Marco Van Der Burg

🥕🍉 When Fruits and Vegetables Become Art 🌸🦋🌿 Food carving teaches us that design is not limited to paper or screens — creativity can bloom anywhere, even on a cucumber or a watermelon. 🎨✨ 🔑 What We Learned from This Stunning Edible Art (Art credit: junpeng2023 & dashu2409, Döuyin): Patience Is a Core Design Skill: Each petal, butterfly, and rose carved into fruits and vegetables requires careful patience. For graphic designers, this highlights how slowing down and focusing on detail leads to professional-quality results. Precision Turns Ordinary into Extraordinary: A carrot becomes a tulip, a tomato becomes a butterfly — all through precision. In design, precision in alignment, typography, and composition transforms simple work into masterpieces. Creativity Knows No Medium: Food carving proves that design isn’t restricted to digital tools — it can thrive in any medium. As designers, we can learn to push boundaries and explore unconventional canvases. Transforming the Familiar into the Unexpected: Everyday vegetables turn into artistic surprises. Similarly, graphic designers can take familiar concepts and reframe them in unexpected ways to captivate audiences. The Balance of Skill and Passion: These works are not just technical — they radiate passion and artistry. In design, passion fuels creativity, while skill ensures execution. Both are essential for growth. Design as Experience, Not Just Visual: Edible art doesn’t just look good; it creates delight and wonder. Designers should aim to build experiences that leave lasting impressions, not just visuals. 📌 Key Takeaway: Whether it’s food carving or graphic design, the principles remain the same: patience, precision, passion, and storytelling. True artistry lies in transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. 🌟 👉 Follow me Learn Graphic Design for more lessons, inspiration, and creative ideas to level up your design journey. #LearnGraphicDesign | #CreativeInspiration | #DesignThinking #LearnGraphicDesign #CreativeInspiration #DesignEducation #ArtInUnexpectedPlaces #VisualStorytelling #DesignProcess #GraphicDesignTips #PassionInDesign #CreativityEverywhere #DesignMindset

539

12 commentaren

🚀𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄:https://lnkd.in/dX-QqyVB 🔍 4 POWERFUL LESSONS FROM THE WATER BOTTLE SKYLIGHT I've been fascinated by this ingenious invention that turns ordinary plastic bottles into 55-watt light sources. Here's what it taught me: 1. SIMPLICITY WINS The most elegant solutions aren't always complex. A water bottle + sunlight creates illumination equivalent to a traditional light bulb. Einstein was right: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." 2. WASTE IS JUST POTENTIAL IN DISGUISE That empty soda bottle? It could light someone's home. When we view discarded items through a lens of possibility rather than trash, innovation happens. 3. NATURE PROVIDES The sun delivers more energy to Earth in one hour than humanity uses in an entire year. This invention simply taps into what's already freely available. How could you harness natural resources more effectively? 4. INDIVIDUAL ACTION MATTERS Someone looked at a bottle and saw a light bulb. Your creativity could solve the next big challenge. As Alan Kay said: "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." What everyday object could YOU transform into something extraordinary? 👇 Share your idea in the comments! ✍️ Your insights can make a difference! ♻️ Share this post if it speaks to you, and follow me for more.

35

2 commentaren

🚀𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄:https://lnkd.in/dBNsnTsS 🔍 4 POWERFUL LESSONS FROM THE WATER BOTTLE SKYLIGHT I've been fascinated by this ingenious invention that turns ordinary plastic bottles into 55-watt light sources. Here's what it taught me: 1. SIMPLICITY WINS The most elegant solutions aren't always complex. A water bottle + sunlight creates illumination equivalent to a traditional light bulb. Einstein was right: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." 2. WASTE IS JUST POTENTIAL IN DISGUISE That empty soda bottle? It could light someone's home. When we view discarded items through a lens of possibility rather than trash, innovation happens. 3. NATURE PROVIDES The sun delivers more energy to Earth in one hour than humanity uses in an entire year. This invention simply taps into what's already freely available. How could you harness natural resources more effectively? 4. INDIVIDUAL ACTION MATTERS Someone looked at a bottle and saw a light bulb. Your creativity could solve the next big challenge. As Alan Kay said: "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." What everyday object could YOU transform into something extraordinary? 👇 Share your idea in the comments! ✍️ Your insights can make a difference! ♻️ Share this post if it speaks to you, and follow me for more.

