is from story ideas I generate myself and pitch to editors. So where do I find those story ideas? I read a lot. I feel like I read online all day – a favourite website is Arts and Letters Daily. This is a great leaping off point. There is just so much fabulous writing on the web – from newspapers, blogs and online magazines.

When you think of venturing out to find creativity in the world where do you think of going?
I get a lot of ideas from books. I source most of my paperbacks (and hardcovers too) from Paperback Swap.
I live in New York City so there’s always some place to explore – a museum, a gallery or a new boutique opening – and new ideas will come from stepping outside your front door. The Brooklyn Museum of Art, is a favourite.
I also think ideas, for the kind of work I do, will come from chatting with friends. You’ll find yourself just ranting about a topic and think, hang on, there’s an essay in this.

What have you always wanted to rethink, redesign or recreate, and why?
On the writing front I’ve always wanted to write a trashy, girly novel full of drunkenness and mediocre sex, set in Canberra. I don’t think it would win a Pulitzer.

Name something we can do to expose ourselves to something outside of our worlds, outside of the bubbles and environments we inhabit?
Read a magazine you’ve never read before. Here are three to get you out of a media rut: Monocle – like a really stylish version of The Economist; The Monthly – a literary Australian magazine with great writing; Bust – one of the smartest, sexiest, craftiest women’s magazines out there.

open your eyes, travel

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Finding Creativity: Iman Dadkhahi
Finding Creativity is a guest posting series where I invite people to explore how they find creativity in the world. In November 2008 we hear from creative professionals: industrial design, fashion design, writing and graphic design. Stay tuned.

I'm pleased to introduce Iman Dadkhahi who is based in Toronto, Canada. Thank you for joining us this week Iman. Please tell us, what is your design profession and the major focus of your work?
My focus is primarily in the textile and fashion industry. I design contemporary carpets, men’s and women’s wear. My educational background includes several degrees all related to fashion. I have a M.Sc. in fashion marketing from MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University), a fashion design diploma from IADT in Toronto and two business management degrees; one from George Brown College and the other from Strathclyde in Glasgow. After gaining work experience as a personal shopper, visual merchandiser, trend forecaster and textile designer, I realized my dream job would be to work as a fashion director, trend and color forecaster.

This is a recent carpet design that is in the W Studio showroom in Toronto, showing this Fall 2008. Below is an illustration of my recent men’s wear collection.

This women's wear piece is from my black and white Peace Collection. My inspiration for this collection were olive leaves.

When you look for inspiration where do you go to find it?

Life is full of beauty and inspiration, we just need to open our eyes and see it. We, as artists, need to be able to visualize the outcome of the inspiration in advance. I get my inspirations primarily from nature and architecture. For example, one day I was walking and I came across a field of dandelions. I immediately knew that I wanted to incorporate them into my designs. You can see the result below.

The carpet shown here will be in the W Studio showroom in Toronto in early 2009.

When you think of venturing out to find creativity in the world where do you think of going?
If I could go anywhere in the world for inspiration and creativity, I would go to the Middle East and to Europe. The Middle East is so rich in cultures and traditions, particularly in Iran and Egypt. Europe has amazing architecture and fashion which really inspires me and fills me with creativity (my favorite countries include France, Spain and England). The richness of the culture, history and arts in these countries, one can not help but feel influenced and be changed by these experiences.

What have you always wanted to redesign or recreate, and why?
I consider myself to be a “green person”. I care deeply about our mother planet and therefore I am a person who thinks, acts and lives green. If I had to recreate something in the textile and fashion industry, I would create more of a variety of green materials which are recyclable and friendly to our environment.

Name something we can do to expose ourselves to something outside of our worlds, outside of our bubbles and environment we inhabit?
I think travel is the best way to open our eyes and to expose ourselves to new experiences. Through traveling, we can socialize with people of other cultures. We are exposing ourselves to the traditions, cultures and arts of countries other than our own. Also, traveling allows us to see different aspects of politics which can be “inspiring” and “dirty” at the same time. Furthermore, through traveling you can see suffering and success. When you see suffering, it makes you immediately thankful of the blessings you have and when you see success, it elevates one’s standards and achievement goals.

read, pray, observe

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:45:00 +0000

Finding Creativity: Mitch Bakker
Finding Creativity is a guest posting series where I invite people to explore how they find creativity in the world. In November 2008 we hear from creative professionals: industrial design, fashion design, writing and graphic design. Stay tuned.

