The Word Magazine » Brainstorm

Sugar rushed, brains stormed

Hettie Judah — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:03:34 +0000

Lots of cakes, lots of ideas ( photo: Veerle Frissen)

Three issues back to back – November, December, January – by the time we came to brainstorm the third one, we needed a mountain of sticky pastries in the middle of the table to get our poor, tired, brains kick-started.

After all the attention they got for their Japanese series on our blog, we HAD to invite Arnaud and Adrien, and they ended up being the only men at the table; jeez, I’ve only been editor one month and it’s already become a chick-fest around here!

Arnaud, Adrien, Ulrike (photo: Veerle Frissen)

January is going to be The Morning After issue, which lead to some pretty base trains of thought – the absolute worst-ever morning after stories (most of which seemed to involve pee and/or amnesia), the most embarrassing-ever late night text messages (most of which seemed to involve sex), the freakiest before-after photo stories (none of which would have made it onto the pages of Flair.)

Hettie-the-editor makes that tricky more caffeine /more sugar choice (photo: Veerle Frissen)

We finally forgot all the gross stuff long enough to get down to the business of serious content, and laid down some the treats that are in store for you in January; what happens to a band’s musical output once it goes through rehab? Has being watched by Facebook changed the way we behave on a night out? Who takes the first metro of the morning? What happens to doomsday cults when the apocalypse fails to happen when predicted? How many days does it take for a full English breakfast to go really mouldy? How do you get your space ready for the morning after an almighty binge?

Meli, keeping us grounded (photo: Veerle Frissen)

Loads to get working on – too many ideas, too little time – we’re already tempted to cancel Christmas to make sure this issue gets to you super perky and looking fresh for the morning after.

Obama checks out the brainstorm notes (photo: Veerle Frissen)

They came, brainstormed, ate cake, drank tea, then left.

Nicholas Lewis — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:08:02 +0000

In preparation for our December edition, themed The Heritage Issue (out Friday 27th November), the team gathered around the table to muse about the theme and its many possibilities. Delphine, Damien, Alex, Ulrike, Sarah, Veerle and Lea all were there, and ideas were aplenty. Some were good, some were bad, some were pretty, some were ugly, some were funny as fuck, some were worrying whilst others were plain sure shots. Lots to pull off, in less than 3 weeks. The Heritage Issue will also mark the return of Alex to our pages. Long overdue and highly anticipated. Here are the meeting’s notes, as proof that we do do our homework. In the meantime, back to work as we’re going to print Monday morning on our November issue, themed The Nippon Issue (out Friday 30th october).

Photography Veerle Frissen

The Nippon Brainstorm

Nicholas Lewis — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:28:06 +0000

We barely put an issue to bed that we’re already brainstorming the next one – in this case, our November edition The Nippon Issue. We talked kimonos, Kenzo and karaoke, sake, sex and Sumos. Oh, and we were adamant on the one over-ridding feeling guiding our ideas: Fuck Hello Kitty. Yes, you heard. We ain’t about to replicate clichés but rather, are about to treat the topic at hand with much respect, no finger-pointing and a good dose of community inclusion. It all happened at Brussels’ restaurant Le Variété on Tuesday 1st September in the presence of Hettie, Randa, Delphine, Ulrike, Karen, Rozan and myself. Having just announced Hettie taking on the magazine’s editorship to the rest of the team, spirits were high, and ideas aplenty- illustrated by the brainstorm notes the team took.

Photography Yassin Serghini