Natural Born Thinkers

In this podcast I am chatting with the team from Architecting Curiosity, an organization designed to help businesses and individuals live their most curious lives!

The friends behind Architecting Curiosity include, Pim Schachtschabel, Monica Canfield-Lenfest and Anthony Rocco.

During our conversation, we deep dive into Monica and Pim’s curious life journeys so far, as well as explore the principles of curiosity and how they fit into our every day lives.

Ultimately, through our discussion we reveal that curiosity is a superpower which is open to everyone!

For more information about my guests and to learn more please visit The Architecting Curiosity website: https://www.architectingcuriosity.com/

In this podcast I am chatting with experience designer, management consultant and entrepreneur, Anthony Rocco. 

The focus of our conversation is exploring the practice of curiosity and the value that living a more curious lifestyle can bring. We explore the ideas and impacts of living a more curious lifestyle including how curiosity can help us discover more about ourselves, connect more deeply with others, create cultures and unlock new opportunities.

For me, curiosity is at the heart of enabling us to think differently so I invite you to embrace an inquisitive mindset and tuck into this edition of the Natural Born Thinkers Podcast.

For more information, please visit: https://www.architectingcuriosity.com/

Note: This podcast was recorded in summer '21.

In this episode I talk to Shelley Carson, psychologist and lecturer at Harvard University and author of, “Your Creative Brain, Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life.”

Shelley's research centres around creativity neuroscience. Her book outlines the key network, processes and geography of the brain that are involved in creative thinking and also explains 7 key brainsets that we can engage to think creatively.

In summary, Shelley's book highlights that we are all wired to think differently. Each of us is blessed with a unique neural network that positions us to contribute creative ideas that no-one else can!

In this podcast, Shelley and I explore the creative brain and discuss how individuals can discover and build their nascent creative potential.

Please visit Shelley's website to learn more about her work and why not take "The Brainsets Quiz" to learn about your brain's creativity "hot spots"!

In this episode I talk to Cliff Goldmacher a songwriter, producer, educator and author based in the USA. Cliff has recently released his first printed book, "The Reason for the Rhymes", which explores how the art and practice of song-writing can help enhance our innovation capabilities

Cliff has over 20 years of experience in the music industry and has written over 1000 songs including a number 1 jazz hit for the artist Spencer and a track that was included in Keb Mo’s Grammy winning album, Oklahoma.  If anyone knows the art of songwriting and the lifelong gifts this practice can deliver, it’s Cliff!

We even go as far to write and perform a song on this podcast, to prove how each step of the song writing process sharpens your innovation skills and requires you to think differently about the challenges and / or opportunities you are facing.

My key takeaway from my time with Cliff is that, to pursue a more creative lifestyle you must have 3 key things:

1.    Practice i.e., a commitment to practicing the key skills needed for creativity

2.   Patience i.e., an ability to appreciate that good ideas take time and lots of them!

3.   Passion i.e., you need to be whole-heartedly committed to the dream you are chasing

Here is a link to Cliff's website

It is not often that you meet a successful scientist, author and Hollywood movie maker all in one person and when you do, you wonder, how on earth did they do it!

In this podcast I talk to professor Clive Oppenheimer who has successfully navigated both the scientific and artistic world. Clive shares the key tools in his tool kit to unlock creative thinking including an insatiable curiosity, a keen eye for observation and the power of writing things down!

Clive’s story shows how deep knowledge can open up new opportunities if you have the courage to play with it in new environments.

References:

Clive Oppenheimer, University of Cambridge

“Eruptions that shook the world”, Clive Oppenheimer

“Into the Inferno”, available on Netflix

“Fireball, Visitors from Darker Worlds”, available on Apple TV

What if you could use the stories of your past to better understand your creative thinking potential? 

This podcast explores the idea of "inheritance" with co-founder of Inheritance Project, Mallory Combemale.

Mallory shares how we can use insights from our past experiences to better understand our current identities, including our approach to creativity. She also discusses the power of breathing and how the breath can unlock creative thinking potential.

References:

The Inheritance Project

Breath Connection

"The lies that bind: Rethinking identity", Kwame Anthony Appiah 

“The Body Keeps The Score”, Bessel an der Kolk

Our body can be unconsciously wired to perform the way we have trained it to, but hours of hard work can be undone where we are not able to conquer the thoughts and emotions that flood our conscious mind.

Olympic and National swimming coach, Chris Martin, provides insights into how the mind works in elite athletic performance and what lessons we can draw from this to help ourselves think more creatively on a daily basis.

References:

The Last Dance, Netflix Docu-series

The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey 

“Endure: Mind Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance”, Alex Hutchinson

What if laughing more could increase your creative capacity?

In this podcast I talk to Naomi Bagdonas, co-author of the immediate US national best-seller, Humor, Seriously: Why humor is a superpower at work and in life. 

Naomi discusses the neuroscience, mindset and techniques that enable humour and how humour can increase power, resilience, human connection and creativity. 

References:

• “Humor, Seriously: Why humor is a superpower at work and in life”, Naomi Bagdonas and Jennifer Aaker
• Website: https://www.humorseriously.com/

There is a natural tendency to associate the word “creativity” more readily with art than science, but actually, creativity is equally relevant and critical to the scientific world! 

In this conversation, I talk with Dr Parmvir Bahia. We explore the key techniques used by scientists to unlock new discoveries, for example, the importance of asking questions, embracing failure and collaborating across cultures and disciplines.

Importantly, Parmvir highlights that creativity does not discriminate and when it comes to the world’s biggest challenges, all our voices and ideas matter!

References:

Scientists Inc.

Parmvir Bahia website

Parmvir Bahia on The Story Collider

2 Scientists Podcast 

How often have you participated in a meeting with far too many people in it, an agenda as long as your arm and no break in sight? In these environments, the chances of having your best ideas are slim.  But what if meetings didn’t always have to be this way?

In this conversation, I chat with management consultant and author, Chris Ertel. Chris talks about his book, “Moments of Impact” and provides a framework and insights into how to create more thoughtful meeting experiences that enable breakthrough and accelerate change.

References:

• Moments of Impact: How to design conversations that accelerate change, Chris Ertel and Lisa Kay Solomon
• The Talent Code: Greatness isn’t born. It's grown, Daniel Coyle
• The Backwards Bicycle, Smarter Everyday, Destin Wilson Sandlin
• The Art of the Long View, Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World, Peter Schwartz 
• “Where Good Ideas Come From, The Natural History of Innovation”, Steven Johnson