In episode 15, The Occupational Philosophers explore imagination - what it is, why it's so important and why we have oodles of it, ready and waiting for us to use. 

So what is it? 

“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and, therefore, the foundation of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.” J.K. Rowling

In this episode, they explore: 

• What it is (see above) 

And, importantly.....Why an imaginative life is SO MUCH FUN 

As always there are some great thought experiments including "Imagination Badger" 

Here's to a world filled with imagination. 

www.occupationalphilosophers.com 

In Episode 14, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Tanya Chua, a creative and design powerhouse. She is on a mission to bring more creativity into both education and the greater world. Tanya sits at the intersection of art and design, advertising, visual storytelling, and inspiration. She has been headhunted more times than Mad Men's Don Draper and in a former role, travelled to 35 countries to oversee on-ground PR and be the point of contact for the world-famous DJs that headlined the platform, including Paul Oakenfold, Tiesto, and Pete Tong!

In this episode, they explore:

• The mindset and habits you can adopt to help fuel your own curiosity and creativity 

As always, there are some great thought experiments such as:

• Bond Villan Lair or University Island?

Links

Tanya Chua@Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-chua-2a29877/ 

Learn more about Tanya’s work at:

https://eyeyah.com

https://theunusualnetwork.com/

https://podcast.theunusualnetwork.com/

GIF Festival Singapore

https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/first-gif-festival-singapore-take-place-october 

Visual Literacy with Brian Kennedy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E91fk6D0nwM 

The Night Tiger

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Tiger-Yangsze-Choo/dp/1250175453

Creating Innovators

https://www.tonywagner.com/creating-innovators/

In episode 13, The Occupational Philosophers explore the concept of FLOW......

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was the Godfather of Flow State (and just recently passed away in Oct 2020) 

Csikszentmihalyi started his initial observations and studies on artists.  He noted that the act of creating seemed at times more important than the finished work itself and he was fascinated by what he called the “flow” state, in which the person is completely immersed in an activity with intense focus and creative engagement. He set his life’s work to scientifically identify the different elements involved in achieving such a state.

He introduced flow theory in the 1970s and designed 9 key steps to achieve a state of flow and the theory of flow has continued to grow and expand on hos great work. 

In this episode they explore: 

• What flow is 

Enjoy the show! 

Links

Candi Stanton https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/oct/07/candi-staton-i-was-in-a-few-relationships-where-id-think-should-i-kill-them 

Candi Stanton "Open my eyes" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stUHKSEB-qE 

9 steps to create flow  https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_mel_brooks_can_teach_us_about_group_flow

Team Flow https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_mel_brooks_can_teach_us_about_group_flow 

https://www.stevenkotler.com/rabbit-hole/frequently-asked-questions-on-flow 

TED TALK: https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_flow_the_secret_to_happiness?language=en 

In episode 12, The Occupational Philosophers dive into the world of Accidental Mashups, Insatiable Curiosity and how they drive Innovation. 

• Why an insatiable curiosity is at the heart of entrepreneurialism (and it's how they see opportunities that other people miss) 

They also explore such job interview questions such as: 

• Why are manholes round?

As always there are some great thought experiments including:

• Word mashups 

Come visit at www.occupationalphilosophers.com

In Episode 11, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Dr. Brock Bastian - Professor, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne. Brock is a social psychologist whose research focuses on pain, happiness, and morality. 

His book, The Other Side of Happiness, was published in January 2018. 

Brock completed his PhD in 2007 and since then has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. 

His work has been featured in outlets such as The Economist, The New Yorker, TIME, New Scientist, Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, and The Huffington Post, among many others.

He has delivered popular talks, such as at TEDx StKilda, The Ethics Centre Sydney, and Effective Altruism Australia; and appeared on radio shows such as The Minefield. 

In this episode, they explore:

• Why pain is good for us

As always, there are some great thought experiments such as:

• Guess the source of my pain

Links

http://www.brockbastian.com

http://www.brockbastian.com/book/the-other-side-of-happiness

https://www.lego.com/en-gb/aboutus/news/2021/september/lego-rebuild-the-world-2021

https://tim.blog/2021/09/08/henry-shukman/ 

What Human Animal Hybrid would you rather fight/hang out with/have at home? Read his article https://theconversation.com/wary-of-human-animal-hybrids-its-probably-just-your-own-moral-superiority-72720 

https://www.adamgrant.net/book/think-again 

In episode 10, The Occupational Philosophers celebrate hitting their 10th anniversary episode (who said you shouldn't celebrate the small stuff) and they dive back into the big ideas, themes and curious moments from their guests so far. 

