IW @ OFFF, let’s feed the future | Barcelona May 26 – 27 – 28 2016

Let’s JFDI (just f@cking do it)

For some of us, the Interweavers, it was our first in Barcelona, as well as our first at Offf festival. Is it a festival? How can anyone mean all-things- design, where print, digital, typography, illustration, marketing, visual, VR, film, experiment, and so on, are stuffed in a single word – festival? Well, it is. It was fun, friendly, familiar, colorful, insightful. It was a celebration of art.

Barcelona is a loud and easy-going city. Loud, because Spanish people talk fast, faster than us Greeks, they are open, theatrical and Mediterranean. There is no other way to fight such climate (humidity reaches high and stays high) than being extrovert. And why is it easy-going? Because streets are wide, trees are everywhere, you can walk or cycle or roller skate anywhere and it takes you quite a few minutes to cross the street. And, well, the food is divine.

Wide is a word that one could use to describe the journey in general. Wide streets, wide strolls, wide horizon from the Gaudi park, wide docks at Barcelonetta, wide experience that widens the mind. This was the purpose of this trip. To widen our mind, to think big, to get inspired, to bring back ideas and freshen those in the drawer.

We watched amazing presentations from people all around the globe -America, Japan, Europe-, people that have been lucky to collaborate with huge names in the filming and advertising industry, we had the chance to get a glimpse of their how-tos and look at snippets of their work procedure, as well as the results of their brain effort.

Some were really amazing and inspiring, citing quotes, presenting ways to fight obstacles, and some others were plainer – this wouldn’t mean they were not interesting, it’s just that some were more engaging.

“Ideas come to those surrounded by beauty”

But you know what all of this information, all of these people had in common? The one and only simple fact that you have to believe. You have to believe in your team, you have to believe you can do it, you have to implement your ideas to platforms, digital or print, on digital or traditional media, starting from your writing pad or just a classic yellow post-it note.

Because there are ideas. Lots of them. We brainstorm, we enter 5-hour meetings, we squeeze our brains, we zombify ourselves over deadlines, we believe in the power of team effort. And it always works. What we need to decide upon, though, is one final thing. Not to lose any more time basking on ideas that stay in the drawer. We have to be more fearless.
We have to decide to Just F@cking Do It.

And always remember @Johnny Cupcakes’ truth:

So, see you again next year at Offf, with plenty of fun, creative, colourful ideas! After all, Early Bird Tickets are already available online