The Creative Condition podcast

Multidisciplinary artist and designers Abi Everett (Evergooood) and Steph Martin (Stuff) are close friends and regular collaborators. They join me in conversation about the dangers of (conscious or unconscious) gatekeeping, which underpins 'More Than One Seat', their new project created to encourage collaboration, and not the kind of gatekeeping Steph became aware of while working in the advertising industry. This a great example of the joys of being a champion for another, in encouraging growth, and collaborative play, which leads to great ideas and optimal creativity. You can find out more about 'More Than One Seat' here: https://www.morethanoneseat.com/ and follow Abi: https://www.studioeverett.com/about and Steph: https://stuffstudio.net/ On socials: https://www.instagram.com/evergooood/ https://www.instagram.com/stuffcreativestudio Sponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024 and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.ua https://bentallon.com https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition book https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/

I had to explain to my kids why manageable jeopardy is good for them on this morning's nursery run. This tested my understanding and articulation of it. Then I get home and YouTube's algorithm tosses me Jimmy Carr telling Steven Bartlett why risk and living life without too much fear is crucial for young people and their mental health.It all set in motion a train of thought about jeopardy's role in optimal creativity... join me and climb aboard.Sponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uahttps://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/

Stefan Sagmeister - legendary designer and pioneering creator - returns to continue our conversation from episode 199, only this time live on the main stage at OFFF Festival Barcelona.We continue to explore the notion of understanding our minds in order to find an optimistic baseline, from which we can work to resolve our collective problems.The chat took place in front of a live 2000+ audience in Disseny Hub and now is your chance to hear it too.The show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute: https://ui.org.uaYou can grab Stefan's 'Now is Better' from: https://www.phaidon.com/store/design/now-is-better-9781838666965/The Creative Condition book is out now. Signed copies at: https://bentallonwriter.com/shop

Radim Malinic returns 103 episodes after we talked on episode 119 of the podcast. Now he is back with not one, but two new books: Mindful Creative and Creativity for Sale. The two books are designed to work as a set of two and delve into the way we work, all the way from our evolutionary tendencies, to our perceptions of creativity, the way it functions, and how we can be happy while making money, producing the work we always wanted to.We cover it all. This is a deep, candid chat, the only way Radim knows how.The show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comYou can grab both of Radim's books everywhere, signed copies at https://brandnubooks.co.ukThe Creative Condition book is out now. Signed copies at: https://www.bentallonwriter.com/shop

Too many people are downbeat. The heaviness of 24-hour news cycles are locking people's creativity and spirit away in dank, lightless basements.Here are five tips to turn the tide, and find a baseline of excitement and optimism from which to contribute to solutions for the problems that make us feel like the world has gone to sh1t.As ever the show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. You can help a wonderful organisation by supporting the Ukrainian creative community as they struggle to keep making during the horrific war: ui.org.ua/The Creative Condition book is available to pre-order now at: https://www.bentallonwriter.com/shop/p/the-creative-condition-understanding-and-embracing-human-creativity-signed-paperback-pre-order-april-11th-releaseFor the ebook version: https://shorturl.at/bkBDEhttps://bentallon.com

Today is the release day for 'The Creative Condition' - my 2nd non-fiction book.This time out I chose to publish independently. Here's how, why, what to consider if you want to do this too.Supported by founding sponsor: https://illustrationx.com and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaThe Creative Condition is out now at: https://www.bentallonwriter.com/shop/p/the-creative-condition-understanding-and-embracing-human-creativity-signed-paperback-pre-order-april-11th-release

Arizona State University professor in psychology Athena Atkipis joins me as her new book 'A Field Guide to the Apocalypse' hits the bookshelves.Athena's smart and fun zombie apocalypse approach to encouraging and supporting us in facing our fears during wild times carves out her beautiful niche in the field of psychology.We discuss why we've always felt like we're on the brink as a species, and, whether the worst happens, or a pipe simply bursts and floods your house, preparing for greater resilience in wild times can be fun, exciting, and a great route to happiness and optimal creativity.It's also publication day for 'The Creative Condition' book tomorrow, April 11th!As ever the show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. You can help a wonderful organisation by supporting the Ukrainian creative community as they struggle to keep making during the horrific war: ui.org.ua/https://www.athenaaktipis.org/Athena's book: https://shorturl.at/tIOQXThe Creative Condition book is available to pre-order now at: https://www.bentallonwriter.com/shop/p/the-creative-condition-understanding-and-embracing-human-creativity-signed-paperback-pre-order-april-11th-releasehttps://bentallon.com

