The Creative Condition podcast

Pretty Clever is a Bournemouth-based design studio. Described as 'smart, caring, ethical folks who are keen to make a positive impact on the world' I'm joined by founder John Burton who discusses their recent B Corp accreditation, when he realised he wanted to make work for good, and the winding road he had to take to get there. We sign off on a hopeful message in worrying times for humanity, to h...

Graphic designer Kieron Lewis joins me to discuss his work and creative story, from south London roots to freelancing, via Olga & Kay, his brilliant collaboration creating meaningful work for great causes, to his recent design for 'Still Breathing: 100 Black Voices on Racism' - a staggering showcase of the power of considered, impactful activism. The show is sponsored by founding supporter Ill...

Karalyte enables next-generation entrepreneurs, brand leaders, and creators to create meaningful and memorable brands for the world. Together with her team, founder, Egle Karalyte has helped to elevate such brands as Cooper/DesignIt, Fotolia/Adobe, MTV Lebanon, The New School, Paris Telecom Incubator, Google Campus London. She joins me as she launches 'Bloomerang' - her impressive new game design...

'Life on a Lamppost' is a short fiction story written by Ben Tallon, for a book produced by OFFF Festival 2023.Here is the exclusive audio version with a score by Dirty Freud. The times are troubled and we've all felt the rising panic in our stretched minds. Here is one take on it. The show is supported by Illustration X. See their global range of illustrator and animator portfolios at https://ill...

In a capitalist society, knowing how to do the right thing is tough. Katie Klencheski showed signs from an early age - through her drawing and ideas - that she cared about something bigger than herself. Via a winding road, she founded what became Smakk Studios - a New York-based agency supporting brands that want to make a positive impact. We get into the confusing world of ethics from a consumer,...

Jeffrey Madoff described branding as a story well told. The founder and CEO of New York's Madoff Productions joins me to delve into effective, strong branding, and the creativity that has to drive it. Jeffrey discusses the importance of projecting with confidence, and why building relationships with clients is everything. Madoff Productions have worked with the likes of Victoria's Secret and Ralph...

Column 5 in the ongoing series of articles written by The Creative Condition host, and illustrator Ben Tallon. Exploring the nature and behaviour of creativity, the latest looks at vulnerability and it's potential value in sending the right message to potential clients. You can read any of the previous columns at https://designweek.co.ukThe Creative Condition is sponsored by Illustration X. You ca...

What happens when the creative discipline we've trained for cannot express what we need to say? London-based artist Adelaide Damoah takes us on a journey from racist bullying in a London primary school, through ill health and a dramatic career switch from pharmaceutical to art, all the way to Ghana where she fell in love with the exploration of her heritage through performance art and narrative. W...

OFFF Festival founder Héctor Ayuso joins me ahead of the 22nd year of the giant Barcelona creative industry festival he created. Héctor talks candidly about childhood trauma, years of therapy, and a life spent facing fear to grow. We cover the role of socialising in the creative process, getting inspired, and what it felt like to return to the festival after the COVID-19 pandemic. OFFF runs from 2...

Many of us spend long hours, working passionately to make work we believe in. So why is getting the work seen not prioritised in the same way? Design Week editor gives us an insight into his new course, 'Designers and Creatives: How to Talk to the Press', and shares some golden tips for maximising exposure for our creative work. Enrol on the course now: https://www.talkingtopress.com/The show is s...

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, many people tapped into some part of themselves they'd stopped listening to. As our lives got faster and more intensely paced than ever before, in the work hard, must achieve, and progress culture, we forgot to listen to our younger selves. Why did we want to create in the first place? What was it that made us feel the magic and wonder of being alive in those pur...

The 4th in the series of articles written for Design Week, brought to you in audio format by The Creative Condition, supported by Illustration X.People are still, understandably struggling to return to the pre-COVID levels of social activity. How important are positive relationships to the creative process? Here are some thoughts. Read in full, along with other pieces at https://designweek.co.ukht...

