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On Valentine’s Day Eve, 19 friends, collaborators and colleagues of refine+focus came together for an evening called Curiouser & Curiouser that we host regularly. The theme of the event was “Share the Love,” and everyone who attended shared an idea that was dear to them and our theme.
THE EVENT
If you take a closer look to the attendees list, you’d find a wide range of people: artists, consultants, attorneys, professors, novelists, data scientists, and videographers. This evening is marked by an atmosphere of creativity, sharing, and learning.
HOW IT WORKS
This month’s event followed the same format as previous months’ Curiouser evenings with each attendee bringing an idea that excited them and sharing it with the rest of the group in three minutes or less.
WHAT WE DISCOVERED
We know you’re curious about the ideas people share at Curiouser, and we’ve recapped them in this list:
Rachel Cossar – A social psychologist’s book ruminating on how love and passion are at odds
Eduardo Pujol – Soap sculpting as a form of stress release captures all five senses and eases the body into relaxation
Max Osbon – George Valliant’s 75-year study at Harvard University identifying predictors of healthy aging that lead to comfortable lifestyles and a better quality of life as a positive impact of the warmth of relationships
Edward Boches – Photography from the “Seeking Glory” collection showcasing the life stories of boxers overcoming obstacles such as poverty and gender inequality, and sometimes simply life
David Tames – A book explaining how our own worlds are built around our own experiences and exploring the usefulness of metaphors in making sense of these worlds
Greg Harris – The idea of teacher education in prisons and the potential for a bridge organization that creates evening programs where ex-convicts can incorporate their unique perspectives into teaching
Jesse Baer – Exploring what self-love actually means in modern society when negative self-talk is so prevalent
Zach Braiker – London’s #1 restaurant that never actually existed and its social implications
Aman Chheda – A personal story about the creation of a business targeting Big fat Indian weddings that focuses on customer empathy and led to the launch of a new business
Shirin Mojarad – An idea of educating people on how their data is being used, from targeted Google and Instagram ads to call center training
Ben Glass – A request to the attendees to help rebrand “climate change” as “climate chaos” as a way to spark activation and positive impact on human behavior
Purnima Thakre – A shoe box full of love letters originally written by a couple in the 60’s stumbled upon at a thrift shop emphasizes the emotionality of cards and the value of the quotidian
Keith Hopper – The idea of helping people arrive to conclusions through the usage of powerful, meaningful questions: “Who do you love?”, “What does that person need the most now?”, and “What would you do for that person tomorrow? (Valentine’s Day)”
Raghu Appasani – The personal meaning of home when a family is split between two countries and its reflection in the poem, “Flying”
Daniel Hoyes – The idea of an app that communicates love by transforming plain words into emotional poems, emojis, and video clips
Theo Hanna – A touching story of two kids discovering that love is an infinite resource by understanding it was possible to love their parents, uncles, aunts, and others simultaneously
Michael Cucurullo – What love means in the form of a sketch that reflects various aspects of personal life such as splitting time between cities and dealing with the temporality of connections
Mike Douglas – A monthly subscription package to “Hunt A Killer,” a real-world spy/detective experience
Ann-Fleur Vaartjes – An idea to partner with airlines for a luggage delivery service using electronic bag tags with Bluetooth functionality to transfer information
AN INVITATION
We’ll be announcing next month’s event in the near future, so keep an eye out if you’d like to be a part of these inspiring evenings. Until then, keep warm!
Did any of the ideas you read spark a new one within you? Do you have ideas of your own you want to share? If you’re a curious person and interested in attending our future “Curiouser and Curiouser” events, feel free to send us a message at hello@refineandfocus.com.
Cover photo by Mara Ket
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