¿Mencía?
BORN IN NYC, RAISED BETWEEN MADRID-ETHIOPIA-NYC
GRADUATED PARSONS, BFA IN COMMUNICATION & DESIGN
My outlook is bound to the scope of my experiences, passions, observations and reflections. More so than dealing with prediction, it addresses my perception of how things are today and the opportunities that exist as a result.
We live in a society that sees before it hears, and often determines how, and if, it hears based on what it has seen. The image has eclipsed its visual connotation and is more present in our lives than ever due to our devices.
We live in a world where the digital and the physical have become symbiotic. Through screens we become inspired, we incubate, we mutilate, we manifest. We first measure our creations off-screen, in-us through our emotions, our logic, our perceptions and our reflections. We process and we upload once more. Others are inspired, incubate, mutilate, manifest. The cycle continues.
We have eclipsed ourselves through technological advancement. We teach computers our ways and computers teach us better ones. We are incapable of existing in the nanoseconds within which they process information. They are incapable of existing in the infinity of the souls we inhabit. We establish common languages and together we create.
We must leverage ourselves, each other and technology. Thanks to our efforts: 1) knowledge is abundant, and often free, 2) communication is multimedia, multi-platform & immediate, and 3) effect is often readily scalable.
Our reality is wet, elastic and malleable. There has been no better time to take apart, disinter-mediate, and reimagine industries’ purpose, structure and flow. The grounds are adequately both firm and flexible to shift the modus through which we create, distribute and consume.
The quality of innovation can contribute greatly to creative & competitive advantages. I find it best to treat it tactfully; in order to allow for innovation(s) to flourish, I:
1) create an atmosphere that challenges the status quo 2) apply it dedicatedly in individual/group sessions
3) shorten the feedback loop between idea and result
4) maintain a clear vision of the company/project direction
Innovation may also be plagued by the oversight of true feasibility and unforeseen risks as well as by cognitive biases. In order to hedge against these tendencies, I personally:
1) detail the to-market pathway to ensure viability
2) meticulously consider potential downsides
3) cost/benefit my ideas against simpler ones
4) objectively discuss merits/demerits with impartials
Passion is an imperative life-force in the process of creation. Capable of sustaining an initiative through moments of difficulty & uncertainty, I harness it most efficiently through:
1) internalization of the project/company’s essence 2) communities of trust and solidarity
3) harmony between structure and spontaneity
4) maximization of energy levels through sleep & diet
Due to its emotional nature, if managed improperly, Passion may have blinding effects, leading to mischanneled intensity, obsessiveness and cognitive bias. In order to hedge against these tendencies, I personally:
1) maintain a holistic panorama of the workscope
2) compartmentalize emotions to prevent spillover
3) strictly measure progress against goals & enthusiasm 4) objectively discuss merits/demerits with impartials
Though Artistry is often reduced to technical acts of creation, I view it as a quality characterized by the procurement of an indivisibly total experience across purpose, prose, visual(s) and action(s). Essential to
the distention of emotion, I enhance it through:
1) frameworks/blueprints within which to diffuse it
2) constant iteration for comparability and refinement 3) frequent aesthetic stimulus for deeper reference pool 4) more cultural exposure (equals more conceptual profundity)
Artistry is a double-edged sword. If mismanaged, its poetic qualities can quickly become superfluous. Energy can be misallocated to inessential activities, routine can be abandoned in favor of impulse and perfection can be misguidedly chased. In order to hedge against these tendencies, I personally:
1) embellish key elements and simplify the rest
2) develop priority pyramids to ensure efficiency 3) maintain clear schedules to corral productivity 4) establish MVP parameters to avoid overkill
Sensitivity, in this context, is best defined as the ability to rapidly perceive and process subtleties. Encompassing areas such as emotion, communication, aesthetic and myriad others, I best leverage it by:
1) staying contemporary with society/culture to sharpen acumen 2) communicating frequently for updated emotional awareness 3) reflecting on observations/outcomes to sharpen insight 4) maintaining intellectual fitness (reading/discussing, etc)
Given its delicacies, sensitivity may produce several inefficiencies. Excessive control over atmospheric conditions, reactivity to harsh criticism, emotional contagiousness and introversion can hamper one’s ability to attain their personal and professional goals. Managing sensitivity is a long-term pursuit; in order to hedge against these tendencies, I personally:
1) schedule accordingly for atmospherically sensitive work 2) separate my perception of self from that of my ideas 3) ground myself at first sign of emotional whimsicality 4) check in spatially to prevent introversion rabbit hole
To be resolute is to be marked by unwavering conviction. My determination arises from sense of purpose and translates into spearheading initiatives and navigating head- winds. It is not born at random; I cultivate it by:
1) deriving purpose from a project’s ethos/culture
2) maintaining lucid foresight regarding goals/aims
3) surrounding myself with passionate individuals (team) 4) establishing a reliable support system to buttress grit
Resolution may also trap one in their own ambition. This can lead to miscalculation regarding one’s ability to address the true scope of an initiative, self-righteousness and the inability to correct course due to blind determination. In order to hedge against these tendencies, I personally:
1) objectively discuss ambitions with impartials
2) carefully consider the resources necessary for success 3) actively practice humility, gratitude and open-mindedness 4) track my path against new developments to ensure validity