55

4 commentaren

𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝟲 𝗶𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀/𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸—𝗶𝗻 𝟵𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀. It wasn't magic. It wasn't about "hacks." It was about a fundamental internal shift that unlocked their external impact. This founder, a brilliant Series A CEO, was virtually invisible on LinkedIn despite their company's success. (Frustrating for them, but a huge opportunity.) Here’s what really changed: → Mindset: From "LinkedIn is a chore" to "LinkedIn is my most powerful growth engine." → Brand Narrative: We stripped away the corporate jargon and found their unique, human story and expertise that resonated deeply. → Authority-Building: Instead of broad industry takes, we focused on micro-niche insights that made them irreplaceable to their ideal clients. They went from zero meaningful DMs to high-value conversations starting every single week. It wasn't just about posting; it was about posting with purpose and an undeniable point of view. Their personal brand became a magnet, attracting exactly who they needed. The outside changes always begin with an inside decision. PS: What's one internal belief holding you back from showing up powerfully online?

155

37 commentaren

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰. Not tech. Not chemicals. A simple fabric that blocks weeds. It saves water. It protects soil. It grows stronger fruit. Why does it work? Because it fixes the system. No fight with symptoms. No endless spraying. The weeds simply cannot thrive. Your digital strategy needs the same shift. Most teams are running on pesticide marketing: ✦ Spraying content everywhere. ✦ Poisoning attention with noise. ✦ Burning budget to force growth. This is waste. This inflates your digital carbon footprint. This keeps your product clean but your marketing dirty. SaaS founders, listen. Your code is efficient. Your backend runs lean. Why is your marketing bloated? I help you install digital weed-blocking fabric. Transformative Skills: ⤷ Audit your content system. ⤷ Find the toxic habits. ⤷ Replace waste with strategies that conserve energy. Transitional Skills: ⤷ Build for the regenerative economy. ⤷ Train your team on AI that saves time and energy. ⤷ Design marketing that nourishes, not depletes. Stop spraying. Start designing. TL;DR: Your product runs clean. Your marketing runs dirty. Fix the system, shrink your footprint, and grow stronger. ♻️ 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 🔔 Follow Fredrick Muriithi for bold, sustainable marketing insights PS: If you are still sending weekly “we miss you” emails to inactive users, that is pesticide. Time to switch to fabric.

37

8 commentaren

Pain as a Teacher: How Discomfort Drives Growth “Pain is the universe’s way of demanding that you continue to learn. The more pain you can tolerate, the more you can learn.” — Phil Stutz & Barry Michels This line is both challenging and liberating. Challenging because no one likes pain. Liberating because it reframes discomfort not as failure, but as fuel for transformation. Pain as Feedback, Not Punishment Too often, we interpret pain, personal, professional, or emotional, as a sign we’re doing something wrong. But psychologists note that discomfort is often a signal of growth. When we stretch beyond our comfort zone, our brain encounters new patterns and pathways (Psychology Today, 2019). The unease is simply data: something in us is evolving. Resilience research shows that leaders who engage with adversity instead of avoiding it develop sharper judgment, deeper empathy, and better adaptability (Harvard Business Review, 2020). Learning Through the Struggle Some of the most valuable breakthroughs emerge in moments of strain. Failed projects force us to question assumptions. Tough feedback uncovers blind spots. Market downturns teach financial discipline. But the key isn’t pain itself, it’s our response. Avoidance delays growth; reflection accelerates it. Asking “What is this teaching me?” can convert setbacks into strategy. Practical ways to learn through discomfort: 1- Pause and name the pain — Acknowledge the challenge instead of numbing it. 2- Extract the lesson — Write down what this moment is revealing about skills, strategy, or mindset. 3- Act on the insight — Apply one clear change or improvement to move forward stronger. Expanding Your Capacity Your ability to tolerate discomfort sets the ceiling for your growth. When we avoid pain, we shrink our playing field. When we face it with curiosity, we expand resilience and capability. Entrepreneurs often fail multiple times before success. Leaders make tough calls that spark criticism. Athletes train past exhaustion to build endurance. None of these achievements come without discomfort, but each pain point becomes a building block for the next level. As Stutz & Michels argue in The Tools, leaning into discomfort is how you stop playing small and start evolving into who you’re meant to become. A Shift in Perspective Reframe pain as tuition for wisdom. Each difficulty you endure is buying insight you couldn’t gain otherwise. This mindset won’t make hard things easy, but it will make them meaningful. Next time discomfort shows up, don’t rush to escape it. Pause, learn, adapt, and keep moving. Because behind every stretch of pain is often the growth you’ve been searching for.

19

1 commentaar