Her love of Venn diagrams might have been what sparked Roya Azadi to write her first book; in lieu of baking sourdough, this strategic mind spent the months of lockdown penning “Survive the Modern World: How to be a Creative Thinker”. Working as a researcher and strategic designer, thinking creatively is second nature to Roya; however, she also applies this experience to design practical solutions to the issues her private and public sector clients face in an uncertain world. More than a book, “Survive the Modern World” is a map to the creative mind and where one's creative potential resides.
01 THE REASON I DECIDED TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT CREATIVE THINKING IS
because everything needs some preparation - a canvas for painting, wood for carving, the mind for creating.
02 ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT CREATIVE THINKING IS
that ideas magically come from nowhere. People who generate a lot of ideas have some common habits that we can all learn from.
03 MY INSPIRATION RITUALS ARE
going for walks alone. Moving my body helps my mind roam at the same pace. As I walk, I find I can observe my thinking mind drawing lines between experiences, things I’ve read or heard, coming up with new ideas.
04 A DESIGN THAT ALWAYS BRINGS ME JOY IS
The design work of Soft Baroque. Their work is like sculptural jokes that make me think twice.
05 THE THING THAT ALWAYS SURPRISE PEOPLE ABOUT ME IS
I’m a qualified welder, and lawyer.
06 A PLACE I CANNOT WAIT TO VISIT
Las Pozas: a surrealist sculpture park, hidden in the Mexican jungle.
07 IF WEREN'T DOING WHAT I DO I WOULD
be an architect.
08 AN ARTIST I HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED IS
I’ve recently come across the work of Anousha Payne - her watercolours have been on my mind.
ROYA'S FAVOURITE THINGS
01 The Non-conformist hoops.
02 "Paul takes the form of a mortal girl" by Andrea Lawlor.
03 The boutique "Shifting Worlds" in Melbourne.
04 The work of Artist Jenny Holzer.
05 The Podcast /reply-all/ by Gimlet media.