I'm pleased to introduce Mitch Bakker who is the founder of IDa Design based in Zeeland, Michigan. Thank you for joining us this week Mitch. Please tell us, what is your design profession and the major focus of your work?

Thanks for inviting me. I’m an industrial designer with a strong focus on furniture within the contract/business, education and healthcare segment of the marketplace.

When you look for inspiration where do you go to find it?
I look for inspiration when I’m confronted with a problem, a challenge, when I’m bored or anxious. Where do I go to find it? I connect with friends, I read, pray, observe. I enjoy reading historical writings and quotes from those who have gone before me. They offer inspiration and direction. Here are some I recently came across that speak to how I desire to live.

A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.
Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881, Scottish Philosopher and Author

There is little success where there is little laughter.
Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919, American Industrialist and Philanthropist

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.
Mother Teresa, 1910-1997, Albanian-born Humanitarian and Missionary

I found these on www.selfgrowth.com. I also look for inspiration on early morning walks in the woods; nature is a wonderful source of inspiration for me. When I travel I always attempt to take in all that is man made in my surroundings…often my most inspirational ideas are derivatives from built surroundings – architecture, consumer products, transportation. We are all surrounded and influenced by innovation wherever we go; it’s the designer’s job to absorb all that is to form what isn’t. One can say that designers are creators, true but I see designers as re-arrangers of what is. The wise philosopher - Solomon wrote that there is nothing new under the sun.

I’ve recently discovered inspiration by doing something new and different – card tricks. I loved illusion as a child and have found that tapping into things that gave me joy as a child helps me to unlock creativity as an adult. Often design is illusion -- we cover an ugly mechanical engine with beautiful form, we dress to cover flaws. We cannot remove ugliness altogether from our world but we can create beauty within it.

When you think of venturing out to find creativity in the world where do you think of going?
Design school student work is very inspirational to me. Viewing their work on display or reviewing portfolios to understand how they got to where they are in an idea or concept.

A child at play is another; observing my daughter, now 5 years old, as she draws and plays, completely free and uninhibited is very inspirational to me. Not so much in what she is creating but in how she is creating, in a way that is void of self judgment…it matters not that a person's head is connected directly to their legs, literal doesn’t occur to children – I love that. What have you always wanted to redesign or recreate, and why?
Redesign Gravestones; each should be a sculpture or images of the person capturing them enjoying life with a recording of their voice that goes on when you get close…so when you visit you experience them more intimately.

Redesign Elevators; I’m claustrophobic so tight elevators with no way out can really get to me. I would design these things with an escape route that empowers the inhabitants with the ability to get out e.g., drop down ladder, push here to open door manually, etc. This would really improve my quality of life, as I spend a lot of time riding in these closed metal boxes.

Name something we can do to expose ourselves to something outside of our worlds, outside of the bubbles and environments we inhabit?
I believe it’s really important to understand how it feels to let go of all that is materially important to you. Lose your job, or better yet go on a short term mission trip to a 3rd world county and expose yourself to another culture where none of our rules apply. A good friend of mine travels to China regularly to visit furniture plants where the people live at the plant in 10 x 10 rooms and have 1 or 2 days off per month to visit their family. After spending a good bit of time with the workers, he discovered that they were more content and happier than most of people he knew in the states that had far more affluence.

It’s not so much what we own, but what owns us.

You cannot understand the true meaning of life unless you can understand life from a minimalist perspective, that doesn’t require changing anything other than perspective and how we order our world. It’s an ongoing battle for me, one of my all time favorite quotes comes to mind:

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” – Jim Elliot

Push through scary

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:14:00 +0000

Taking things to the next level is never easy. It's hard because of the barriers - mental, physical, financial, spiritual. Or, it could be because of a lack of clarity or a lack of confidence to see a vision, or it's simply just too scary.

