This is the full performance of playing sax and the wobbly sculptures of @axelkreiser (thank you Olli for the video). This was a spontaneous, unplanned interaction when I played the exhibition’s opening.
It felt like the sculptures played the sax and the sax playing with the sculptures. It was like Listening, Tuning, Playing and Performing at the same time (which is actually the music thinking mantra).
BTW: if you like the T-shirt with the music thinking mantra: Listen& Tune& Play& Perform
It’s July, and half of the year is already over. If I could sum up these 6 months in two words, it would be: sounds good.
The journey started with being a guest in several podcasts talking about music thinking, the music thinking framework, the jam cards, creativity, service design, organisational change and branding. And this led to starting a Podcast of my own, The Power of Music Thinking. I met and spoke with many beautiful minds, experts in their field AND musicians in one or another way. There was a recurring pattern with nearly all of the talks: after we stopped the recording, the conversation went on. It feels like a community of like-minded people, and I feel honoured about this; thank you.
Hier are the links to the conversations on one page to make your summer break inspiring and sound. Direct smartlink to the podcast service of your choice: https://link.chtbl.com/fleQe5kL
The Power of Music Thinking – Podcast
Innovation patterns and improvisation in organisations with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Stark, teacher and researcher specialised in organisational and community psychology
In this interview, we meet Christof Zürn, the founder of Creative Companion, a business that helps organizations use creative thinking to create sustainable business innovation. The COVID-19 pandemic has made flexibility one of the most important resources in any business, as companies have been forced to alter their strategy and switch-up their goals. Christof spoke about the importance of creative thinking in ensuring that businesses can stay on top of developments in their sector and described how his methodology, ‘Music Thinking’, can help companies connect their different priorities and develop better, more sustainable business designs.
Christof was forced to utilise flexibility himself by moving his consultancies online and experimenting with new platforms. When business began to slow down for Creative Companion due to the pandemic Christof used this quiet period to develop and strengthen his ‘Music Thinking’ methodology and to network with other members of his sector to develop new concepts aimed to help boost business creativity and connectedness. Christof’s key message was one of progression. He emphasised that although the pandemic has encouraged everyone to wish for things to return to how they were before, Christof believes businesses will gain more value from building on this experience and progressing with it. To do this, creative thinking is fundamental.
What 3 things does the guest need help with? Christof would like help in finding companies who are open to making a fundamental change in their business thinking. He is also looking for a publisher for his book regarding ‘Music Thinking’. Please support the Lockdown Economy with your donation on our GoFundMe page https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-help-… In the Lockdown Economy interviews, small business owners and self-employed professionals share their insights, challenges and successes during the COVID-19 global pandemic to inspire, motivate and encourage other entrepreneurs around the world.
About the Guest As ‘Creative Companion’ Christof is accompanying individuals, teams and organisations to make the step from iteration to innovation to transformation. He does this with decades of experience in branding, digitalisation, service design, design thinking and developed a fresh methodology he calls ‘Music Thinking’. “Website: https://creative-companion.com/
Music Thinking is a creative invitation to think from diverse perspectives at the same time and to get inspired to work in meaningful collaborations above silos. It supports you to integrate Agile methodologies, Design Thinking and Service Design with Branding and Organisational Change. See the short presentation and find out about the four phases, the six cues, the dynamic diamond and the dynamics.
How to explain it to a colleague?
Music thinking is a systemic approach to change based on patterns and principles in music.
What problem can it solve?
You can use it for innovation and business impact in complex and changing environments.
What are the benefits?
Imagine the possibilities to unlocking the co-creative potential of agile teams and organisations.
Medinge Think Tank for the first time on Dutch Design Week.
Medinge Group – a global Think Tank on BrandingMedinge is a not-for-profit Think Tank on branding. A collective of brand academics, guardians and visionaries from around the world whose purpose is to influence business to become more humane and conscious in order to help humanity progress and prosper.
We stand for Brands with a Conscience. A brand with a conscience build sustainable thinking into the core of what it does and always tries to act responsible. To the benefit of all stakeholders, including the Planet.
On the Music Thinking website there is a new post about Improvisation in Business:
Many people say that our times are volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – some people call it the VUCA times. When making plans they try to execute them until reality comes into play. As a result, they try to quick fix everything as long as possible. Some people call this improvisation. But improvisation is much more than just a repair mode. Improvisation can also be the start of the creative or change process to design for the VUCA times.
The blog post describes different improvisation practices, the improvisation in business course of the University In Krems and how Improvisation is connected with the Music Thinking Framework and how to use it in business.
