Overleven door samenwerken

Een week geleden las ik een artikel op De Correspondent: Hoe de mens de baas op aarde werd. Een paar dagen na het lezen van het artikel realiseerde ik me pas hoe belangrijk dit artikel is voor mijn werk. In dit artikel beargumenteert Rutger Bregman (sowieso één van mijn favoriete Correspondenten, natuurlijk om zijn pleidooi voor het basisinkomen, maar ook vanwege manifest Schuldvrij en de Rudi en Freddie Show), dat de voorvader van de mens zijn concurrent, de Neanderthaler, heeft kunnen verslaan door samen te werken.

Mensch und Gorilla van Carl Huth, CC0,  via Rijksstudio

Neanderthalers waren waarschijnlijk sterker en intelligenter (ze hadden tenminste een grotere herseninhoud) dan Homo Sapiens. Toch stammen wij met z’n allen af van de Homo Sapiens, en is de Neanderthaler uitgestorven. Bregman haalt een interressante ontdekking aan van een groep Duitse onderzoekers, die intelligentietests uitvoerde bij peuters, van de soorten mens, chimpansee en orang-oetang. En wat blijkt? Alle soorten zijn even goed in de tests op de gebieden van ruimtelijk inzicht, rekenen en causaliteit, sterker nog, er zijn tests waarbij een chimpansee als sterkste uit de test komt.

De mens maakt pas een groot verschil op de test ‘social learning’, het vermogen iets te leren van een ander. Helaas kunnen we Neanderthalers nooit meer testen op deze gebieden, maar afgaande op Bregmans aangehaalde bronnen en onderzoeken lijkt dit een zeer overtuigend argument voor dit mysterie uit de oertijd. Ik raad je zeker aan het hele artikel te lezen op de Correspondent, of om de podcast te luisteren. Rutger Bregman slist een beetje, en dat maakt het heel aangenaam om naar hem te luisteren.

Waarom is dit relevant voor mijn werk? Mijn werk is om mensen samen te laten werken, het delen van kennis te faciliteren en met een groep op nieuwe ideeën te komen. Daarmee kom je tot een collectieve wijsheid, een som van de intelligentie van mensen in de kamer. En kan je anderen, die in hun eentje misschien wel sterker, groter en intelligenter zijn dan jij, uiteindelijk verslaan.

 

Maker-IJ prijsvraag

€10.000, bestemd voor goede ideeën

Samen met Nicky Duin van NeverSayNicky start ANNNA in februari 2018 het project  Maker-IJ prijsvraag. De prijsvraag zet de IJmond op de kaart als centrum van de maakindustrie en koppelt kunstenaars, ontwerpers en makers aan bedrijven, om zo een creatieve kruisbestuiving mogelijk te maken.

In juni 2018 zal de eindexpositie plaats vinden, in samenwerking met WeMakeThe.City festival van de MRA. Lees meer op www.maker-ij.nl.

 

Co-working space for the European Local Makers Network

We have a 90 m2 co-working space available where you can:

• Become part of an enthousiastic network of makers / online sellers.
• Take pictures of your products in our common photostudio.
• Share in the discount deals that we are collecting together with the European Local Makers Network.
• Use the knowledge of different makers in the network, in, or out of the co-working network.
• Rent an affordable work space in Westerpark in Amsterdam.

The idea of the European Local Makers Network is that we can do certain things because it is much cheaper if we do it together and this is a great example of one such initiatives.

The idea is that we make, host and occupy the space together. So keep in mind that everyone needs to schedule approx. 1 hour per week to help out with common tasks like picking up the mail, making sure the fridge has cold beers, showing someone where the photostudio is, etc.

Imagine if we would have a space together. We could have:

• A space for your workshops
• A space for your messy production (there will be a production area!)
• A space for product presentations and events
• A space where you can store your products, supplies, packaging materials.
• A space where you can work together with others who make!

Sign up by sending an email to annabel@annna.nl to be invited for our first meet-up where we decide how to start off this great space!

TEDxAmsterdam Women

I am working with TEDxAmsterdam Women as head of their speaker team this year. I get a lot of inspiration out of TED talks myself, and my favorite moment to watch them is in the early morning, when I just woke up. A great start of the day!

