AO: Is dreaming selfish or generous?
Abraham Abbi Asefaw
Abraham Abbi Asefaw is co-founder of Pop Up, a creative problem-solving model that addresses any brief within an intensive period of 48 focused hours. He passionately believes that every human being is creative, a principle he carries through his teaching and mentoring of young people in schools as well as in business.
AAA: I definitely would see dreaming as generous, towards oneself. But there are two different contexts. There’s the dreaming you do when you’re sleeping, and then there are your broader aspirations and goals. My mum dreams a lot. She actually heard my younger brother’s name in a dream (he’s called William because of this). Personally, I rarely have dreams at night. When I dream it’s more about the aspirations that I have with my work. Thoughts to do with progress, Impact and purpose.
I think dreaming can be generational too. This generation is super value conscious, interested in challenging our culture. Social good and capitalism are being asked to find a new kind of balance because of this, and I think that's great to see, provoked by dreaming.
AO: What do you hope for?
AAA: When I think about my time on this planet, I hope that the energy I put into things doesn’t disappear with me. My endeavours might start with me, but I hope that they don’t finish with me. I want them to outgrow 'my self'. I have two vehicles for using my energy: The agency I’ve founded with my partner Maks (Pop Up) and the work I do helping young people develop their creative skills in school. My hope, my ambition is for this stuff to outlive me.
I think dreaming can be generational too. This generation is super value conscious, interested in challenging our culture. Social good and capitalism are being asked to find a new kind of balance.
AO: What does Home mean to you?
AAA: I’ve moved around a lot in my life. My family is quite spread out and that exposure to different cultures has completely defined who I am. My cultural background is what enables me to now navigate different rooms in my life and work. I think ‘home’ is anywhere you feel you belong. I’m from Eritrea. I lived for 21 years in Sweden. Then I lived in Germany, France and Saudi Arabia. It wasn’t until I came to London that I felt I really belonged. What’s weird to me is that sometimes I’d return back to some of the places I’d come from before and find myself being called a ‘foreigner’. But I’m at a point in my life now where I’m very confident about my culture. It’s so important to me.
AO: How do you look after your imagination?
AAA: I believe mindset is so key in life. You’ve got to keep your imagination healthy, and you’ve got to stay open-minded. I think to get there you have to be reflective, taking a step back to notice how you’re thinking and what you’re doing. The creative industries have a tendency to work people’s imaginations like a sweat shop, and it’s dangerous. I make a conscious effort to ask myself whether I’m being open-minded enough. It's something I actively want to notice myself working on.
AO: Have you ever felt discouraged?
AAA: There are things in the world that can play a factor in holding you back. But I come back to mindset. The only time I can absorb that negative stuff is if I’m really tired, or I’m not thinking straight. That’s why you need to keep yourself in a good place, look after your mindset. In the aeroplane they tell you to put your own mask on first before helping others, and I think that’s true in life. You have to be on top of your own stuff, to go forward and have a positive impact. Strength, energy and happiness really come from within.
AO: Do you make time to play?
AAA: I play with small side projects. I’m freeing up a lot of time alongside my main work for this right now, because I don’t want to get trapped. I run, a lot. For me, advising people is a form of play because it’s about discovering potential without knowing exactly where it’s going to end up. My fiancé says I always leave people either inspired or in crisis, because I like to provoke people to think, which is a version of play. Pushing people. And food, I love cooking.
AO: Is there anyone you wish you could meet?
AAA: You know what, I’m good! That might sound crazy but I’m lucky to meet a lot of amazing, interesting people in my work and in my life and I don’t feel I’m lacking anything that I’ve gotta worry about. I never get FOMO, I’m happy with what I’ve got. ●
