DOPA (The Department of Pro-Activeness).

Alex Normanton

DOPA (The Department of Pro-Activeness). Fuelling conversations around creative wellness and turning negative barriers into positive tools for mental success. Founded, Created and Hosted by Alex Normanton. Music by Keelan Doyle.

  1. 02/14/2022

    S02 EP04: From secrecy to openness with Katrina Encanto

    In conversation with Katrina Encanto, an Executive Creative Director at 180 Amsterdam. In this episode, we discuss how to shift from secrecy to openness and how to help people share more, be truly authentic, collaborative and more vulnerable with their ideas. Amsterdam is the latest stop on a journey that has taken Katrina from Manila to Milan, Parma, Bangkok, and London. At 180, she works with a team of over 30 nationalities to offer a fresh perspective for brands all around the world. With this role comes the responsibility of nurturing creative talent, raising the craft of the work, and creating unexpected narratives that resonate with people. She has been a part of building some of the world’s most long-standing brands, such as ‘Dirt is Good’ for Persil / Omo, and also helped challenger brands stand out through a distinctive point of view, as she did with Sloggi. She has also raised awareness for the issues she cares about, such as gender equality with 'Redraw the Balance', which was shared and recreated all over the world. Her work has won accolades of all colours at D&AD, Cannes Lions, Clio, One Show, LIA, and Epica, amongst others. Through this all, she has worked alongside her partner EJ Galang. See their work at katandej.com. Mentions: Daniel Pink, D&AD, Parasite, Graphis, Communication Arts, Pinterest -- DOPA (The Department of Pro-Activeness)   Founded, Created and Hosted by Alex Normanton. Music by Keelan Doyle.     Don't forget to like, follow, share & subscribe. Follow us on Instagram @d__o__p__a www.thedopa.com

    S02 EP04: From secrecy to openness with Katrina Encanto
  2. 12/06/2021

    S02 EP03: From faking it to storytelling with Rod Ben Zeev

    In conversation with Rod Ben Zeev, Facilitator at THNK School of Creative Leadership, Amsterdam. In this episode, we discuss how to pivot from improvisation to storytelling and how to enable people to move away from a ‘fake it till you make it’ mentality. Rod Ben Zeev has devoted his professional career to telling stories. He's written plays, screenplays, TV shows, performed stand-up comedy, founded a true storytelling night, and performed improvisational theatre all over the globe. He particularly connected with improv because of the spontaneity and the collective discovery. In order to do well you need to adhere to the basic rules: say "Yes And" to any idea, listen deeply, and connect with fellow players. If you can master these skills, you can develop mindsets that can help you be a better storyteller, innovator, and leader. He designs and delivers innovation and leadership programs for THNK, The Haas School of Business at The University of California Berkeley, the NYPD Leadership Program at John Jay College and Stanford Media X. He has a B.A. in English Literature from Boston University and an M.A. in Cultural Analysis from the University of Amsterdam. Mentions: Arthur Eron, Mezrab, Google Aristotle, Robert Wolfe, Marshall Gains, Language of the Senses (LOTS). -- DOPA (The Department of Pro-Activeness)   Founded, Created and Hosted by Alex Normanton. Music by Keelan Doyle.     Don't forget to like, follow, share & subscribe. Follow us on Instagram @d__o__p__a www.thedopa.com

    S02 EP03: From faking it to storytelling with Rod Ben Zeev
  3. 11/05/2021

    S02 EP02: From ego to empathy with Carren O'Keefe

    In conversation with Carren O'Keefe, Executive Creative Director at AnalogFolk, Amsterdam. In this episode, we discuss how to navigate from ego to empathy and how to help people shift to a more down-to-earth operational model. Plus practical tools on how to recognise your own self-saboteur and how to stay humble and grounded. Carren O’Keefe is the Executive Creative Director of AnalogFolk in Amsterdam, an independent global creative agency that uses digital to make the analog world better. Prior to relocating to AMS in 2020, Carren founded AF’s Portland, OR office and helped oversee creative across the US region. After decades of award-winning work for some of the world’s biggest brands, Carren’s passion and mission is to make this industry, and the world, better than the one she came into. In 2020, after AF received the honour of Campaign’s Global Digital Innovation Agency of the Year, she was a part of the council who created a new north star for the network - be an impactful agency of change for people, brands and society in pursuit of a better world. Her most recent work for Nike is a demonstration of this. The Nike Mind Sets series looks to destigmatize conversations around mental health and help people use movement to positively impact their mental well-being. Mentions: University of Chicago, NBA, Positive Intelligence and Anthony Burrill. -- DOPA (The Department of Pro-Activeness)   Founded, Created and Hosted by Alex Normanton. Music by Keelan Doyle.     Don't forget to like, follow, share & subscribe. Follow us on Instagram @d__o__p__a www.thedopa.com

  4. 07/07/2021

    S01 EP10: From mistakes to ass-kick ideas with Erik Kessels

    In conversation with Erik Kessels, Dutch artist, curator, communication designer and Creative Partner of KesselsKramer, Amsterdam. In this episode, we discuss how to use and embrace all the mistakes and f***k ups within the creative process. As design software and tools have opened the doorway to perfectionism, sometimes it's ok to stick everything in a metaphoric washing machine and mix things up a little. A very engaging conversation packed full of inspiration, practical tools and how to master the art of looking sideways within the ideation process. Erik Kessels is a Dutch artist, curator and communication designer, with great interest in photography. Since 1996, he has been the Creative Partner of communications agency KesselsKramer in Amsterdam/London and has created campaigns for national and international clients such as Nike, Diesel, J&B Whisky, Oxfam, Vitra, Citizen M, I amsterdam and The Hans Brinker Budget Hotel. Kessels has won many international awards with his communication work. Kessels has published over 75 books of his 're-appropriated' images, has taught at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy (Amsterdam), Écal (Lausanne), Raffles (Milan) and at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture where he curated a celebration of amateurism. He has been called “a visual sorcerer” by Time Magazine and a “Modern Anthropologist” by Voque (Italia). Mentions: DixonBaxi - The Design Process, Brian Eno Oblique Strategies, Ideo and 'The Art of Looking Sideways', Alan Fletcher. -- DOPA (The Department of Pro-Activeness)   Founded, Created and Hosted by Alex Normanton. Music by Keelan Doyle.     Don't forget to like, follow, share & subscribe. Follow us on Instagram @d__o__p__a www.thedopa.com

    S01 EP10: From mistakes to ass-kick ideas with Erik Kessels

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DOPA (The Department of Pro-Activeness). Fuelling conversations around creative wellness and turning negative barriers into positive tools for mental success. Founded, Created and Hosted by Alex Normanton. Music by Keelan Doyle.