Brainstorming

Between Calm and a Creative Storm

The calm before the storm.

September has already completely — or at least additionally — filled the schedules of many young people and adults alike. For me, however, it still represents a calm before the storm.

Even though calls for various opportunities and activities have (fortunately) been coming in one after another, the first major “storm” will arrive on Friday with a drumming workshop. I would normally expect to be short on ideas a few days before such an event, but this time it’s exactly the opposite. So many ideas have accumulated that it’s simply impossible to move forward without a clearly defined plan.

Back in my time with AIESEC, I learned that the most important step at the beginning is brainstorming. Once all the chaos of ideas is on paper, it can be shaped into something useful and meaningfully connected. I followed this approach when working on the handbook, and the same applies to lessons, future workshops, presentations, and other projects. Of course, I don’t want to forget something many people tend to overlook — this isn’t just a personal “show.” First and foremost, it’s about socialising, a relaxed form of enjoyment, and mutual learning. That said, progress also requires following certain rules and investing a fair amount of effort.

Through quite a few experiences, I’ve come to realise that gatherings like these are extremely valuable and often serve as guidelines for the future. A huge amount of knowledge and information can be found online, but it still can’t replace everything… or can it?