We spoke with Fernando Abadía
Hablamos con Fernando Abadía
We spoke with Fernando Abadía, who defines himsel aspassionate about Innovation, Creativity, Entrepeunership, lStrategig Planification and thePerson.
Fernando has been working in biomedical research and the innovation at the Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud, a public entity of the Government of Aragon. A job in which it tries to help as much as possible people who want to research and innovate within the health area.
In addition, he highlights his current work as a content creator for companies on topics of science, technology and innovation as well as in Visual Thinking and Graphic Facilitation services.
Fernando, you say that ideas don’t last long, that you have to draw them. What do you achieve in that process?
F.A That’s good. I must say that the phrase is not entirely mine. Santiago Ramón y Cajal said that ideas don’t last long and that you have to do something with them. In my case, the first step was to draw them.
Aristototels said that “Knowing how to express an idea is as important as the idea itself.” Albert Einstein said that “If I can’t draw it, I don’t understand it.” Beethoven also said: “If I don’t write it down right away, I forget it immediately. If I write it down in a notebook, I never forget it even if I never look at it again.”
Sorry, I am a person who uses many phrases and reflections said by others in other times. I have little more to offer, except to recommend their practice.
“knowing how to express an idea is as important as the idea itself”
How can we bring science or the results of RDI closer to society as a whole? Can art be an ally?
F.A I don’t remember where I read that “knowing how” is as important as “making people know.” The former is necessary, but not sufficient. If we don’t make known what we know how to do, no one will know us and therefore no one will know what we do. It is essential to “make people know,” to communicate, to show and to involve society. Sorry for the tongue twister.
As to whether art can be an ally, I would say yes. In my training sessions I always show these drawings to show that in all periods of history, painting, sculpture and cartography have been used to communicate, explain and transmit knowledge.
With your experience in the innovation field, are you still curious? Do you still find yourself surprised?
F.A. I recently read that the best way to have a good idea is to have many ideas. And to have many ideas, curiosity is essential. Curiosity is the fuel of imagination and creativity. Being curious is observing, asking, analyzing, thinking and discovering.
You ask me if I still have curiosity? Every day; in the bookstore going through all the book sections looking for a book that “calls” me, on Spotify discovering world music, listening to podcasts, on the way home and to work going through different paths, visiting museums and above all, listening to others.
As to whether I’m still surprised, of course I am. If I wasn’t surprised, that would be a bad sign.
Your work is focused on innovation. Xavier Marcet defines it as any novelty with impact. Is there innovation in illustration, in the graphic field? If so, how do you approach it?
F.A. I suppose so. How do you deal with it? Well, as artists, scientists and entrepreneurs have done throughout history. Peter Drucker, one of Marcet’s favourite thinkers and also one of mine, said: “Every artist, since the beginning of history, has practised KAIZEN: continuous and organised self-improvement”. There comes a time when it becomes part of you.
One innovation that is changing our context is the democratization of access to artificial intelligence. Do you think it will affect you? Will it change the value we place on “human creativity”?
F.A. I can’t tell you yet. Possibly yes, as long as AI contributes to or complements what I do or what interests me. From my point of view, AI, like all technologies, has to multiply. If you multiply by zero, the result is zero.
As for whether the value we give to creativity will change; if we apply AI as a trigger to create, create, test, etc., yes. If we only use it as consumers, we will also receive many “inputs” that are important and necessary for creativity; but as with everything… you have to work hard.
“As for whether the value we give to creativity will change; if we apply AI as a trigger to create, create, test, etc., yes. If we only use it as consumers, we will also receive many “inputs” that are important and necessary for creativity; but as with everything… you have to work hard.
Through your work, you contribute to improving communication processes. We say that science is a universal language; it does not need translation. Is the same true for illustration or visual content?
F.A. I would say yes. We are surrounded by universal signs or icons that do not need translation. When we travel on a highway, whether here or in another country; when we move through an airport or when we use Google Maps.
A question. Have you ever assembled an IKEA piece of furniture? What is the first thing you look at once you have unpacked the pieces? Yes, the brochure with the drawing that shows you the steps you need to follow to assemble your piece of furniture.
Visual thinking is used to organize ideas through drawings and short texts. Would you recommend it to everyone or is it necessary to have an aptitude for the arts?
F.A. To everyone. Robert Mankoff, editor of The New Yorker, has a quote that I love and that I share whenever I can: “It’s not the ink, it’s the ink.” It’s not the ink, but the thought. And that’s Visual Thinking. It’s about making tangible, giving form to ideas, thoughts or situations that are not visible or do not yet exist. Drawing or ink, if practiced, like everything else, will come. But the important thing is the thought.
Thank you very much for your collaboration Fernando.
One last thing, David. If you allow me, I would like to share the ideas I got from the book “Think like an artist”. There are many similarities between artists, scientists and entrepreneurs. I hope you like it.
https://fernandoabadia.notion.site/Piensa-como-un-artista-088844aa39364bec9e594e9a55b595cd?pvs=4
Thank you very much David for the opportunity. It has been a pleasure.
See you soon