Those are the times when you have to get ready to lean in. I found this image a little while ago. It spoke to me then but I didn't know what it was saying, it was curious, a mystery. This month I discovered it was my inspiration for these times when your life, or your business, or your work is calling you to lean in and push through.

When I'm ready to push through a barrier or push through to the next level I draw the inspiration I need to lean in from this image. What really helps me understand how to do that is to leave all the "buts" and "what ifs" behind and simply ask:

What do I want?

What is your inspiring image? What do you want?

---

Feelings

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:56:00 +0000

I set goals. I'm actually quite good at it, it's a strength. I'm constructive that way. Orderly, spending hours on spreadsheets and organizational charts - it's what I do. Then there's the creative side. The side that lets the desk and office get messy -- while the drawers and filing cabinets are all perfectly aligned with neat labels and file folders.

After a lot of reading, intent on discovering how to honor the right brain in business I learned that it's not just about the goals, the charts and the measurable results.

It's also about how you want to feel.

Ahh, feelings. Yes! Feelings! It was time to open up to the feelings.

So now, when I write down my goals I also write down what I want to be feeling as I move toward that goal and when I get there.

This blog posting was inspired by Jamie Ridler's wonderful posting on business & creativity and her experience of The Joyful Business Guide.
Thank you!

Honoring the right brain in business

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:10:00 +0000

In my post about connecting with what you want to feel in business I said:

"After a lot of reading, intent on discovering how to honor the right brain in business..."

Well, here's that reading list:
Free Agent Nation, Daniel Pink
A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink
Out of our Minds, Ken Robinson
Right-Brain Business Plan, Jennifer Lee
Cirque de Soleil: The Spark, Lyn Heward and John U. Bacon
Blink, Malcolm Gladwell
The Measure of a Man, Sydney Poitier

I hope to grow the list with:
The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp
Style Statement, Carrie McCarthy and Danielle Laporte

Have you any to add?

"Illuminating" Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:34:00 +0000

On each Monday in November I want to feature a different designer here, each from a different design discipline, to talk about how they find creativity in the world. This morning, I found this. Carrie and Danielle's interview with blogger Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind.

Ask yourself the questions they asked Jonathan, it's worth the ride, you may just surprise yourself.

Now, back to my questions. I am really feeling the pressure - how do you top "What do you want to revolutionize"?

Do you see the divine in technology?

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:45:00 +0000

Do you see the divine in technology? Likely not. When people want to be spiritually uplifted, be moved, its in nature. So what happens when you start combining nature and technology so intimately?

The result: Solar Tree.

It is an urban lighting project "that celebrates design, nature and art" says designer Ross Lovegrove.

Check out the press page on the manufacturer's website here. Installations are being toured throughout Europe right now.

Are you a jumper or a coaster?

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:45:00 +0000

In life - and in business, we reach plateaus. The good plateaus are something like this: they are comfortable, they are times when we are firing on all cylinders, the wheels are in motion and everything seems to be operating well. Other plateaus can be frustrating perhaps when we've lost some momentum in areas we thought we were making progress. Like a weight loss plateau or seeing a team member make progress in their work or professional development and then it stops. Just stops.

So, what do you do when you hit a plateau? Do you find the bend in your knee, the spring in your step and get ready to jump to the next plateau - or, do you find the sanity in the moment and coast along for a little while?

Celebrating Year One - Studio Pinpoint

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:55:00 +0000

Fall 2007
Studio Pinpoint was launched in September 2007, just in time for the IIDEX/NeoCon Canada show, Canada's largest contract furniture and interiors event. I marked the occasion with a presentation titled "Living the Brand". The presentation was targeted to furniture dealers who often represent several brand names, so we reviewed how to reflect the essence of each brand in sales to generate greater revenues. I'm delighted to be returning to the show again this year, and will be presenting "Building a Brand from Within". Many service-based businesses, like interior design and architectural practices feel like they are all saying the same thing about how they work and what they do. This presentation will give tools to understanding how to truly differentiate in the marketplace - by working from the inside out.