On the way they explore: 

• Why being human is anything but perfect (and that's OK) 

They also introduce a new app that can help us all make the most out of life and as always, there are some great thought experiments including a corporate 'would you rather?' 

As always, stay curious, make stuff and play more. 

www.occupationalphilosophers.com 

In Episode 9, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Eleanor Tweddle - a podcaster, an entrepreneur, and author, with a best-selling book, Why losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you! (and she is also an amazing coach, consultant, and very funny)

After 23 years of corporate life, working for brands such as Costa Coffee, RAC, Virgin Atlantic, and Vodafone, Eleanor found herself redundant and so began a journey of self-discovery - getting really curious and asking herself questions about who she was and how she wanted to be, reimagining a new way of working and living, and connecting with lots of people - and now Eleanor helps other people thrive in the face of redundancy with her own business ‘Another Door’.

Eleanor has been featured in The Guardian, The Financial Times, Glamour, and Grazia. 

In this episode, they explore:

• Why staying curious about yourself and what’s possible is key to reimagining your world

They also discover:

• How Lego provides the perfect analogy for life

As always, there are some great thought experiments such as:

• Twoddle or Tweddell? Is this saying real or utter hogwash?

Links

https://www.eleanortweddell.com

https://www.anotherdoor.co.uk

https://www.anotherdoor.co.uk/read-the-book

The Wombles ​​https://www.womblesofficial.com/meet-us 

In Episode 8, The Occupational Philosophers dive into the business, life, and leadership lessons we can learn from three very well-known artists. 

Starting at the rebirth of humanism, creativity, and curiosity, and a general 'coming out of the dark' (also known as the Renaissance), they take us through the minds of two of the Renaissances shining lights, Michaelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. 

Keeping a very non-linear history line, they then scoot forward 400 years and spend some time getting to know the amazing Frieda Kahlo better 

Along the way they explore: 

• The importance of embracing your uniqueness and not hiding away what makes you different (as that's where your talents lie)

As with all episodes, The Occupational Philosophers discuss what Mona Lisa might have been thinking and conduct some great thought experiments. Are you ready for "Art or Shart?" 

As always, there are some great lessons and ways to bring more imagination, creativity, and curiosity into your workplace and how to live a most interesting life in the process. 

They hope you enjoy the show. 

www.occupationalphilosophers.com 

In Episode 7, The Occupational Philosophers chat with global humanitarian, childhood conservationist, lifelong play enthusiast and founder of The Flying Seagull Project, Ash Perrin. 

Since 2008, The Flying Seagull Charity Project has brought love, light and laughter to more than 200,000 children in 23 countries across four continents in challenging and desperate situations, including hospitals, orphanages and refugee camps. They use clowning, magic, games and arts workshops to replace fear and uncertainty with positive human connections based on respect, happiness and laughter.

Ash is the author of ‘The Real Play Revolution’,  a Ted Speaker and an all-around creative and joyous person. 

In this episode, they explore: 

• How play is a universal feeling of liberation, creativity and expression and a safety net for learning 

They also dive into: 

• The emergence of the Monkey Christ 

As always, there are some great thought experiments such as: 

• If I were Prime Minister.....

Links

The Flying Seagull Project https://www.theflyingseagullproject.com/

The Real Play Revolution (book) https://www.amazon.com/Real-Play-Revolution-Need-Silly/dp/1786782235 

Ash Perrin Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/ash_perrin_the_power_of_play?language=en 

Check out the Bus https://www.facebook.com/flyingseagulls/posts/3741712149233070 

In episode 6, The Occupational Philosophers get really curious about questions (and questions are what this show is all about). Questions come in all shapes and sizes and John and Simon have a good look at them all. 

Importantly, they explore how great questions can have a positive impact on both the world of work AND living a most inspiring  life. 

Amongst other things, The Occupational Philosophers leave no stone unturned as they traverse the world of curiosity and questions and discover: 

• Curiosity did not kill the cat, it made it super cat (who would have thought?)

Along the way, they also conduct some thought experiments including: 

• Imagine Aliens arrive and they..........What would you do? 

As ever, The Occupational Philosophers give you some key tips to fulfill your potential to be the curious, creative, and imaginative star that you are, or would like to be - at work, at home or in the bath. 

Links 

• Silos art project https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2021/jul/20/australias-silo-murals-make-a-road-trip-an-art-odyssey-in-pictures