Back To News

Back To News

Discomfortable in Sweden!

Discomfortable in Sweden!

Discomfortable in Sweden!

24 May 2025

Embracing Vulnerability for Creative Growth

Twenty Make_Happen Masters students are spending a focussed week by a Swedish lake, halfway through a program designed to get their creative work out into the world. The "Engagement Residential" is the program's pivotal moment where students move from developing ideas to actually sharing them. This week they're tackling the barriers that keep creative professionals stuck – including "Always Right," the need to be perfect before putting work out there. Rain against the windows hasn't dampened the intensity as students present raw projects and confront their creative blocks. The lakeside setting provides space for the kind of difficult conversations about fear, vulnerability, and authentic expression that the program demands. Chef Sofia, a Make_Happen graduate who now runs a plant-based cooking academy in Stockholm, is preparing meals between sessions. Her transition from student to successful entrepreneur shows what's possible when you stop perfecting and start sharing. The week involves plenty of emotional moments – both breakthrough tears and genuine laughter – as these 20 participants get clear on their stories and build the courage to put their work into an unpredictable world. The goal isn't comfort; it's impact.