One of Studio Pinpoint's most significant projects last fall was completed with The Mansouri Group - a residential homes developer. Founded by an architect, this group demonstrates a deep sense of responsibility to community and to the built environment, and is inspiring to work with. As part of their project, we first developed the brand strategy and defined the personality, promise and essence of each of their family brands: Liza Communities, Scarlet Developments and Montglen Properties. Brand Identity by 52 Pick-up Inc.

Last fall also marked the beginning of our relationship with Bernhardt Design. Working closely with the design department to develop product positioning, this relationship continues today.

At the end of the year I made a transformative trip to Mecca and completed the Hajj
pilgrimage. On the way home I spent some time in Dubai. Neither leg of the journey will be forgotten!

Winter 2008
We kicked off the new year in collaboration with 52 Pick-up Inc. Our first collaboration involved the brand development for a new restaurant in Toronto. The owners of the now infamous Mildred Pierce restaurant - an 18 year-old institution - closed the doors with dreams of launching a whole new concept.
We worked diligently with these visionary leaders and developed the brand personality, promise, essence and positioning that were inspired by their dream. The new Mildred's Temple Kitchen is eagerly anticipated this fall 2008. Brand Identity by 52 Pick-up Inc.

The collaboration with 52 Pick-up Inc. has also resulted in the creation of a business strategy, a brand strategy and brand identity second to none for Hush Inc. Hush is built on a foundation of redefining industry practices and reaches unsurpassed standards in every part of its business. This organization is focused on providing peace of mind to its customers and we're proud to help them deliver their message. Their unique vision has helped us to develop a brand positioning, a promise, a personality and an essence that investors and stakeholders can believe in. Hush is about to take the Toronto luxury home development industry by storm and we're excited to be a part of this. Brand Identity by 52 Pick-up Inc.

January 2008 also saw the launch of "Find Creativity in the World" - a blog designed for people wanting to break out of their routines and be inspired by the creativity the world has to offer.

To celebrate the end of the winter season - and the launch of the company, we hosted Studio Pinpoint's official launch party on March 19, 2008 at the Camera Bar in Toronto. Friends, clients and family came out to meet and greet, and to wish us success in our commitment to helping visionary leaders realize their dreams for their organizations.

Spring 2008
Spring was kicked off with a three week US Tour of Inspiration. This began in Pasadena, where I attended the Art Center Design Conference, Serious Play. This was followed by a few days in San Francisco where I attended a Luxury Marketing Council event. My next stop was New York City to attend ICFF the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. I rounded out my trip with two days in my favourite Canadian city, Montreal to attend SIDIM, Montreal's own design show.

Upon returning from the tour we took on Avyd Leadership Performance as a client. The brand personality sketch we've developed has inspired creative work, by Style for Style, to be launched this fall.

Summer 2008

The summer was celebrated with another party inspired by all the amazing women we know. We threw Web 2.0 to the side and hosted our own Summer Networking Event for Women (you can read more about it here). We think we've found an approach to networking that everyone can enjoy and we hope to host a second event in 2009!

Fall 2008
Our partnership with HUSH Inc. continues as we work to reflect the brand in every part of the business. We continue our product positioning work with Bernhardt. As for new relationships...we have a new client - an entrepreneur extraordinaire - who is focused on client service and product development like no other I've seen in my 20-year career - this is going to be a good one!
The presentation I made at IIDEX/NeoCon Canada was a huge success, with the largest attendance in any workshop being given the first morning of the conference. Building a Brand from Within resonated with several design business owners and we are currently speaking with two design practices about brand revitalization and business strategy support. Jamie Ridler of Jamie Ridler Studios and I also presented Blogging in Design Cyberspace where we emphasized how to launch a blog by understanding how to develop content and be passionate about it's focus and contribution.

The Future
The long term vision we have planned that takes us 20 years into the future serves as our daily inspiration. In the immediate future, we continue to build our team, adding great partners who work to the same high standards and principles that we do. 52 Pick-up Inc. is our strategic design partner and Vander Design our graphic design partner. Recently we collaborated very successfully with Enable Writing and Communicating with Clarity on a number of projects. We will continue to build new partnerships and will be looking for talented senior brand strategists and other bright minds to bring on board.

