In this workshop, I have just told the truth, only the truth to my students. Here is the core message:
You cannot trust the system. You cannot trust institutions. You need to create your own system to design your life and be independent. This means taking control of your own life, career, and money.
The world is crazy and full of shit out there. The earlier you realize this, the less you will get disappointed.
The world is changing fast, but our systems, governments, universities, and institutions are unfortunately slow in adapting to these changes. That is why you need to assume full responsibility for your own learning, development, and asset creation.
Even though many things look very bleak, you can still survive and thrive in this environment. You need to think and act like an entrepreneur.
You need to learn about personal finance and investments to achieve financial independence in your life. This involves creating multiple income streams, creating assets, and creating a path to financial freedom.
The lecture includes the following contents:
The Eye-Opening Pessimist Workshop: Thinking Critically and Questioning the System
Disrupting Education and University of the Future
Award-Winning Documentaries
£111 Exercise, Personal Finance, and Compounding
Crowdfunding Platforms and Kickstarter Exercise
Workshop: Self-Making Studio
Turning £5 to£5000 Exercise
This composite lecture addresses the following questions:
Can we trust the global system? Can we trust capitalism? Can we trust corporations? (The Answer is: No)
Can we trust our educational systems? (No)
How can we build and design educational systems and universities of the future?
Why is it critical to question the system and everything in it?
How can we develop our own independence and power in a world or a system that cannot be trusted?
Why is personal finance the most important ingredient in achieving your independence?
How can you achieve financial freedom in your life?
How can you think and act like an entrepreneur? Where do you start if you have fresh and exciting ideas you want to bring to the world?
Why is compounding indispensable for achieving long term success, richness, freedom, and contribution?
The overall thread that connects this lecture is to question the systems that you find yourself embedded into, whether these might be economic, social, educational, or organizational systems.
You need to question everything so that you can create your own independent thinking, agency, and independence in your life.
A multidisciplinary visual tour that includes videos, slides, exercises, articles, and suggestions on how to achieve this.
https://medium.com/an-idea/do-not-trust-the-system-establish-your-own-system-34b390fc23dc?sk=1c9451b34ef1871920d671b74aabdfb3
Choosing the Right CBSE School A Comprehensive Guide for Parents
Do Not Trust the System, Establish Your Own System
1. University of East Anglia
Norwich Business School
Employability, Creativity and
Personal Development
NBS-5131A
Lectures 9-10
25 October, 2021
Dr. Fahri Karakas
F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk
2. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which tech company has recently
announced that they will change its name?
Tip: They will follow Google’s example (i.e.
Alphabet)
-Facebook
3. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
What will be the new focus of Facebook
with this name change?
Tip: They will focus on a future technology.
-Metaverse
6. Slide 1.6
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 through BLACKBOARD
Deadline: 11 November
7. 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
13. Slide 1.13
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.
15. Slide 1.15
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
16. Slide 1.16
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 Mondays (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)
21. Slide 1.21
£111 Exercise
The Power of Compounding
Crowdfunding: Your Kickstarter Project
Workshop: Self-Making Studio
Turning £5 to £5000
Star Exercise
Thinking Critically and Questioning the System
Key Take-aways
23. Slide 1.23
Can we trust the global system? Can we trust capitalism? Can we trust
corporations? (The Answer is: No)
Can we trust our educational systems? (No)
Why is it critical to question the system and everything in it?
How can we develop our own independence and power in a world or a
system that cannot be trusted?
Why is personal finance the most important ingredient in achieving your
independence?
How can you achieve financial freedom in your life?
How can you think and act like an entrepreneur? Where do you start if you
have fresh and exciting ideas you want to bring to the world?
Why is compounding indispensable for achieving long term success,
richness, freedom, and contribution?
27. Slide 1.27
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.
28. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which book narrates the entrepreneurial
adventures of the founder of Nike?
-Shoe Dog
29. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Who is the founder of Nike?
Tip: He also wrote the book titled Shoe
Dog.
-Phil Knight
30. I have recently read:
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight’s (Nike) Biography
• 'A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really
looks like ... It's an amazing tale' Bill Gates
• 'The best book I read last year was Shoe Dog, by Nike's Phil Knight. Phil is a
very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller'
Warren Buffett
• In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from
his father and created a company with a simple mission: import
high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes
from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year.
Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. In an age of start-ups, Nike
is the ne plus ultra of all start-ups, and the swoosh has become a
revolutionary, globe-spanning icon, one of the most ubiquitous and
recognisable symbols in the world today.
• But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always remained a
mystery. Now, for the first time, he tells his story. Candid, humble,
wry and gutsy, he begins with his crossroads moment when at 24 he
decided to start his own business. He details the many risks and
daunting setbacks that stood between him and his dream - along
with his early triumphs. A memoir rich with insight, humour and
hard-won wisdom, this book is also studded with lessons - about
building something from scratch, overcoming adversity, and
ultimately leaving your mark on the world.
36. 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.
37. 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
38.
39.
40. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which documentary narrates the rise of
crowdfunding?
Tip: This is the first documentary about crowdfunding. It
follows the hopes/dreams as well as the fears/pitfalls of
independent creators, who reach out to the crowd to
change their lives.
-Capital C
44. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which crowdfunding platform helps bring
creative projects to life since 2009?
Tip: Creative projects received nearly $6 billion in
pledges from 20 million backers to fund 205,000
projects, such as films, music, stage shows, comics,
journalism, video games, technology, publishing, and
food-related projects.
-Kickstarter
45. Slide 1.45
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
48. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which crowdfunding platform lets people
financially support and reward content
creators through a monthly subscription?
