Noah Baumbach has been making films for 25 years, but none has caught fire quite like his latest. Marriage Story has been racking up awards nominations in advance of the big ones—the Oscars, where, at the very least, costars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are likely to be nominated. In this episode of Creative Conversation, Baumbach dives into the creative choices he made to frame Marriage Story as a film about love, how he barrels through writer's block, why he never yells "Action!" on set, cowriting the upcoming Barbie film—and, of course, Adam Driver's singing.

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The First Step is a custom podcast from Fast Co. Works in partnership with McKinsey and Company. On this episode, Chris dives into how to take an idea and put it in action with Jesse Dorogusker, Hardware Lead at Square. Then he talks to Ralf Dreischmeier, global leader of Leap by McKinsey.

Whether you are starting a new digital business at your company or just starting a new task at work, the gap between thought and action can often seem cavernous. Often we find ourselves paralyzed, unable to act. In the case of starting a new digital business, taking action is essential to maintaining success and growing your company. Leap by McKinsey was designed to help companies take that first step and launch new digital businesses.  

Lots of people work in creative industries, but very few have been able to take their art and pivot to build something more impactful than the art itself. That's exactly what Piera Gelardi did when she started Refinery29, a digital media company that in many ways, has helped to shape a more inclusive and interactive modern media landscape.

In this episode, Piera speaks about how she made that pivot from artist to business-leader, why she loves improv exercises, and the reasoning behind developing Refinery29's iconic immersive experience 29Rooms. 

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Carrie Coon got an unconventionally late start in film and TV at 33, after having long since established herself on the stage. But she's more than made up for lost time with unconventional roles. Her performances as Nora Durst in The Leftovers, Vera Walker in The Sinner, and as Elizabeth in The Keeping Hours have solidified Coon as Hollywood's bona-fide spooky mother.

In this episode of Creative Conversation, Coon explains how she's reframing the archetype of mom characters, why being a good student can be bad for creativity, and what the physical side of creativity taught her (and what it can teach you).

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Most people consider themselves lucky to be able to craft a career path within one creative industry. Mo Rocca, acclaimed humorist, journalist, and actor has successfully been able to leave his mark on a few of those paths – even though he believes that we will all be forgotten eventually. He sits down with us at the Fast Company Innovation Festival for this live episode of Creative Conversation to talk about his creative journey that touches on multiple creative outlets. Listen to him dish on why you should lean into your weird interests, why humor and sadness sometimes go hand in hand, and his favorite historical figures highlighted in his new book “Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving”. 

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It’s no surprise that improvisation is seen as a kind of holy grail for creativity. Whether it’s comedians or musicians, the act of creating something novel and interesting out of next to nothing is, indeed, quite remarkable. But what exactly is going on inside an improvising brain? And, most importantly, how can everyday people tap into that kind of creativity?

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When you hit that afternoon slump at your desk, maybe it’s not an issue of getting another cup of coffee—maybe you need to change your environment. Some of the most frustrating roadblocks to creativity can stem from being in a static environment. Whether you’re at the office or working remotely, being in the same old space for hours at a stretch can drain you of your creative juices. On this episode, we explore why your surroundings play such a crucial role in your creative process, the folly of chasing Silicon Valley-esque playgrounds, and how to make small changes to your environment for a big boost in creativity.

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Creative geniuses make creativity look easy. But in reality, it’s uncomfortable to dive into uncharted territory to build or think of something new. Words like “innovation” and “disruption” get tossed around all the time, but uncertainty often keeps us from reaching that creative breakthrough. In this episode, creativity expert Dr. Ron Beghetto how we can navigate that uncertainty and turn it into a valuable part of the creative process.

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We all know brainstorming is an essential part of the creative process, but what do you do when your mind is too foggy to welcome the storm? Brain fog, brain farts, mental fatigue...call it what you will, it can be a major roadblock to creativity. But is there a way to use that hazy state of mind to your creative advantage? On this episode of Creative Conversation, KC Ifeanyi unpacks exactly what brain fog is and why you shouldn't be in such a rush to clear your mind.

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As an editor and writer for Fast Company magazine, Kc Ifeanyi covers some of the most creative minds in film, television, business and beyond. In this podcast, he unpacks the most frustrating parts of the creative process by talking to psychologists, scholars, and experts who are on the forefront of understanding creativity.

New episodes will be released this month. You can subscribe to Creative Conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, Radio Public, and wherever you get your podcasts.