Independent creative Ramin Bahari will be taking the stage to talk all things weird during this month’s talk at Zoku. But before we all get the chance to meet him, we asked Ramin to answer a few questions about himself and what we can expect from his talk:

What is your creative profession?

Wikipedia calls me “a person who is employed for the extraction of skills in creative endeavours”. Basically I’m an advertising creative & art director. I spend about 70% of my time on commissioned work and 70% on personal projects.

What will you be sharing with the CreativeMornings community on Friday 2 September?  

We’re going to practice the fun of discovering our discomforts. I know, it sounds kinda sexual, but it’s not (per se).

How is Amsterdam and its creative scene special to you?

Everyone speaks the same language - figuratively. Amsterdam is the city with the most nationalities in the world and well on it’s way to becoming the creative capital of Europe. But because of it’s small size and relaxed culture it’s effortless to connect to different minded people.

If stuck in a creative rut, what’s your trick to get free and let loose?

Stop working, start playing. Life is a game, not a task. If you approach anything like that, you won’t mind if something is ‘hard’ and see it as a challenge.

What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever worked from?

A few weeks ago I caught myself emailing about some upcoming projects on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. We had just got our passport stamps and were trying to cross the road while dodging ‘Tuk-Tuks’ and scooters that we’re dragging carts about 200x their size. Everyones face was covered with masks as dust was everywhere. We jumped on a 60 year old bus - that would take us to the next city. When I told my girlfriend “I still have 4G here!” And then we ordered some tickets to an upcoming Little Dicky show in Paradiso. Isn’t the future amazing?

What’s the weirdest proposal you’ve ever sent to a client?

Me: -“Hey, here is a crazy idea we made up. We thought about it while watching youtube videos, playing ping-pong and cracking jokes for 3 days. What do you think?”

Client: “Awesome, here is a million dollars!”

We really do work in an amazing industry.

Thanks Ramin for this interview! We look forward to your talk on Friday, September 2nd at Zoku (Weesperstraat 105). Tickets go live on Monday the 29th at 9am - so get those alarm clocks ready and make sure to grab your (free!) ticket for the event!.