End of the year I got an e-mail with the following text:
Dear friends, We’re starting a collective, constructive, and hopefully uplifting exchange. It’s a one-time thing and we hope you will participate. We have picked those we think would be willing and make it fun. Please send a poem to the person whose name is in position 1 below (even if you don’t know them). It should be a favorite text/verse/meditation that has affected you in difficult times. Don’t agonize over it. …
I am really not a fan of mails like this and some people reminded me that this is just a chain letter. However I did not agonize over it 🙂
Here are the poems, quotes, text, or whatever I could collect so far. They are in four different languages sent by people I know and some total strangers. In any case an interesting read!
Our Deepest Fear (by Marianne Williamson)
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small Does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, As children do. We were born to make manifest The glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.
‘True Belonging’ a quote by Brene Brown
(from the book: Braving the Wilderness)
“True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness.
True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are. It requires you to be who you are”.
Please Come Home (by Jane Hooper)
Please come home. Please come home. Find the place where your feet know to walk And follow your own trail home.
Please come home. Please come into your own body, Your own vessel, your own earth. Please come home into each and every cell And fully into the space that surrounds you.
Please come home. Please come home to trusting yourself, and your instincts and your ways and your knowings, And even the particular quirks of your personality.
Please come home. Please come home and once you are firmly there, please stay home awhile and come to deep rest within. Please treasure your home. Please love and embrace your home. Please get a deep, deep sense of what it’s like to be truly home.
Please come home. Please come home and when you’re really, really ready, And there’s a detectable urge on the outbreath, then please come out. Please come home and please come forward. Please express who you are to us, and please trust us To see you and hear you and touch you and recognize you as best we can.
Please come home. Please come home and let us know all the nooks and crannies that are calling to be seen. Please come home, and let us know the More that is there that wants to come out.
Please come home. Please come home, and when you feel yourself home, please welcome us too. for we too forget that we belong and are welcome, and that we are called to express and fully and be who we are.
Please come home. Please come home, you and you and you and me.
Thank you Earth for welcoming us, and thank you touch of eyes and ears and skin, touch of love for welcoming us.
May we wake up and remember who we truly are.
Please come home. Please come home. Please come home.
Das verlorene Paradies (by John Milton)
Doch wen, zunächst, wen senden wir dorthin, Um diese neue Welt zu suchen, wer Soll würdig unter uns befunden werden? Wer soll den bodenlosen, unermess’nen Und finstern Abgrund zu bewandern wagen Und einen unbekannten Weg sich bahnen Durch das massive Dunkel, oder wer, Auf luftigen Schwingen durch die leeren Schründe Im Fluge unermüdlich fort sich tragend, Auf der glückseligen Insel schließlich landen?
Demain dès l’aube (by Victor Hugo)
Demain, dès l’aube, à l’heure où blanchit la campagne, Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m’attends. J’irai par la forêt, j’irai par la montagne. Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.
Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées, Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit, Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées, Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.
Je ne regarderai ni l’or du soir qui tombe, Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur, Et, quand j’arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.
‘Style’ (by Charles Bukowski)
“Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art
Bullfighting can be an art Boxing can be an art Loving can be an art Opening a can of sardines can be an art
Not many have style Not many can keep style I have seen dogs with more style than men, although not many dogs have style. Cats have it with abundance.
When Hemingway put his brains to the wall with a shotgun, that was style. Or sometimes people give you style Joan of Arc had style John the Baptist Jesus Socrates Caesar García Lorca.
I have met men in jail with style. I have met more men in jail with style than men out of jail. Style is the difference, a way of doing, a way of being done. Six herons standing quietly in a pool of water, or you, naked, walking out of the bathroom without seeing me.”
Today we launched the Music Thinking blog on Musicthinking.com
Now is the time for a blog about music thinking. Since the new music thinking website went online, there is a lot to share, and so we decided to start a blog about everything music thinking. We will share updates about workshops, programmes, new templates, tips and tricks and you can read all the 38 stories from ‘Behind the Cards’ – the background thoughts about every inspiration card of the Music Thinking Jam Cards.
CREATIVE COMPANION
CREATIVE COMPANION for online brand strategy, creative direction and design thinking
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Music Thinking
Music Thinking is an innovative approach to transforming business, society and self.
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Persona-Workshop
We offer persona Knowledge, Skills & Facilitation on three levels: Awareness masterclass (2 hours), Hands-on work session (2 days), Long term programme (some month).
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A diverging and converging blog by Christof Zürn 