The Creative Life Show

'Wherever there is great inspiration and there is our soul’s purpose, not far away there will be tremendous resistance.' That's the core of today's conversation with Nick Williams, author of 13 books and 'coach, spiritual advisor and encourager' to individuals and companies including McKinsey and the NHS

There's a myth that when you're following your passion, everything becomes easy. Not so, says Nick. We talk about the ever-present doubt and resistance that accompanies all creative work. Rather than trying to get rid of it, Nick talks about how he focuses on knowing his purpose and habits that allow him to get his work done.

At the heart of Nick's work is a very clear, consistent message about finding purpose in what you do. We talk about how focusing on that one message has opened up endless scope for creativity and inspiration - completely the opposite from the common fear of having a niche becoming limiting.

I also ask Nick about the challenge that leaders face in trying to develop self-expression and creativity, particularly in cultures that only value success, and where vulnerability is unlikely to be considered a virtue.

I love Nick’s honesty in this interview. Even before we started the recording he was keen to point out that he doesn't see creative block something he’s overcome, but instead as resistance that he has to overcome all the time. You’ll hear his take on resistance as a natural part of creativity, and some of the ways he uses to overcome it.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you tried to pin a label on Maggie Semple, OBE, she’d be leaping away to the next big thing before you could get anywhere near. Dancer, choreographer, high-level public servant, blue-chip leadership and diversity consultant, justice advisor, fashion label founder. Alternatively, epic badass who takes on big, bold issues, because, as she says, ‘why wouldn’t you?’

From running public consultations on nuclear power stations to championing the impact of clothes, Maggie is driven by a huge desire to connect with big ideas and their impact on people. Blue-chip and public sector consultancy isn’t often seen as a creative role, but Maggie disagrees. We talk about how she calls on her background in choreography for a language and imagery that helps to disrupt boardroom thinking, and the creative buzz she gets from being in the moment.

We also talk about how she set up a fashion label, and how she answers her critics who see it as ‘frivolous’.

But that doesn’t stop her from experiencing creative frustration or blocks. We talk through how she uses her inner drive and values to overcome it.

If your creative life is about values and purpose rather than job titles, and variety rather than a single focus, this is an essential listen.

You'll also learn:

- How Maggie deals with fear in a situation that’s new to her

- How principles of respect, confidentiality and progress drive her work

- The importance of relationships in building her business and her team

- The need for self-awareness as a confident, straight-talking woman, and how that can sometimes be a barrier that has to be overcome

- How Maggie defied her critics to set up a fashion label after a background in blue-chip consultancy

Click to view: show page on Awesound

If you tried to pin a label on Maggie Semple, OBE, she’d be leaping away to the next big thing before you could get anywhere near. Dancer, choreographer, high-level public servant, blue-chip leadership and diversity consultant, justice advisor, fashion label founder. Alternatively, epic badass who takes on big, bold issues, because, as she says, ‘why wouldn’t you?’

From running public consultations on nuclear power stations to championing the impact of clothes, Maggie is driven by a huge desire to connect with big ideas and their impact on people. Blue-chip and public sector consultancy isn’t often seen as a creative role, but Maggie disagrees. We talk about how she calls on her background in choreography for a language and imagery that helps to disrupt boardroom thinking, and the creative buzz she gets from being in the moment.

We also talk about how she set up a fashion label, and how she answers her critics who see it as ‘frivolous’.

But that doesn’t stop her from experiencing creative frustration or blocks. We talk through how she uses her inner drive and values to overcome it.

If your creative life is about values and purpose rather than job titles, and variety rather than a single focus, this is an essential listen.

You'll also learn:

- How Maggie deals with fear in a situation that’s new to her

- How principles of respect, confidentiality and progress drive her work

- The importance of relationships in building her business and her team

- The need for self-awareness as a confident, straight-talking woman, and how that can sometimes be a barrier that has to be overcome

- How Maggie defied her critics to set up a fashion label after a background in blue-chip consultancy

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Jez Rose, The Behaviour Expert, is internationally in-demand speaker and coach who spends his time getting inside our heads and showing us to rewire them for the better.

