In a moment when all conversations about technology seem to center on AI, machine learning, and the need for vast, unattainable resources, this keynote seeks to reclaim the importance of open, unproductive, unstable, and maker-culture-like practices. Art and the humanities are often perceived as useful only in the 'outside' parts of technological research, rather than at the core of the process. The speaker will share her experience taking on the challenge to prove that artistic research and experimentation can be central to technological innovation. She will discuss her work on a project about assistive robotics, including her development of an artistic replica of one of the assistive robots from an industrial robotics lab, demonstrating how creative practices can drive meaningful advancements in technology. Moeover, the speaker will talk about her experience with learning-by-doing in alternative creative spaces like hacking camps, where people meet, learn, and create technology just for fun. She will highlight various self-managed ephemeral spaces around the world where anyone, regardless of technological expertise, can join and experience technology in an alternative way.