The ability to embrace the unknown is the root cause of the historic fear of creativity and maximising expressions of self.Here is a story, a standout example of why the unknown is the only way to reach personal success.The thread.As ever the show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. You can help a wonderful organisation by supporting the Ukrainian creative community as they struggle to keep making during the horrific war: ui.org.ua/https://www.offf.barcelona/https://www.phaidon.com/store/design/now-is-better-9781838666965/https://www.instagram.com/olha_protasova_illustration/The Creative Condition book is available to pre-order now at: https://www.bentallonwriter.com/shop/p/the-creative-condition-understanding-and-embracing-human-creativity-signed-paperback-pre-order-april-11th-releasehttps://bentallon.com

At a formative age, Tye Glover was told he'd better look at careers that required physical activity because his brain wasn't up to much. This couldn't have been more wrong. Through his 'neural creative programming' model, Tye helps others join their dots. He explains why patterns are everything, and how we can take control and eliminate the negative loops in our lives to find our optimal way.As ever the show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. You can help a wonderful organisation by supporting the Ukrainian creative community as they struggle to keep making during the horrific war: ui.org.ua/https://thinkdifferentnation.comThe Creative Condition book is available to pre-order now at: https://www.bentallonwriter.com/shop/p/the-creative-condition-understanding-and-embracing-human-creativity-signed-paperback-pre-order-april-11th-releasehttps://bentallon.com

Manchester creative agency LOVE Creative Senior Creative Eve Warren joins me in conversation to discuss the damaging trend of excessive job demands for entry-level and junior roles in the arts.We discuss the responsibilities of both industry and education to ensure creativity is not damaged when trying to remain viable in times of economic struggle, and our own experiences and ideas.As ever the show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. You can help a wonderful organisation by supporting the Ukrainian creative community as they struggle to keep making during the horrific war: ui.org.ua/https://www.lovecreative.com/The original thread by Eve:https://twitter.com/EveWarren1/status/1755510907671618026https://www.linkedin.com/posts/eve-warren-96474985_is-the-gap-between-university-and-junior-activity-7161308148144726016-W4lH?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktopbentallon.comThe Creative Condition book pre-order: www.bentallonwriter.com/shop/p/the-cr…-11th-release

Community. We saw it rise again during COVID, despite the fact we were all indoors. Yet on the other side of the pandemic, many of us have struggled to return to our former social glories. Positive social relationships are critical to our wellbeing, so I caught up with Daniel Alcorn and Luke Tonge, founders of the fantastic Birmingham Design Festival to talk about why in-person community events and the relationships they tend to spark are so critical in the creative process.As ever the show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. You can help a wonderful organisation by supporting the Ukrainian creative community as they struggle to keep making during the horrific war: https://ui.org.ua/https://birminghamdesignfestival.org.uk/https://birminghamdesign.shop/https://bentallon.comThe Creative Condition book pre-order: https://www.bentallonwriter.com/shop/p/the-creative-condition-understanding-and-embracing-human-creativity-signed-paperback-pre-order-april-11th-release

The science increasingly points to a very positive link between (responsibly and professionally administered) psilocybin - or 'magic mushrooms' - and mental health. After reading American-Iranian comedian, writer, and actor Negin Farsad's experience on a Jamaican psychedelic retreat, written for AFAR, I talked to both Negin, and CEO/Head-facilitator of Mycomeditations, Justin Townsend about psychedelics, mental health, and creativity.This is a warm, deep, intriguing insight into the world of fungi and the human experience, which touches upon Jungian depth psychology, the default mode network, and the things that hold us back from our optimal creativity.As ever the show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. You can help a wonderful organisation by supporting the Ukrainian creative community as they struggle to keep making during the horrific war: https://ui.org.ua/http://neginfarsad.com/https://www.instagram.com/neginfarsad/https://www.mycomeditations.com/