It was a little bit surreal to be the one who announces the first confirmed speakers of  a TEDxAmsterdam, and I was honored to do so. This was during the “Friends of TEDxAmsterdam Women” event in june. We announced the first three confirmed speakers there and announced the theme of this year: Unraveled: The story behind the story.

Missed it? You can read all about TEDxAmsterdam Womens friends event here on the blog. We’re always open for new friends!

Best new app: Duolingo

I’m practicing my Spanish with a new app that I can recommend to anyone! It’s called Duolingo, and if you speak English, you can learn many new languages, from Spanish to French to whatever you want to learn.

I’m practicing Spanish, and for a very special reason. I found my wedding dress in Spain! We’re getting married in November (yes! another great event to organize!) and the sales lady did not speak English, not a word. We were just passing by her store on our trip to Bilbao a few weeks ago, and there was this beautiful flowery dress, made in Spain, tailored to fit. And now, I am returning in September with my mom to go and do the final fittings.

Best reason ever.

My three favorite apps

Since I got my new Fairphone 2… (I love my new phone!) I reinstalled the apps that I really like and thought of sharing them with you. Nothing in this post is sponsored, except for the link to Amazon & Audible. Just to be sure: I loved Audible before I discovered the possibility of a sponsored post by Audible, but I just wanted to let you know that this post is sponsored so if you register with them I get money, so is that clear, so if you want to support my business and goals you could click on this link, but also if you want really good audiobooks. Now on to the apps:

Headspace Meditation App

The Headspace app teaches you about meditation and guides you through meditation sessions. I find meditation very hard. I dislike sitting down and doing nothing. But the headspace app has cute little icons that explain what meditation is and how it can help you to get a calmer mind. If you know me, you know I need it.

Headspace – How It Works from Headspace on Vimeo.

And it is not unimportant to note that Headspace has Andy. Andy is the voice of headspace. (I want to say that he’s the voice in your head but that sounds creepy). He appears in little clips in the app to further explain some of the practices (you do not have to sit cross-legged on the floor in order to practice meditation). Andy also has a funny accent. And a funny last name. For a monk. Anyway, it’s not about his last name (its Puddicombe!) But his voice and accent make the app feel real personal to me.

It feels like a real person is talking to you, helping you, and guiding you trough the meditation session. Of course Andy Puddicombe is a real person, but a real person whose recorded voice is guiding 18,098 people through meditation as we speak. And, he was also a circus artist once. Anyway, it might seem strange, but I like to listen to this funny lad with his funny accent. It helps me to learn how to meditate.

If you want to try out Headspace. The first 10 sessions are for free and then you can decide how much you like it.

Audible for Audiobooks

Screenshot of my personal Audible app.

I looooove listening to audiobooks. Why? Because you can listen to them while your vacuuming, cooking, doing laundry, painting your new house (in my case), and while on public transport. I use the Audible App by Amazon. They give you the first two books for free and after that, you can decide if you want a subscription.

I love listening to books on my daily commute, because although I usually like people, I appreciate a distraction from all those random people who come so close to you on public transport. That’s not very mindful of me, I know. But while they’re all discussing the latest gossip on their phone, grinding their teeth or cleaning their nails (that’s the worst!), I can relax and listen to a book. I can assure you that it’s been a long time since I have read so many books!! My favorites so far:

• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Eat, Pray, Love
• The Alchemist
• The Help

“But Annabel! I can’t believe you hadn’t read -Fill in title here- yet?!”I know. Because there are so many things to do, I just didn’t have enough time to hold a book in my hands. But now I just listen to these books while I’m doing all kinds of tedious tasks and I’m really glad I did! I feel so well-read. And I wish you the same!

If This Than That

And then the last app of my current favorites: it’s called: If This Then That. Or IFTTT. Programmers would be familiar with this terminology, but it sounded like a mystery to me at first. I’ll try to explain it simply. I would ask the app: If I post any picture on Instagram Then you will post it as a visible picture on my twitter account for me.

That’s why I have actual pictures on twitter instead of links to instagram! And then it can solve all kinds of other riddles. If I am close to my house, Then turn on the lights. If the weather forecast reports rain tomorrow, Then send me a message. If I’m home, Then unmute my phone. Simple, easy, works. Get IFTTT here.

This post is sponsored by Audible.

