Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #361. - Your favorite piece of art

Today's coaching question may look like an oddball, and yet it's one of those questions that can reveal a lot about ourselves.

What do we consider as art in the first place, which example of artistic expression is our favorite one, and why exactly that one matters to us?

It doesn't matter whether we are talking about more traditional forms of art (literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, theater, music, dance) or less traditional forms of art (graphic design, street art, interior design, body art, conceptual art, graffiti, cinema, audiovisual).

[Besides my tattoos, you may ask?

That's an easy one: the paintings of Botticelli and Mucha]

What matters is how a work of art can enrich our lives, inspire us, motivate us, embody our idea of beauty and creativity.

Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #322. - Your definition of elegance

Today, someone asked me out of the blue what elegance means to me.

And I have to confess that I was taken aback, even if just for a moment. It was the kind of moment like "Uhm, I know exactly what it means for me but how can I convey it?".

I could go for classic Hollywood comedies from the 40s and Busby Berkeley musical choreographies. 

I could go for Elsa Schiaparelli or Paul Poiret.

I could go for Scandinavian design or Erté.

I could go for practically almost every Italian historical building or something Art Déco.

[Elegance? Something I found difficult to digest for many years,

before I was able to rediscover it in a new, more personal way]

I could go...

And then I realized that replying "I recognize it when I see it" or just saying that elegance for me has nothing to do with luxury objects or money would not be enough.

Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #131. - The environment for you - Reprise

For some of us, less is more and a minimalist environment lets us thrive and it also represents peace of mind.
For others, the more chaotic their place is, the merrier.

It doesn't matter if in home-office, at the office, in a factory, or working from a beach as a digital nomad: Our environment has a big impact on our creativity and productivity.

[We can't always decide in which environment 

we are spending our days...

Still, we can learn something from it]

Even if it is not always possible to shape the places where we spend our time just the way we want them to be, discovering what we need, where we are at our best, and which small changes we can do is still valuable, and can give us precious clue about our ability to innovate.

Coaching question of the day:
"In which environment are you at your best?"

Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Self-reflection, Perfect physical environment, Productivity boost, Creativity boost

What to read next:

Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #60. - The environment for you

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Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #26. - A new name

"Need new name Extra", this is how the now notorious Corona beer logo looks like when redesigned by Slovenia-based creative director Jure Tovrljan, willing to offer "just an idea of how logos should look like in these difficult times." 

Under normal circumstances, needing a new name is quite rare and a sort of "ultimate resolution", the kind of option to go for when everything else failed or would not work anyway.  We don't know yet if the Corona label will need a completely different name, after the devastating pandemic outbreak the world has been experiencing lately because of the coronavirus.

[Go ahead, play along...

What could be a good new name?]

Still, we could play with the idea and think about possible scenarios where changing names would be the chance of a new beginning, the step to take for a big change, the way to go for leveling up.

Coaching question of the day: 

"If you would change your name, which kind of name would you go for, and why?" 

Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Branding, Corona beer, Names

What to read next:

80 unusual and yet fascinating Italian first names for women

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Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #25. - Different aspects of yourself

"LockedIn", this is how the famous LinkedIn logo looks like, when redesigned by Slovenia-based creative director Jure Tovrljan, decided to offer "just an idea of how logos should look like in these difficult times." 

[LockedIn? LinkedIn?

Where lies the focus?]

Jokes and impressive design skills aside, this could become a compelling invitation for thinking about our identity, who we are, what makes each of us really "us", what makes each of us unique and yet recognizable. What can stay the same, what can be changed, what can make us more flexible and resilient, and so on.

Coaching question of the day: 

"Which aspect of yourself are you willing to play with today?"

Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Self-knowledge, Branding, LinkedIn

What to read next:

Do you want me to accept your LinkedIn invitation? Pay attention to these five things

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Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #23. - Your indoor oasis

Thanks to this surprising picture by Stacy Kissel published on 'The New York Times', I stumbled upon the concept of "green indoor oasis" and it sounds incredibly relaxing and a good option for self-care while staying at home: 

"Create a green indoor oasis. Collect all your houseplants and arrange them in the room where you spend the most time", she says.

[How green can your indoor oasis get?!

Image credit: Stacy Kissel]

Coaching question of the day: 

"How could an indoor oasis in your home look like, with or without plants?"

Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Indoor oasis, Sheltering in place, Self-care

What to read next:

Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #9. - Feeling at home

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Coaching, reloaded - Coaching question of the day #9. - Feeling at home

Now, more than ever, feeling at home is pivotal.

For ourselves and for others.

Not everyone lives in a cozy and gorgeous apartment.

Not everyone feels very comfortable at home. 

And that's a pity because we can do something about that. It is not about hiring an interior designer and breaking the bank for a big change. Some small tweaks will do.

[Home sweet home?

Home safe home]

Coaching question of the day:

"Which kind of small improvement can you make today, in order to feel more comfortable while staying at home?"

Tags: Coaching question, Self-coaching, Self-awareness, Stay at home

What to read next:

Why decluttering one's life, one day at the time, could be the most important thing you will ever do - Introduction

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Google Doodle pays homage to German graphic designer Ludwig Sütterlin

Today's Google Doodle in Germany is dedicated to Ludwig Sütterlin [1865-1917], a Berlin-based graphic artist and teacher at the "Teaching Institution of the Royal Museum of Decorative Arts" (lit.  Unterrichtsanstalt des Königlichen Kunstgewerbemuseums zu Berlin) that invented the Sütterlin script.

[Colorful Google Doodle on July, 23rd 2018

dedicated to Ludwig Sütterlin]

This minimal and very regular writing style based on geometrical forms, influenced by Art Nouveau and by the work of Rudolf von Larisch, was nationally adopted in Germany as a more adapt writing style for children (in comparison to the more tricky Eckenschrift) during the Twenties and the Thirties.

Every letter would have the same height and width, in order to help small children learning how to write properly while using a quill:

Google celebrates Austrian/Swedish architect Josef Frank with a colorful Doodle

Google Doodles are almost always very poetic and beautiful and it's a real pleasure to start my 'search engine journey' with something different and unexpected, now and then.

Today Google celebrates Austrian/Swedish architect Josef Frank's 125th birth anniversary [July 15th, 1885] with an explosion of shapes and colors, a Doodle realized by displaying some of the most beautiful creations from Frank.

[Google Doodle for July 15th, 2010
Josef Frank's 125th birth anniversary]

Creative fashion design made in Berlin at The White Market

Do you like creative fashion design made in Berlin?
Then you have to take a look at what's next on The White Market calendar, in Kulturbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg (Berlin, Germany) from July 17th, 2010 to September 11th, 2010.

Where and when

U-Bahn: U2 Eberswalder Straße
S-Bahn: Ringbahn S42, S47, S8
Tram: 12, 53, 50, 20
From noon to 7 PM

[Amateur Fashion]

Further information:
The White Market

Tags: Berlin, Fashion design, The White Market

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'Euro-leaf'? It's a Veg Logo!

From July 2010, according with European Union's Law n.271/2010, all pre-packed organic food produced in any of the EU member States who comply with the necessary standards, will display a new Logo, 'Euro-leaf', created by German Design student Dusan Milenkovic and voted in a online competition promoted by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

The new Logo will be optional for imported items and it will be allowed to display pre-existing national Logos for organic food next to 'Euro-leaf'.

But for me, the most important thing is that 'Euro-leaf' is basically a 'Veg' Logo: in it, the European Union takes shape of a leaf, or to be more precise of something that is green, absolutely vegetable and, above all, environmentally friendly and ethical.