Stepping Out

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:48:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of spending a couple of precious hours at the de Young Musuem in San Francisco this spring where I was struck by this beautiful sculpture by Elizabeth Catlett called "Stepping Out". At once this piece struck me as being bold and graceful. Confident and serene. At ease and ready for the world.

I invite you to step out into your week, into your life and be bold and graceful, confident and serene, at ease and ready to take on the world.

For Tent and Trade: Masterpieces of Turkmen Weaving is showing at the de Young until September 2. The Turks said:
"Water is a turkines life, a horse his wings, a carpet his soul."
What is your soul?

Comment: We all say the same thing!

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:51:00 +0000

Click below to see the posted comment.

Breaking out of Bubbles

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:12:00 +0000

I am very grateful for Ameena's willingness to share her experiences with us. I invite you to read on, see the world and be inspired. Romana
I began my summer holidays with the same mind set as any other 2nd year university student. I had the intentions of traveling and volunteering abroad, however I write now because I’ve returned from my venture inspired, motivated and moved, I have a new way of thinking…

I chose to go to Peru for a month volunteering at an orphanage and worked with a group of 4-year olds. Leaving Toronto, I had no idea of what an impact these kids would have on my life. Let’s just say I have come home a changed person. I say changed because being with the kids 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, you begin to realize how ungrateful we all are and how much we all take for granted. It opened up my eyes to the harsh reality of things, to the real world. I got an insight into the lives of these under-privileged kids who are born to die in misery, heartbreaking but sadly true. This experience more than anything has taught me to be grateful for our blessings. We should all feel blessed by the many mercies that the Almighty has bestowed upon us. These kids had nothing, yet they seemed to be as happy as any 4-year old could be!

This life altering experience also gave me an opportunity to think, what makes me so different from these kids? Why do I get to enjoy the luxuries of living in Canada? Who decides and why? There are so many questions and not enough answers. We are given our lives to live for a reason and it is up to us of what we make of them. I feel that it is such experiences that make our lives worth living!

The Results of "just doing it"

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:24:00 +0000

On July 2 my posting A Rapid Prototype was a short review of an event that I was inspired to pull together. In a matter of six weeks we created a way of networking that seventy women said they loved. The beauty of the format: we threw Web 2.0 to the side and created our own live social networking scene. The room was full of people that were all mutual friends, only a degree or two of seperation from one another.

Check out the 2008 Accomplishment of Women Event web page, see pictures and read the rave reviews.

Just do it - it works!

Get a Global Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:57:00 +0000

"The problem for me was not ignorance, it was preconceived ideas." - Hans Rosling @ TED

If you are ever hungering for a high-level view take a look at this presentation by Hans Rosling at TED.

Sometimes we get stuck in our worlds, our very little worlds. A world view that brings to life the existence and realities of so many other populations and countries with whom we share this Earth is refreshing, eye opening and helps us to get perspective and inspiration.

Enjoy.

#14

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:45:00 +0000

The weekend of July 26 & 27 Liz Strauss of Successful Blog held what she calls "an auto show for blogs". find creativity in the world followed the specific instructions and submitted our blog for posting, we were featured #14 on the list. Take a look around at the other blogs, it's a nice way to get a broad view of what bloggers are writing about.

Comment: Calling all sponsors to be authentic!

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:12:00 +0000

Click or see below for all comments related to "Calling all sponsors to be authentic!"

To see this original posting click here.

Source of Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Romana Mirza) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:42:00 +0000

While going through my RSS Feed readings I came across an artist's site that Jamie Ridler found and was kind enough to share with us on her blog. Nick Chase's website is beautiful and what's more beautiful is he shares the images that have inspired his creativity.

Those of us who work in a corporate environment must always remember that there is inspiration in everything around us. How did that squirrel just go up the tree, does that inspire us to move differently in our careers or our organization? How did that car, 20 storeys below, just avoid an accident? Does that inspire us to handle a situation creatively rather than the 'usual' way we would handle it?

These are a couple of Nick's inspirational images - what are yours?