A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.
– Colin Powell
Some people take August off. And some people take August as a month to launch exciting new projects. I’m in the latter camp.
The project is called Idea Boostcamp, and it’s for entrepreneurs, ideas people, theatre practitioners, stuck-in-a-rutters, or anyone who has an idea – or the germ of an idea – that they want to develop and eventually make a reality.
I’ve been working with American tech-wizard and troubleshooter Shane Oman, Dutch facilitator/dreamer Alexander Prinsen, with me contributing insights on improv and storytelling. And together we’ve come up with this ambitious and exciting programme.
It all feels really fresh. This programme, besides being what I want to be doing with my life, is also a direct reflection of what I have been doing with my life – turning my dreams of self-employment and self-fulfilment into a reality, using improvisation and creativity and sheer bloodymindedness.
And here is a sharp manifestation of all that, fresh as a newly mown lawn, being put back out into the world.
Concept
The layout of Idea Boostcamp is unique. It’s a three week programme with weekday evening and weekend sessions, all leading up to a final showcase in which each participant will deliver their idea, their story, their pitch, in a theatre setting and get feedback from professionals on their idea and presentation.
Whether the dream is to present at Ted or PechaKucha, or tell stories on The Moth or at Mezrab – or of course, to take your idea for a business to a group of potential investors
After Idea Boostcamp every participant will be more confident about their ideas and how to present them. And throughout the process they will discover new productive modes of group working.
Everyone who participates will have an idea, maybe a fully formed one, or maybe just a vague notion of something they would like to address, and over the period they will be given the opportunity, guidance, and ability to evaluate, change, develop and strengthen that idea, and do likewise for their co-participants.
It’s not just the ideas themselves that are most important, but ways of looking at them, editing and shaping them, giving and receiving feedback. Though we’ll be working with a finite number of ideas, the application of the skills and processes we’ll be working with are unlimited.
This quote up top is a powerful and simple reminder: dreams do come true, but you’ve got to work for them. And you’ve got to work hard.
And that’s what Idea Boostcamp is for: making dreams a reality, with a healthy dose of fun, inspiration and creativity to go along with that hard work and determination.