Jez’s third book, Flip the Switch, is all about how we can expand the gap between the thing that threatens to make us angry, or confused, or distracted, and our own response to it. It’s about how we can deliberately make small changes in our behaviour that dramatically changes the result we get: the choice between allowing ourselves to be derailed, or staying on the path we want.

What I love about Jez is that he just leaks creativity. You can feel the energy coming out him - our conversation is full of stories and tips, where he just takes an idea and runs with it.

And yet it wasn’t always this way. We also talk about his experience of depression as a teenager and young man, and how he made some very conscious choices to move away from that. We also talk a lot about the importance of purpose in your life, and its connection to creativity.

If you’re someone who is forever coming up with ideas but can’t always turn them into action, or someone who gets easily derailed by other people or events, you’re going to love this episode.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Jez Rose, The Behaviour Expert, is internationally in-demand speaker and coach who spends his time getting inside our heads and showing us to rewire them for the better.

Jez’s third book, Flip the Switch, is all about how we can expand the gap between the thing that threatens to make us angry, or confused, or distracted, and our own response to it. It’s about how we can deliberately make small changes in our behaviour that dramatically changes the result we get: the choice between allowing ourselves to be derailed, or staying on the path we want.

What I love about Jez is that he just leaks creativity. You can feel the energy coming out him - our conversation is full of stories and tips, where he just takes an idea and runs with it.

And yet it wasn’t always this way. We also talk about his experience of depression as a teenager and young man, and how he made some very conscious choices to move away from that. We also talk a lot about the importance of purpose in your life, and its connection to creativity.

If you’re someone who is forever coming up with ideas but can’t always turn them into action, or someone who gets easily derailed by other people or events, you’re going to love this episode.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

This episode is essential listening if you ever feel that there’s just too much stuff getting in the way of you achieving what you want to, and particularly if you find yourself prioritising what other people want from you.

Grace describes herself as a ‘naturally disorganised productivity coach’, becoming an expert by learning because she needed to. She’s the author of two wonderful books on productivity, including her most recent one How To Be Really Productive, published by Pearson, and she’s a much in-demand trainer on how to get things done in a way that’s practical and real.

We talk about the crucial difference between people-pleasing and collaboration. It's essential to achieving any kind of success, and can be a huge barrier to achieving the things that are important to you.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

In a rut? That's where artist, author and activist Noah Scalin was, at that time a frustrated, bored graphic designer. Desperate to get himself out of a rut, he committed to creating and posting a new piece of art each day. What started as a personal record became A Skull A Day, a viral hit. It led to a series of books on practical creativity, including 365: A Creative Journal, which has just been republished and expanded. We talk about the power of small beginnings and tight boundaries to free up unlimited creative ideas, no matter how stuck you're feeling right now.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

Let's talk about getting stuck, lighting your creative fire and what this is all about. Head over to creativelifeshow.com/intro for your Unstuckness Audit worksheet - an awesome tool for working out exactly what's blocking your creativity, and your next steps to becoming more creative, connected and successful

Click to view: show page on Awesound

This episode is essential listening if you ever feel that there’s just too much stuff getting in the way of you achieving what you want to, and particularly if you find yourself prioritising what other people want from you.

Grace describes herself as a ‘naturally disorganised productivity coach’, becoming an expert by learning because she needed to. She’s the author of two wonderful books on productivity, including her most recent one How To Be Really Productive, published by Pearson, and she’s a much in-demand trainer on how to get things done in a way that’s practical and real.

We talk about the crucial difference between people-pleasing and collaboration. It's essential to achieving any kind of success, and can be a huge barrier to achieving the things that are important to you.

Click to view: show page on Awesound

In a rut? That's where artist, author and activist Noah Scalin was, at that time a frustrated, bored graphic designer. Desperate to get himself out of a rut, he committed to creating and posting a new piece of art each day. What started as a personal record became A Skull A Day, a viral hit. It led to a series of books on practical creativity, including 365: A Creative Journal, which has just been republished and expanded. We talk about the power of small beginnings and tight boundaries to free up unlimited creative ideas, no matter how stuck you're feeling right now.

Click to view: show page on Awesound