Bloomerangas Podcast

Upgrade to paid membership to get full access to digital facilitation tools, Design Rewinds, the Creativity Kit, and more. I talked with Tuomas Auvinen , Dean of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University in Finland and co-founder of the university’s Centre for Radical Creativity . The “radical” comes from the Latin radix , meaning root. For Tuomas, radical creativity isn’t ab...

I talked with Stephen Bottomley , Head of the School of Design at Glasgow School of Art and a working goldsmith whose own pieces sit in the British Museum and National Museums Scotland. Stephen studies something called the overview effect , the shift in perspective astronauts describe when they see Earth from space. He uses it as a lens for craft too. The point was never the travel itself, it’s ha...

I sat down with Patrick Collins , a sales coach and consultant, to talk about something almost every creative person I know quietly dreads: sales . His first line on the subject set the tone for the whole conversation. “I’m not sure anybody who likes sales.” He doesn’t think that’s a problem to fix. He thinks it’s a sign the word itself is broken. Patrick completely reframed how I think about sale...

I talked with Amanda Schneider , founder of ThinkLab and author of Work for What's Next. She was also just on The Oprah Podcast talking about the book, if you want another taste of her thinking. One thing she said has stayed with me since. We’re still running our workplaces on analog era norms, in a digital speed world. That gap, more than any single generation, is where most of the tension we fee...

I talked with Heidi Rundt , CEO of Hyper Island , the Sweden-born creative business school that has spent thirty years training people in design, marketing, and innovation. Hyper Island now runs programs across Europe, the UK, Japan, and South America, but what struck me isn’t the reach. It’s how untraditional the model still is. The school has no teachers. Instead, it works with in-house facilita...

I recently talked with Ana Maria Pinto da Silva — architect, former UX design leader at Microsoft and Amazon, founder of PechaKucha Seattle, and now Professor at the Carnegie Mellon School of Design — about a question she’s spent her whole career chasing: where does creativity actually come from? We got into the difference between learning and education, why friendship and nature are our original...

Here’s the advice Ekaterina Solomeina gives every designer who wants to be seen as a leader, not just an executor: learn the language the business actually speaks. I talked with Ekaterina — creative director, writer, and co-founder of Future London Academy — about what actually gets creatives into the room where strategy gets decided. Her answer wasn’t “make better work.” It was: translate the wor...

A few years ago, Dr. Chris Mitchell did something unsettling in his classroom at the Royal College of Art. He fed the same assessment brief his students were working on into a generative AI tool and then asked the students to evaluate the output. Almost all of them said it was a pass. He looked at it again on the train home, and thought: yeah, I think so too. His first reaction was terror. His sec...

Can creativity be taught? This is the question we explored in the newest episode of Bloomerangas with Ruta Valušytė , Head of the Design Centre at Kaunas University of Technology. Every person has the native ability to create. But like any muscle, creativity needs to be used, trained, and nurtured. If we stop using it, it fades. If we practise it, it becomes more natural and intuitive. What I foun...

In our latest Bloomerangas Podcast episode, I speak with Lina Žemaitytė-Kirkman , Head of Rockit (a Startup and Innovation Centre) about something many of us are feeling right now: how hard it has become to stay focused, creative, and mentally clear in a world of constant digital input. We explore why digital overload affects more than productivity, how boredom and rest support creativity, and wha...

In this episode, we speak with Andra Bagdonaitė, venture capital investor and Partner at FIRSTPICK — a high-speed VC fund and accelerator backing ambitious early-stage startups across the Baltic region (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). Andra shares insights from her experience investing at the pre-seed and seed stages, supporting founders as they build and scale technology-driven companies. Before...

Jessica Dance is a UK-based artist, designer, and creative coach who has worked with brands including Vogue, Nike, Barbie, British Airways and Google. After years in the creative industry, she trained as a coach following a period of burnout, combining art, business and psychology to support creative entrepreneurs in building lives and businesses that are joyful, impactful and financially sustaina...

