Unknown Origins

This isn’t a brand story. It’s a whispered revolution. In The Art of the Unacceptable, Roy Sharples of Unknown Origins delivers a lyrical manifesto for creative bravery—a rallying cry for the beautifully disobedient. For the misfits who won’t tick boxes. The originals who refuse to be optimized. The rebels who still choose soul over scale. This isn’t about KPIs, virality, or playing it safe. It’s about making the things only you can. The art that howls. The work that scars. The future that doesn’t arrive—it’s made. And it begins here. With you. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

A lyrical manifesto for building systems that heal, not divide. What if the future wasn’t inherited—but rewritten? In this soul-stirring episode, Roy Sharples delivers a poetic and provocative call to action for reimagining humanity’s narrative through the lens of equity, empathy, and ethical systems design. From education and media to governance and the green economy, this is a manifesto for those who believe the world doesn’t need perfection—it needs courage. Explore why equity is not a utopian dream, but a real and radical decision. Discover how to build fairer systems in classrooms, boardrooms, ballots, and beyond. Unpack the myths of meritocracy, the power of policy, and the revolution that won’t be televised—but will be sustained. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

A Manifesto for the Creators Who Code, Craft, and Conjure the Future In a world where keyboards replace canvases and platforms are the new punk, tech entrepreneurs have emerged as the artists of our time. In this electrifying, manifesto-driven episode, Roy Sharples reimagines the startup founder not as a disruptor—but as a cultural visionary. From code as poetry to platforms as protests, this lyrical reflection explores how the next wave of innovation is shaped by creativity, ethics, and soul. What if startups were symphonies? Can product design be a form of protest? What’s the true legacy of a tech founder: IPO or impact? From Steve Jobs to Basquiat with bandwidth, Roy delivers a poetic provocation for the creators of tomorrow—urging them to build with conscience, design with intention, and launch like artists. This is a rallying cry for the rebels with product roadmaps, for the dreamers with data, for the builders who still believe in beauty. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

A Manifesto for the Species Becoming Something Else Entirely Are we still human — or becoming something else entirely? In this poetic and thought-provoking manifesto, Roy Sharples explores the evolution of humanity in the digital age. From the first blinking cursor to AI that now thinks in pixels, Humanity 2.0 charts the journey of a species that didn’t stroll into the future — it crash-landed into it. How is artificial intelligence shaping not just our tools, but our identity? What remains uniquely human in a world of automation and algorithms? Can we reclaim creativity, conscience, and soul in the age of acceleration? From emojis to ethics, from labor to longing, Roy invites us to pause, reflect, and write a new chapter — one that doesn’t abandon awe for convenience, but dares to be messily, beautifully human. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

A Manifesto in Stone, Fire, and the Art of Reinvention Europe is not just a place. It’s a living myth — carved in marble, scrawled in ink, reborn in rebellion. In this lyrical and story-driven manifesto, Roy Sharples charts the creative and cultural journey of Europe across millennia — from the wisdom of Ancient Greece and the fire of the Enlightenment to the contradictions of the modern Union. Through wars and renaissances, revolutions and resurrections, Europe has endured not by clinging to the past, but by reimagining it. How did Europe’s creativity survive empire, war, and collapse? What can its cultural history teach us about resilience and reinvention today? Why is creativity still Europe’s greatest force for unity and transformation? From the Celtic edge to the startup cities of tomorrow, this is Europe as you've never heard it — brave, broken, brilliant, and always becoming. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

A Cultural Manifesto of Identity, Irony, and Reinvention What does it mean to be "Great" — and can a nation ever truly stay that way? In this lyrical and story-driven episode, Roy Sharples explores Britain’s ongoing identity quest: from the rise of empire to the chaos of Brexit, from punk rock to AI labs, Shakespeare to Stormzy. This is not a love letter to nostalgia, but a poetic reckoning with what greatness means in the modern age — eccentric, inventive, resilient, and gloriously self-deprecating. Why is British greatness not about power, but reinvention? What connects Shakespeare, tea, punk, and Brexit? Can a country be culturally radical while politically confused? From the fog-draped roots of its past to the technicolor contradictions of its present, Britain isn’t marching — it’s muddling through. Still trying. Still adapting. Still Great — on its own peculiar terms. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

A Global Manifesto on Exceptionalism, Woke Culture, and Finding Purpose Beyond the Podium Is America still the world’s moral compass — or just the loudest voice in the room? In this cultural manifesto, Roy Sharples unpacks the contradictions of American exceptionalism, the rise of woke culture, and the country’s often unconscious tendency to dominate global discourse. From the Trump-era wrecking ball to the polished rhetoric of modern political correctness, this lyrical commentary offers a brutally honest — and surprisingly affectionate — reflection on America’s place in the world. Why does America feel the need to be the moral referee of the planet? How do other cultures view the U.S.’s hyper-performative identity politics? Can America still lead by listening, not just lecturing? This is not anti-Americanism. This is a love letter wrapped in satire — a wake-up call from one voice among many. It’s time for America to lower the volume, kick off its platform shoes, and rejoin the global conversation — not as host, but as participant. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