Gush Mundae moved to a racially divided UK from Delhi, India and experienced more than his fair share of discrimination and abuse. Through hip hop and street art culture, he found belonging, and would later use £2k of his savings to start Bulletproof, a creative agency that is 25 years old, and now spans 8 countries.We get into Gush's response to the challenges he and his family faced in those early years, the power of art, the values he continues to run Bulletproof on today, and his desire to contribute to positive changes in education.The show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comHosted by Ben Tallon: https://bentallon.comhttps://www.wearebulletproof.com/about/Support the Ukrainian creative community: https://ui.org.ua/en/mission-2/

'The Hockney Soldier' is a short story pondering how art and design books are symbolic in bringing us closer to the horrors of war, that can feel removed from our reality. But also, the way creativity bonds us.Supported by Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comand the Ukrainian Institute. Connect with and champion Ukrainian art and culture now at: https://ui.org.ua/Written, presented, and produced by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.com and https://bentallonwriter.comMusic by Dirty Freud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2c5NcXidirDDqL3sc3vW8S

Almost two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, I'm joined by Ukrainian illustrator, designer, and design community activist Olha Protasova to talk about creativity in times of war.This episode contains sensitive topics, but I hope you'll stay with us to be inspired by the bravery, resilience, and hope Olha shows.The show is supported by https://illustrationx.com and below are a series of links from Olha, via which you can help the Ukrainian cause:Olha's insta: https://www.instagram.com/olha_protasova_illustration Projector school: https://prjctr.com/ (Ukrainian)Yurko Gutsulyak: https://gutsulyak.studioMykola Kovalenko:https://mykolakovalenko.euA book about Trident, downloadable:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SD7nyGHyxo0JCnAw7gcS8BZ8eCEhq2Tr/view?usp=drivesdk(Language is Ukrainian, but the content is amazing)Meaning of trident: https://www.weareukraine.info/special/what-does-the-ukrainian-coat-of-arms-mean/Few articles about Ukrainian illustrators: https://ukraine.ua/stories/ukrainian-illustrators/https://theaoi.com/2022/05/13/drawing-strength-in-conversation-with-ukrainian-illustrators/Big article about type design and designers: https://eugenesadko.medium.com/21st-century-ukrainian-society-and-fonts-c61f6152ff19#:~:text=Among%20these%20type%20designers%20who,Lukian%20Turetsky%2C%20and%20Bohdan%20Hdal.https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

Simon is missing. The posters are up, and it sets in motion a bout of gross overthinking. A hypothetical thought experiment for the fellow sensitive people.Supported by founding sponsor https://illustrationx.comMusic by Dirty Freud https://open.spotify.com/artist/2c5NcXidirDDqL3sc3vW8SPresented and written by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

Washington DC-based artist and all-round creative human Chris Pyrate reflects on the role of early travels to New Mexico and LA, challenges for young people growing up in Washington DC, and why being an artist is a way of life, and not merely a profession.His big brand collaborations with the Washinton Wizards and Nike are secondary to a bigger philosophy.We get deep into all of it with a man vastly wiser than his years.The show is supported by Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comhttps://ahumanfly.squarespace.com/bentallon.combentallonwriter.com

Part 2 of the creativity checklist.Part 1 can be heard on episode 208. Distilled from the forthcoming 'The Creative Condition' book. Out March 28th 2024.The show is supported by Illustration X: https://illustrationx.combentallon.combentallonwriter.com

Sarah Boris is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer at the top of her game. We discuss the challenges of change in early years, along with the upsides, her early career roles designing for The Barbican and Phaidon, and her current art and design studio practice. The challenges of staying disciplined, but not overworking are covered, as well as activism, and what Sarah refers to as 'the care bear phase' in which she needs to create bright, happy work to decompress from heavy subject matter.A fascinating glimpse of the mind and ways of one of the most dynamic creators in the game.https://www.instagram.com/sarahboris_ldn/?hl=enThe show is supported by Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comhttps://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

Part 1 of a list of considerations for maximising your creativity, distilled from the forthcoming 'The Creative Condition' book. Out March 28th 2024.The show is supported by Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comhttps://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com