The Creativity for All Podcast

Ever since launching the podcast, I've wanted to invite a photographer and more specifically, someone who masters both digital and film/analogue photography. Two months ago, I came across Jahan Saber's film photography course on Skillshare and, by the end of the first module, I knew I had to get in touch.

Jahan was born in Vienna. His photographic journey began at a young age and was rekindled in his mid-twenties. Leaving a career in commercial photography, he returned to the roots of the analogue process, working mainly from his home darkroom. Jahan is currently enrolled at the University of Applied Arts of Vienna and is the founder of the DEVELOP label, which focuses on analogue processes and how their practice is essential to living a more mindful life, one of the many topics raised in today's conversation.

Jahan shares his multifaceted take on creativity, his approach to photography, focusing on the intent behind taking a picture, whether on film or with a digital camera. He explains the difference between the two mediums, but also how they complement each other.

To him, photography is about reacting to the world, not just capturing a moment in time. He describes the physical process of developing a negative and making prints, which he relishes, and working on the grain of the picture, which he loves. How developing a picture gives him a second chance, not only at capturing the light, but in reliving the moment when he took it, with the potential element of surprise when discovering the final image, but also what the whole process feels like.

We discuss the value of constraints, technical or otherwise, taking portraits, the intuitive feel that film photography allows, despite not being a natural process at all, and how photography is never just about the image alone. By the end of this conversation, you won't be looking at a picture in quite the same way. And, who knows, you might start exploring your own creativity through photography? In any case, I hope you enjoy this episode.

Jahan's Instagram

The DEVELOP Label

Jahan's Skillshare classes (one-month free trial membership included)

Jahan's YouTube channel

The AllFormat Collective

The portrait of the migrant mother with the thumb mentioned by Jahan

The retouched version of that portrait

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

What if we're not meant to avoid boredom at all costs? What if it's actually good for us and for our creativity? In this first solo episode of Season 3, I'm challenging you to rethink your own take not only on boredom, but also on productivity. Are you ready?

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

Welcome back!

Season 3 starts with an exploration of the human brain, no less!, with Alex Cayco-Gajic, a junior professor at the Group for Neural Theory at the prestigious school, l'École Normale Supérieure, in Paris.

Alex is interested in how different brain regions coordinate during motor and cognitive behaviours and has talked about her teaching and research with such passion and eloquence during our lessons, that I decided to invite her on the podcast to talk about the human brain, but also what makes her work so intensely creative.

She describes taking a leap from applied mathematics to embrace the messiness and frequent change of pace of systems neuroscience, where the frontier of knowledge is constantly moving and boundaries on previous theories are constantly being pushed, leading her to review her own assumptions and methods on a regular basis and to come up with new creative approaches to problem-solving.

Through striking examples, including my favourite, the glowing neuron, Alex not only shares her excitement about her work, but gives us a vivid and engaging picture of a field, which often seems daunting and impenetrable. We talk about the link between basic science and applied research, machine learning, language acquisition, ethics, what it's like to work in an interdisciplinary department, but also the resilience, flexibility, and adaptability needed in her work, which often makes her feel like she's riding one exciting wave after another.

Just like my conversation with maths teacher, Rob Leslie, helped us see mathematics in a whole new creative light, this is an opportunity to explore science, leaving behind our assumptions and experience from school, to discover what it's like, and what it feels like, to explore one of the most complex subjects ever studied, the human brain.

Alex's website

The Guardian article on artificial intelligence

Alex's book recommendations

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

A new season is coming!

About The Creativity for All Podcast

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor! Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people. I am determined to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc. My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too. My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

The Creativity for All Podcast is sponsored by Blue as an Orange, where we believe in creativity through communication, and offer mentoring and coaching for aspiring writers and tailored language tuition for individuals and companies.

Albert Einstein once said ''Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere''. When they think about imagination, most people tend to think of storytelling or artistic pursuits, but imagination is everywhere, as is creativity. In fact, you cannot have one without the other. So grab a pen and paper and join me for a series of short, fun exercises designed to stimulate your imagination. Ready?

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

In need of inspiration a while ago, I subscribed to the weekly email alerts from the award-winning Cambridge digital marketing agency, Sookio, and was immediately struck by their creative, but also down-to-earth and relatable approach to marketing, so much so that I decided to invite its founder, Sue Keogh, on this podcast.

After a decade working in radio and digital media for the BBC, ITV, Yahoo, and Aol, Sue founded Sookio in 2008, which offers content strategy, training, and content creation, like video, social media, and copywriting.

To Sue, everything is interesting and stimulating, from the most mundane objects, materials, to specialised topics or even how people dress. She shares with us what it's like to create a visually stimulating and nurturing workplace and to run a digital marketing agency during the pandemic.

