A Creative’s Manifesto:
My Philosophy of Work
As a continuous learner and intrinsic nomad of the physical and mental realm, what I find most fulfilling in my personal development is the ability to be a channel that potentializes people’s holistic talents and opportunities to perform at their best. This principle of service is what led me to my career in design: I seek to understand and implement tangible or intangible tools that help individuals, communities, and companies fulfill their needs and optimize their positive potential through their agency power.
The foundation of my personal manifesto can be explained through the following core values:
Openness
Balance
Creativity
As a perceptive and sensitive professional, I decided to pursue the master’s in management with the vision to dive deeper into the connection of the product with a specific set of people. When I am designing, the most gratifying solutions I have developed come from insightful and profound human conversations: dreams, aspirations and desires encapsulated in a merely limiting verbalization of the user’s outlook. Every day, I seek to honor this philosophy of balance, openness, and creativity by being open and willing to experience learning opportunities.
PPT Pitch: My Creative Manifesto
“When I am designing, the most gratifying solutions I have developed come from insightful and profound human conversations: dreams, aspirations and desires encapsulated in a merely limiting verbalization of the user’s outlook”
Balance
The intent to achieve balance reveals my determination to be present for the family I choose, or as I refer to them, my tribe. This community consists of my closest friends, family, and life mentors. Balance also implies the importance of taking care of myself with health and mindfulness practices and, consequently, being of service to others with my skillset.
Living by the principle of balance means that I decide to invest time in the systems where I find fulfillment and growth.
Similarly, balance comprises the importance of dedicating quality time to my chosen family and learning how to remain present in the distance. This is particularly relevant as an expatriate and migrant, as relationships involve greater commitment.
As an empath, balance implies not only the importance of being compassionate with others but also the need to allocate time and energy to take care of myself by exercising, doing outdoor hikes, and allowing myself to rest.
The concept of openness encompasses the certainty of change. As Jorge Drexler says in his song Movimiento (Movement):
“If you want something to die, keep it still”.
Because of the inevitable experiences of movement, openness implies recognizing the value of meta morphing while bravely confronting limiting beliefs.
Openness assumes the humbling realization that there is always room for growth. Instead of resisting, I flow and absorb what resonates with gratitude.
Openness, most importantly, demonstrates an eagerness to recognize the value of diversity. Different backgrounds, strengths, and viewpoints broaden our learning opportunities and the fascinating possibilities to interpret reality.
Openness also involves empathizing with the strengths and limitations of others, enthusiastic to learn and teach with compassion and humility.
Openness
Creativity recognizes the ability to carve opportunities out of limited resources. Growing up in a small town in Colombia, I found myself observant and inspired by the resourcefulness of people in my surroundings. I have seen people building wheels and pulleys out of bobbins or breaking apart machines and electronic devices to learn how to replicate its technologies.
This inherent curiosity cultivated my passion for learning and enabled me to place immeasurable value in the access and acquisition of knowledge.
Creativity builds the ability to question the classifications and see beyond the constrained boxes traditionally used to process information.
Creativity is nurtured in collaboration: Applying knowledge from other disciplines in my line of work has proven successful in disruptive innovative solutions.
Creativity entails the preparedness to make mistakes but still achieve excellence. This act of trial and error is what turned Post It’s from a failure of a strong glue to a major success as a light sticky glue product.
Creativity
In Summary
As Burnett and Evans argue in Designing Your Life, these core values have helped me build my future, prototype by prototype.
By remaining open to test and learn from the possibilities, examining my biases, practicing collaboration, and allocating the right weight to each aspect of my life, I seek to keep working on my quest for meaning and purpose. I am committed to dive into the unexplored and nudge into disruption in the search of fruitful learnings.
Visual Summary of Designing Your Life by Burnett and Evans