What does it mean to evolve in a world that never stands still? In this lyrical, time-traveling manifesto, we explore the transformation of society and technology from the tactile simplicity of the 1970s to the algorithmic acceleration of today. This is more than nostalgia — it’s a meditation on what we’ve gained, what we’ve lost, and what we must choose next. From vinyl records and dial-up modems… To AI, pandemics, and the digital mirror of social media… This is the story of how we became digital citizens — and where we go from here. How did the internet become our mirror? What do we risk when tools begin creating themselves? Can progress still serve purpose in a world driven by speed? With every decade, we’ve been reshaped by machines, systems, and screens. But the pen — the power to choose what comes next — is still in our hands. This isn’t just a story of technology. It’s a call to evolve with intention, depth, and humanity. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

A Cultural Manifesto on Friendship, Success, and the Art of the Backhanded Compliment Why does your mate’s success make you wince… just a little? In this lyrical, story-driven, and culturally sharp episode, we explore the paradox of friendship and success through the uniquely Scottish lens of sarcasm, self-deprecation, and social suspicion. From backhanded compliments and social media minefields to the taboo of self-improvement, this manifesto unpacks why watching a friend “make it” can stir up pride, envy — and more than a few passive-aggressive jokes. Why is Scottish culture allergic to self-congratulation? How do we keep our friends grounded — often with a pint and a smirk? What happens when Gus from the pub becomes Gus from Canary Wharf? This is not just about envy — it’s about identity. It’s about success, community, and the strange intimacy of honest friendships wrapped in irony. This is friendship, the Scottish way. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

What if the key to solving the climate crisis isn’t new — but ancient? In this lyrical and story-driven manifesto, we explore how First Nations wisdom offers revolutionary answers to today’s environmental emergencies. Rooted in relationship, reciprocity, and reverence for the land, Indigenous practices have sustained ecosystems for millennia — not through extraction, but through balance. What if the Earth isn’t a resource, but a relative? What can we learn from Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) about living sustainably? How can we listen — not to lead, but to learn? From rotational farming and fire stewardship to consensus governance and spiritual ecology, this episode invites us to reimagine climate action as a cultural, emotional, and ancestral return — not to the past, but to wisdom we’ve forgotten to honor. This isn’t romanticism. This is restoration. This is regeneration. This is the revolution already written in the soil. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

What if the Renaissance never ignited? No Sistine ceiling. No Da Vinci inventions. No rebellious art or radical thought. This immersive, story-driven episode explores a haunting alternative history: a world where creativity was never set free. Through the lens of cultural revolutions — from the Renaissance and Enlightenment to Modernism, Punk, and the Digital Age — we trace the seismic role imagination plays in shaping civilization. What happens when curiosity is outlawed? What does culture become when rebellion is erased? What world emerges when the digital revolution is left unwritten? This is not just a thought experiment. It’s a mirror. A warning. A call to ignite the next creative revolution. Because creativity isn’t a luxury — it’s the thread that holds us together. In a time of global crises, we don’t need more compliance — we need imagination. We must create our way forward. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

What happens when the world no longer runs on money? This lyrical, thought-provoking episode explores a radical question: What if money didn’t exist? Through a vivid, story-driven narrative, we dismantle the economic systems that shape our lives and imagine what might rise from the rubble — a world where creativity, empathy, and community replace currency. How would we define value without price? Could cooperation replace competition? Would art flourish if it wasn’t made to sell? We examine the collapse of traditional economies, the evolution of power without profit, and the liberation of human creativity from market forces. From resource-based economies and time-based currency to gift cultures and sustainability credits — this episode offers blueprints for a new kind of wealth: measured not in digits, but in dignity and meaning. This isn’t escapism. It’s a design brief for the future. Support the show Attitude. Imagination. Execution. Create Without Frontiers. 🌐 www.unknownorigins.com

Creativity in Motion: Shaping Tomorrow’s World Live Keynote by Roy Sharples at EXIST – Exeter Chamber UK | March 27, 2025 The future doesn’t belong to those who play it safe—it belongs to the bold. In this special episode, we bring you Roy Sharples’ keynote from EXIST, Exeter Chamber UK's Implementing Innovation event. From The Beatles to Bowie, Jobs to Disney—history shows that true innovation is driven by outsiders who dare to think differently. Roy Sharples—author of Creativity Without Frontiers and founder of Unknown Origins—has helped shape iconic brands and build industry-defining products. His mission: fight mediocrity and ignite creative bravery. What you’ll learn 1. Why creativity—not process—is your last real competitive edge 2. How to turn bold ideas into tangible, lasting impact 3. Why now is the time to stop playing it safe and start leading with imagination Why it matters Because the world doesn’t remember the followers. It remembers the fearless. Creativity is the last competitive edge—are you using it? Learn more: www.unknownorigins.com Support the show

In this episode, Roy Sharples presents his talk Creative Bravery in Leadership: Transforming the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, given at the Central Saint Martins and Birkbeck MBA Program. Roy shares insights from his 20+ year leadership journey, explaining how embracing creativity and bold decision-making can lead to transformative results. Tune in to learn how creative bravery can help you push boundaries and achieve extraordinary outcomes in your leadership. Support the show