Podcasters, writers, YouTubers, journalists etc.
Tip: Creators can set up multiple membership tiers with
various rewards so each subscriber can choose the
amount of money they feel most comfortable giving to a
project
-Patreon
49. Slide 1.49
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/
52. Slide 1.52
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
53. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which company or web site turns famous
inventions into art you can buy?
Tip: They let you buy prints of famous patents to hang
on your wall.
-Retro Patents
64. Slide 1.64
64
Looking at the example lists I have created, create your
own lists.
For each part, write for about 15 minutes non-stop;
with the goal of producing 30+ items.
Think about your life, your career, and your personal
brand as you proceed.
When you complete this exercise, it will give you a
sense of your creative and professional goals that you
want to master.
65. Slide 1.65
What are
you good
at?
What do
you love
doing?
Create a list of
30 activities or
things that
represent your
passions and
strengths
66. Slide 1.66
What are
the things
that you
want to
learn,
improve
and get
better at?
Create a list of
30 activities or
things that
represent your
areas of
learning and
development
67. Slide 1.67
What are
the specific
visions in
your life
and career
that you
would love
to see
happening?
Create a list of
30 wishes,
projects, goals,
desires, and
visions that
belong to you
68. Treat 2021 Fall semester as the term of ASSET
CREATION
Work regularly and consistently on your individual project.
Create creative assets for your future.
SEVEN I PROJECT (Kickstarter type project)
ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL (Shark Tank type
project)
• Think about the assets you want to
create for your future
• Do not think like a student. Do not
treat this as assignment.
• Do this for your own future.
• Do something real – create something
exciting and fresh.
69. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which animation company has received
the highest number of Oscars?
-Pixar
71. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which book narrates the story of Pixar
Animation Studios?
Tip: This is a book about creativity in
business, i.e. hoe to build a creative
culture.
-Creativity Inc
72. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Who is the main author of this book?
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That
Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
Tip: He is the co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios
and president of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation
Studios. He has been honoured with five Academy
Awards
-Ed Catmull
74. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which university is the force behind London
Fashion Week?
-University of Arts London (UAL)
- 6 world class institutions, including Central St Martins
76. Slide 1.76
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
77. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which book is this?
-How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci
78. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which is the author?
-Michael J. Gelb
85. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
A man made more than $200,000 just
through drawing cat cartoons using his web
site. Which web site is this?
Tip: He was on Shark Tank
http://iwanttodrawacatforyou.com/
88. 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
89. 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.
90. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
In which country rice farmers have started
to play Axie Infinity to make a living?
Axe Infinity is an online blockchain-based
game where players make money in tokens.
Philippines
97. Slide 1.97
Make three calls. Pick up the phone, send emails, and arrange meetings. Begin the
conversation without knowing where it will lead you.
Save at least 10% of your income. Set up a new bank account and put 10% into that
account. This account will calm your monkey brain and help you to feel OK about
taking risks. Do not touch this money. It will be part of your wealth for the long term.
Stop spending time with negative people who bring you down. Make friends with
people who inspire you to achieve your best self. Spend more time having
conversations with people who bring out the best in you. Make a list of people you
currently spend time with, and decide who will stay and who will go. Remember: You
are the average of five people that you most spend time with. These people shape
your perspectives, expand your network, help you access resources, and make you
notice new opportunities.
Carry $1,000 on you at all times. Your subconscious should be accustomed to the
idea of abundance, assets, and opportunities (instead of scarcity, austerity, and
risks).
Do not have a lunch alone. Buy a mininum of two lunches every week for people you
do not yet know. Build a good network of people who are not customers, clients, or
old friends. Invite other entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, artists, or people
you can learn from. Tune out from the news. Give up on TV, papers, traditional media
and news. Your time and energy are very precious — do not waste them on the news.
Use this time and energy to learn and create your assets.
Keep a journal where you make a list of your priorities, high-value tasks, goals,
ideas, and dreams. Plan your vacations first. Work out where you want to travel,
visualize your holiday, decide on your budget and itinerary. Reverse-engineer your
work to serve the lifestyle you want to live. This will allow you to be more productive
and creative.
110. Slide 1.110
A one-minute description of
the Business Idea:
What is the idea?
What need does it solve for
whom?
Why is the idea unique?
111. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
He is a Turkish chef, food entertainer and
restaurateur. His real name is Nusret Gokce.
He owns a chain of luxury steak houses. The
latest one opened in London.
Tip: His technique for preparing and
seasoning meat became an Internet meme
in January 2017
-Salt Bae
112.
113.
114. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which company makes money by mailing
potatoes?
Tip: They were on Shark Tank
-Potato Parcel
116. Slide 1.116
“The Eye-Opening Pessimist Workshop”
Study@home
Thinking Critically and Questioning the System
Charlie Brooker’s Genius: Black Mirror
117. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Which book is the most comprehensive
book on power?
Tip: The book explains tens of laws of power
using historical examples. These laws
reflect the dark side of human nature.
Law 1: Never outshine the master
-The 48 Rules of Power
118. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
Who wrote this book?
Tip: He also wrote:
-The Art of Seduction,
-The 33 Strategies of War,
- The 50th Law (with rapper 50 Cent),
- Mastery,
- The Laws of Human Nature.
-Robert Greene
121. HERE IS A PUZZLE:
According to which documentary, the
corporation is a psychopath?
This award-winning documentary asks this
question: What type of a person is ‘the
corporation’?
-The Corporation
125. 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.
125
126. 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.
126
154. Slide 1.154
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!
156. Slide 1.156
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.
157. Slide 1.157
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.
159. Slide 1.159
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