We discuss the importance of parameters and constraints to stimulate our creativity and deliver relatable content, the value of a simple but effective idea, and of sharing smaller stories at a human scale. If you thought digital marketing wasn't creative, think again!

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

Grab a pen and paper and join me for this short creative exercise designed to get you thinking about your own take on, and relationship with, creativity. Ready?

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

We often feel helpless when wanting to do something constructive to help others. We fear our contribution will amount to a drop in the ocean or we simply don't know where to start. Positive News is filled with stories of individuals using their creativity to bring about change to society and Lucy Purdy is the person in charge of curating those stories.

After a traditional route into journalism, beginning at local newspapers, Lucy went freelance, in order to write about topics that felt most important to her, including our connection to nature and growing food. She's fascinated by how the world would look if more media was dedicated to telling stories about humanity's positive potential and, has been the editor-in-chief of Positive News since 2016.

When much of the media is full of doom and gloom, instead Positive News is the first media organisation in the world dedicated to quality, independent reporting about what's going right. A co-operative owned by readers and journalists worldwide, it pioneers 'constructive journalism', which is about rigorous and relevant reporting that is focused on progress, possibility, and solutions.

The minute I first read Positive News, in June 2021, I wanted to know more about the creative process of sourcing and choosing such inspiring stories. Lucy shares with us her take on creativity and describes the excitement of putting together each quarterly issue, the challenge of capturing the resilience, resourcefulness, strength and challenges in each story, and how constructive news bring a sense of community to readers and, in some cases, inspire them to take action as well.

We talk about the cynicism around the notion of positivity, how a balanced news diet is crucial to our mental health, and the stories Lucy found the most inspiring. If you're feeling demotivated and are struggling to see the positive side of human nature, this episode is for you!

The articles mentioned by Lucy during our conversation: Litter picking has become a national obsession

Life after an eating disorder Leaving hate behind

A global movement of former neo-Nazis is helping others renounce extremism

Subscriptions sign-up: www.positive.news/subscribe Newsletter sign-up: www.positive.news/letter/ To purchase a copy of the latest issue: www.positive.news/product/positive-news-107-oct-dec-2021/ Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: /positivenewsuk

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!

One of the most powerful clichés about creativity is that of inspiration being an integral part of the creative process. While we've established in this podcast that creativity is not just for artists, writers, or craftspeople, that we are all born inherently creative, what of inspiration? Can we be creative without being inspired? Is our creative output less likely to be valuable or meaningful without inspiration? And what do we actually mean by it?

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

In September 2021, I was lucky enough to take a guided tour of Madingley Hall garden with Julie Dore and, within five minutes, I knew I wanted to invite her on the podcast.

Keen to explore her love of plants and nature and to help people be well and healthy, Julie left her career in local government finance to become a qualified medical herbalist and member of both the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (CPP). She's also an experienced university lecturer in natural sciences.

Although semi-retired now, Julie still tutors on Open University courses and leads guided walks and talks on plants and their uses with the Women's Institute, gardening groups, the University of the Third Age, and at Madingley Hall where I met her. Care of the environment and its preservation are key to her. She's also passionate about ancient history, natural sciences, wildlife, and going on nature tours in the UK and around the world, especially in Africa.

A born storyteller, Julie shares with us her passion for nature and the many creative ways to harness it. We talk about the divide between conventional medicine and medical herbalism, as well as the suspicion around the use of herbs, despite herbalism being the oldest form of medicine. She also explains what it takes to become a medical herbalist and what consultations are like.

As she shares stories about trees, plants, and herbs, Julie reminds us of the extraordinary creativity human beings have showed since the dawn of time when it comes to exploring nature. After this episode, you will not see nature around you in quite the same way!

For information on Julie's walks, talks, and demonstrations

UK National Institute of Medical Herbalists

ABOUT THE CREATIVITY FOR ALL PODCAST

A maths teacher can be creative. So can a financial adviser, a community builder, and a yoga teacher. Not to mention a speed painter, a potter, or an actor!

Creativity is everywhere and I love nothing more than to explore it in The Creativity for All Podcast, either by focusing on a theme – such as perfectionism, feeding your creative brain, or the pressure to be creative – in my solo episodes, or through my conversations with all manner of creative people.

I want to challenge the perception of creativity and, in the process, debunk many myths attached to it: it's painful, for artists and the chosen few, etc.

My guests and I are keen to zoom in and dissect the origin of an idea, the impulse that makes us engage with our own creativity, with the hope that it will inspire listeners to get creative too.

My podcast is designed for anyone who's already being creative, or is tempted to use their creativity, in particular those of you who think they are not creative or can never be. I would love to change your mind!