12 Everyday Superpowers That Anyone, Anywhere Can Activate
In late 2016, Leyla Acaroglu was honored by the United Nations for her pioneering work in activating innovation for sustainability after receiving the laureate title of champion of the Earth she wondered what kind of superpowers she would get or need to make more positive change?
This started a conversation with creative director Emma Segal about the everyday superpowers that we all have/need and the 12 superpowers were thrown around in a creative session from the power of being wrong to systems thinking and getting shit done — we all either have these naturally, or can develop them with intent. This let to the creation of a simple guide and a beautiful graphic style that we hoped people would identify with and share with others.
The result is an accessible, playful and thought-provoking toolkit, that invites people to participate with more purpose in the systems around them by recognizing, cultivating and applying their hidden abilities to effect change.
From reframing problems to fostering empathy and recognising our own cognitive bias, the kit transforms abstract skills into tangible, real-world actions, making it possible for anyone to become an active agent of change and it’s free!
How we did it
This toolkit actually began as a creative sprint of sorts, in which Emma would use scientifically validated insights from Leyla’s Make Change handbooks to illustrate and release a new superpower each week.
Hundreds of people signed up to receive weekly updates, which was a huge motivator for the duo to continue this rapid iteration process. From there, the weekly releases became a fully realised 12-part illustrated guide to activating agency and leadership for everyday changemakers.
To learn more, read Leyla and Emma’s Medium article about embracing the power of collaboration in their shared experience.
“Through our work, we see just how true it is that everyone, no matter how small or big their sphere of influence is, has the capacity to make a positive impact on the world around them. And so, we created a visually-engaging set of 12 superpowers that we can all adopt to advance change-making even more.”
—Leyla Acaroglu
Interested in developing your own toolkit?
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