Emily Sharp is a licensed art therapist and psychotherapist who combines talk therapy with creative expression. From her early work in New York to her current online practice and international retreats, she explores how creativity can support resilience, self-discovery, and joy. In this talk, Emily reflects on her transition from clinical psychotherapy to art therapy, discusses the importance of c...

Formafantasma is a research-driven design studio founded in 2009 by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin. Their work ranges from products and spatial projects to installations and exhibitions, created both independently and in collaboration with brands such as Hermès, Lexus, Max Mara, and Bvlgari. In this talk, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin open up about their creative process. They dive de...

Tina Touli is a London‑based designer working across disciplines. Known for blending the analogue with the digital, she mixes materials and technologies in inventive ways. Her curiosity has led her to create phygital experiences, experimenting with materials, techniques, sound, and surroundings. In this talk, we explore creative expression through phygital experiences — spaces where physicality an...

Today we felt a little down, so we went out for dessert — because for us, dessert is a kind of therapy that always works. 🍰✨ We talk about our emotions and how they influence our creativity. We reflect on communication and how it can shift a dynamic and create a safe space to be yourself — and for others to feel safe around you. We also talk about how emotions build up when they stay unspoken, t...

In this episode, we explore the idea of repackaging your creative work. I’m sure you’re familiar with the situation of having leftover materials that aren’t being utilised. In our case, it’s different cards we don’t include in packages or fabrics left from setting up our creative studio. But it doesn’t mean they have to quietly sit in the corner waiting for their time to shine. You can think of ne...

Amy Hood is the co-founder of Hoodzpah Design, a studio she runs with her twin sister, Jennifer. Their work is rooted in bold typography, playful humor, and a distinctly Californian style. In this talk, Amy shares insights into the unique aesthetic of her studio, the dynamics of working with her twin sister, and the importance of community in building a successful design business—with all the mess...

In this episode, we explore the question: “How to avoid creative burnout?” We talk about why burnout often shows up when you’re creating for external rewards — and how everything shifts when your work aligns with your values and calling. We also dive into the role of self-care, rest, and finding a way of working that truly fits your personality. It’s a reminder that sustainable creativity comes fr...

David Sedgwick is the founder of Studio DBD , an independent design studio based in Manchester. For over two decades, he has shaped the city’s creative identity through branding projects, exhibitions, and collaborations that celebrate people as much as design itself. In this talk, David Sedgwick explores how human connection sits at the heart of both his work and life, emphasizing the importance o...

In this episode, we explore the question: “How to stay consistent when creating?” We dive into what it really takes to keep showing up for your creative projects — especially the long-term ones. From finding the right balance between structure and flexibility to creating systems that support your flow. We talk about the importance of clarity, how structure can actually free your creativity (not ca...

Monika Bielskyte is the founder of Protopia Futures and currently serves as Futurist in Residence at Nike (Embodied Futures: Storyworld Design and Strategy). She is also a futurist advisor to Climate Spring and Inclusive AI Lab, as well as a member of EY’s Luminary Expert Circle. In this talk, Monika unpacks what it truly means to be a futurist — exploring how our values, stories, and embodied exp...

In this episode, we explore the question: “What if the version of success I used to chase no longer excites me?” We dive into the evolving meaning of success — how it’s often shaped by family, culture, and society, and how we can redefine it on our own terms. We also touch on the cycles of desire, the courage it takes to let go of old definitions, and the freedom that comes with aligning your crea...

Verónica Fuerte is the founder and creative director of Hey Studio in Barcelona — celebrated for its bold use of color, geometric forms, and clean visual storytelling. Her work has attracted collaborations with major clients such as Apple, Google, and The New York Times. In this episode, Verónica opens up about her creative journey — how she shaped her signature style, built a collaborative studio...

In this episode, we explore the question: “How do I turn my creativity into something that supports me financially?” We dive into the intersection of creativity and financial sustainability — unpacking the mindset shift from self-focused creation to serving others. Also, we explore the delicate balance between pursuing creative passion and meeting financial responsibilities, while sharing practica...