 

Art of Hosting in Karlskrona

Last weekend I was in Sweden! And although I studied abroad in Sweden (in 2004/2005), I really didn’t remember much of my Swedish language courses. I did remember how to ask if we could pay by card in the train, but the Swedish answer was so long (and so Swedish), that I was forced to ask the salesman to repeat his answer in English. This much to the amusement of my fellow travelers by the way, who were from Mexico, Germany and Slovenia, and were headed to the same training as me.

The Art of Hosting training in Karlskrona in action

The Art of Hosting training attracts many international participants, and participants from all walks of life. I do think that many of the people you meet at trainings such as this one are mostly honest, open and passionate individuals who care about the world and each other. When my partner identified my training weekend to his friends as ‘Hippie Camp’, I protested at first. But to be honest, it is a bit like hippie central. There is just a lot of hugging and sharing going on! And although that’s a little out of my comfort zone, I was very thankful that one of the organisers shared her house with me, so that I didn’t need to pay for an expensive hotel in the city. Also, whenever there were hugs, I was mostly grateful to share a hug.

This is the (very Swedish) house I stayed in! Veeeery nice people, and lots of wooden interior walls and Knäckebröd.

Art of Hosting is a way to facilitate (host) meetings and conversations for groups of people. In this line of teaching there are very many useful models that you can use when you want a big group to share knowledge and inspire them to have valuable conversations. This monday, for example, I will be hosting a World Café for a conference on health & research.

Me in Karlskrona, happy to arrive safely and trying to not fall off the dock

When I recognized myself and my experiences in Karlskrona in this image, made by the ‘Harvesting team’ of the meeting, I knew that I was at ‘Hippy Camp’, and really it didn’t matter.

The surroundings of the training facilities were very beautiful.

View from the training room.

In this training, I learned many things about hosting groups, presenting to groups and learning with groups. We practiced:

• Check-in & Check out
• Harvesting
• World Café
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Circle practice
• Fish Bowl
• Open Space
• Collective story harvest
• Rope game
• Designing for wiser action

All of which I plan to use in future sessions with either my students or external groups. Furthermore we had teaching sessions on:

• The 4-fold practice
• Mental models
• 2 Loops
• Powerful questions
• Graphic recording
• 8 Breaths of design

I am so excited to put into practice all the new models and methods I have used! Are you curious what we could do together with Art of Hosting methods? Just invite me over for a coffee!

Handmade furniture @ Lokaal Spaanders

Mike & Wims furniture has arrived at its first official selling point! Lokaal Spaanders in Amsterdam Noord sells beautiful local products and delicious coffee and cake. We’re so proud! Thank you Roos for giving our furniture a place to live!

Fear (in Dutch)

I joined the last edition of TEDxAmsterdam as a volunteer and looooved it. Even though your pretty busy as a volunteer, I got to see the main part of the talk of Damiaan Denys. And it might very well be one of the best talks of this edition. It makes you laugh at your own fears. It’s in Dutch as Mr. Denys is at his best in Dutch, but since I live in the Netherlands and many of my clients are Dutchies, I really wanted to share this with you:

I would definitely recommend volunteering at a TED (x) event if you got the chance! As an event organizer, I got a very valuable peek at all things going on backstage. All the stagemangers, the timing, the food and the decor, it was very well done. Plus, you get to be at the TED conference!

End of the semester videos

Last week was the very last class of my course Intercultural Communication and Leadership at the office of CIEE Amsterdam. I will miss my students! The last class of the semester is usually a ‘digital story viewing party’. All students make a digital story of some of the lessons they learned during their study abroad. These lessons can be very personal and provide insight in how different the experience of different students can be. Today I want to share two stories of students who shared their stories publicly on YouTube.

This is a great story about culture shock. There are so many different degrees of culture shock! I am so glad that Emma decided to share her story and hope that others recognize some of their experiences in this story.

This second story is about language. In some time of the semester many of my students suddenly realize how lucky and privileged they are to have English as their first language.

Now I start my holidays checking the last papers and sending out final grades. It is such an amazing and valuable experience to see these students grow and learn during their stay abroad, I am happy I get to do it again next semester.

Intercultural Communication and Leadership is taught at CIEE study centers worldwide. More information on the CIEE website.