Artist and fashion designer Sam D'Cruze is the founder of 'Child Of,' a project supporting the children of addicts through creativity, conversation and artistic expression. Sam candidly discusses the experience of managing her father's alcohol dependency, and the role it played in her creative and personal development. We get into the topic of using artistic expression to work through and cope wit...

James Brown's Loaded Magazine was at the heart of the UK's cultural explosion in the mid-1990s. Despite the misperception that it was no more than soft porn, the magazine was built on fun, chaos, creativity and the desire to capture the voice of young men at a time when nobody was representing them. James learned his trade by making his fanzine 'Attack On Bzag' and was NME's features editor by the...

One-half of Studio BND (But Never Dull) Ben Mottershead joins me to discuss allowing neurodivergent people to flourish in the right creative environment. Ben has ADHD and gives a great insight into the need for balance in a design environment so the weaknesses can be managed or carried by better-equipped people, and the strengths can be housed in a way that benefits all. We also get into the vital...

It's rough out there. We can't do it all on our own. Nor should we try. A ramble about protecting mental health by identifying our cause. Supported by Illustration X. https://illustrationx.comhttps://bentallonwriter.comhttps://bentallon.com

The 2nd in the new series of articles written for Design Week, brought to you in audio format by The Creative Condition, supported by Illustration X.The debates rage about AI art and design. Will we fall to the singularity, or can we assimilate this great tool into our profession? Only creativity and human empathy will decide. Read in full at designweek.co.ukbentallonwriter.combentallon.comillustr...

DixonBaxi is 21. Founders Simon Dixon and Aporva Baxi return to the show after five years. A lot has happened. We talk about what it takes to stay fresh, creative, and energised over the course of a long-term project. Why it's critical to create work for yourself to ignite passion and the challenge of designing for football clubs. This one is jam-packed with advice and insights for those in the vi...

What is a flow state? How do we enter them? When do we have them? I'm joined by Professor Anna Abraham, a neuroscientist and psychologist who specialises in creativity. We cover the value of switching off in a hyper-busy world, and why creativity has a critical role to play in our futures and human happiness. The show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X. Their global portfolio of artis...

Illustrator Ollie Hirst joins me to discuss the importance of understanding the broader scope of illustration work, channeling our own adversities, and promotion. He is relatively new to the industry but has many valuable insights into working as an editorial illustrator and why it is unsustainable to rely on one market for income in these uncertain times. Stability is crucial for freelancers and...

The 2nd in the new series of articles written for Design Week, brought to you in audio format by The Creative Condition, supported by Illustration X.'Be Yourself' is strong advice... if you know what yourself means. Ben Tallon explores the idea of the self and ways we can better embrace all aspects of personality and feeling to illuminate the right path for our creative lives. Read in full at http...

Dan Kieran decided to leave Unbound, the crowd-funding publisher he co-founded in 2010. From the outside looking in, this was not a logical decision. But returning to his role as a writer felt right. We discuss this in-depth, why our instincts and feelings are often our greatest compass, and why we routinely defy them. This is a mazy chat about finding our way by learning to see the crumbs left in...

Dark nights, bad news and bad weather. The dangerous cocktail that awaits us in winter 2022 can be tempered and managed if we can find the right balance of physical activity, good nutrition and screen time. I'm joined by NuPhysio & Fitness founder Matt McArdle to discuss the vital importance of strengthening mental health by staying active and keeping our minds and creativity honed. With some...

Public services budget cuts. Free public space built on, sold off, privatised. Poverty rising. Violent crime soars. The mental health crisis deepens.2022 UK is a fierce place to grow up in 2022 if you are born into a fight. Without love, kindness, money, or guidance, bad things happen. We know this. The research supports what we already see and know and yet education continues to allow these unfor...

Kerry Lyons shares an all too familiar story of chasing success on the wrong terms before changing direction for the better. As a coach for creatives, Kerry helps people change their narrative and break from ties to old lives, careers, and false beliefs about their personalities and capabilities. She provides some superb tips for those feeling any level of dissatisfaction, or simply wishing to str...