Roy Sharples and Gary Burt delve into the intersection of artistry and artificial intelligence, reshaping creativity as we know it. 1. Reshaping Tradition Explore how AI is redefining creativity, challenging conventional norms while honoring traditions. Witness AI's emergence as a disruptive force across visual arts and music, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. 2. Collaboration or Competition Is AI a competitor or collaborator? Discover the delicate balance between human intuition and AI's computational power, fostering symbiotic relationships that amplify creative outcomes. 3. AI Tools for Creatives Uncover stories of artists integrating AI tools into their creative processes, transforming perceptions of art across various mediums. 4. Ethical Considerations Navigate the complex landscape of responsible AI practices, addressing challenges of ownership, provenance, and misrepresentation while ensuring transparency, fairness, and privacy. 5. AI's Impact on Visual Arts From generative design to augmented reality, witness AI revolutionizing visual arts, offering new avenues for artistic expression and immersive experiences. 6. The Future of Music Explore how AI composers and collaborators like AIVA are expanding the palette of possibilities in music composition, fostering a harmonious convergence of human creativity and artificial intelligence. 7. AI in Storytelling Experience the fusion of AI and storytelling through projects like "PoemPortraits" and DALL-E, showcasing AI's ability to enhance narrative and visual elements, amplifying artistic expression. 8. AI and Advertising Delve into the intersection of AI and advertising, where personalized narratives and real-time content adaptation revolutionize brand-audience connections, albeit with challenges in maintaining originality and engagement. 10. Navigating the AI-Creative Frontier Embrace the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into creative workflows, encouraging experimentation, exploration, and innovation to push the boundaries of human creativity. Join the conversation on the AI-driven frontier of creativity, where technology meets artistry to inspire, challenge, and transform our creative landscape. Support the show

Roy Sharples and Gary Burt discuss the importance of integrating physical and online retail experiences, supporting local businesses, and nurturing community engagement is reiterated for the future success of high streets by shaping a brighter tomorrow for our communities. Segment 1: Integration of Physical and Virtual Retail Seamlessly blend online and offline shopping experiences using technology to meet evolving consumer needs and enhance engagement. Segment 2: Nurturing Local Boutiques Supporting local boutiques to preserve community culture and create vibrant retail landscapes. Segment 3: Incentivizing Local Entrepreneurs Supporting local entrepreneurs through collaborative efforts to reduce barriers and risks associated with starting businesses. Segment 4: Building Economic Growth Economic benefits of supporting local businesses and the need to create self-sustaining ecosystems in retail spaces. Segment 5: Instilling Community Pride The role of high streets as community hubs and advocate for active engagement to foster social connections and inclusivity. Support the show

Roy Sharples and Gary Burt explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the sports landscape. The key segments cover: AI in Athlete Performance Fan Engagement Revolution Game Strategy Evolution Ethical Considerations in Sports AIInnovation and Collaboration Human-Centric Design in Sports Tech Case Studies and Success StoriesIn conclusion, the podcast provides a roadmap for navigating the transformative forces of AI in sports, inviting listeners to actively engage in a dynamic future where innovation and artificial intelligence redefine the sports experience by exploring the possibilities that AI brings to the game and share information about related content on the Unknown Origins platform. Support the show

Roy Sharples and Gary Burt delve into "Education for the AI-Creative Future," discussing key strategies that for nurturing Creative Thinking in AI education, emphasizing interdisciplinary learning, problem-based assignments, and continuous learning. Preparing the workforce for AI and creative Skills, highlighting continuous learning culture, embracing creativity, and developing soft skills. The role of educational Institutions in adapting to change, advocating global collaboration, cultural competence, and agile curricula, and how to embrace these insights as institutions lead the way for a generation prepared to thrive in the AI-creative future, nurturing technical skills, creativity, and adaptability. Support the show

In a rapidly evolving world shaped by technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the creative industry. Join hosts Roy Sharples and Gary Burt as they uncover the impact of AI on creativity, emphasizing its role as a creative accelerator rather than a replacement for human ingenuity. Episode Highlights Current Impact of AI on Creativity:Generative and Collaborative Possibilities:The Future of Creativity and AI:Challenges and Considerations:Join the conversation as we explore a future where the partnership between human imagination and AI propels creativity into uncharted territories. It's not about machines replacing humans but a harmonious collaboration promising a vibrant, diverse, and transformative future for creativity. Music created and performed by Iain Mutch @ copyright 2024 Support the show

Gareth Loudon's interest is creativity, combining ideas from anthropology, psychology, engineering, and design, and he has led international transdisciplinary research projects in academia and industry. Gareth is a Professor of Creativity and Head of Programmes at the Royal College of Art for the MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering and MA/MSc Global Innovation Design, which is run jointly with Imperial College London. Previously Gareth was Associate Dean of Research at the Cardiff School of Art and Design. He has also worked for Apple and Ericsson Research designing and developing new software and computer-embedded products. Gareth is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Creativity Without Frontiers available at all relevant book retailers Stay in touch with Unknown Origins Music by Iain Mutch Support the show