Welcome to the ThoughtBox.
You might be wondering why this isn’t just about chairs and bags. Or, why I decided to write at all. Someone is partly to blame for that: Jörg Schröder :-)
I met Jörg in 2022 when he was looking for an assistant. He is a business coach, and we hit it off immediately. Since then, we have been working together on various topics related to business management, currently focusing primarily on AI. I value this a great deal because I always take something away for myself in the process. When I see how he works with his clients, I often find myself thinking about my own projects for a long time afterward.
A book recommendation with consequences
Some time ago, he recommended "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek to me. In it, Sinek writes in essence that people are less interested in what you do than in why you do it. So, I asked myself: what is actually my "why"?
The answer was already there. For years, I have been asking myself the same question: What can I make out of what others would throw away? With fabric scraps and old furniture, it’s obvious. But I’ve noticed that I think about almost everything that way. During my sociology studies, I learned to look precisely where everyone says, "that’s just the way it is." And in my work with AI, I see every day how one can piece together the familiar in completely new ways. On one hand, I find that incredible. On the other hand, it makes me sad, and sometimes even angry, when I see how suddenly everyone is jumping on the same trends and you recognize the same AI patterns everywhere. Quite the opposite of thinking outside the box, if you ask me. But more on that in the individual posts.
Why this blog exists
Lately, Jörg came up with his idea of the "living website" - a site that grows over time and where something new happens regularly. That’s what ultimately convinced me. In the shop, you see what I do. Here, I tell you why I do it and what moves me.
That is why the ThoughtBox contains both. Sometimes I’ll tell you how a damaged peshtemal becomes a backpack. Other times it’s about my thoughts on AI or simply an everyday question I’ve stumbled upon. To me, they belong together. It’s always about taking a second look before throwing something away. Thoughts included.
Writing instead of talking
And why a blog? Podcasts and audiobooks are everywhere right now, and I understand why many people prefer them. I’m a bit like my furniture: more vintage. :-) I simply prefer writing to talking, and reading to listening. When I write, I can turn a thought around until it fits. And when you read, you decide for yourself how fast you go and where you want to pause.
Enjoy reading. And if anything comes to mind, feel free to write to me.
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