André Anderson on aspirational play, upward spirals and how the world belongs to the people who tell stories

In this episode of Out of the Clouds, host Anne Mühlethaler interviews André Anderson, an author, educator, and the founder of Freedom and Balance art college. Anne first encountered Andre during his impactful TEDx talk at Hackney Empire in London and was immediately drawn to his innovative approach to storytelling.

André tells Anne about his journey from a creative child who loved making imagery, writing stories and dreaming of his own media empire to becoming a self-published author and community storyteller. He explains how his first book "Ultra" — written in just 12 days on his Blackberry — opened unexpected doors and taught him the principle that "the more you create, the freer you become."

Their conversation also explores André's groundbreaking project "Authors of the Estate," for which he transformed his Northwest London council estate into a publishing house. Andre explains how this initiative challenged negative narratives about his community by empowering residents to author their own stories. He likens this work to the tradition of oral historians in West Africa (called griot), highlighting how storytelling serves as both cultural preservation and a political act. André also mentions "Chalk Hill," the second book that followed "Authors of the Estate" in his publishing journey.

Anne and André discuss the etymology of words like "author" and "education," as André explains how understanding their roots has shaped his approach to creativity and teaching. André also explains how his art college, Freedom and Balance, creates environments for people to discover their unique creative language through play. He shares his realization that facilitation is about asking powerful questions rather than providing all the answers, describing his role memorably: "I am Gandalf, and all of my tools, or all of my magic, is tools of play."

Anne and André delve into the importance of aspirational play for adults in an increasingly AI-driven world, with André suggesting that play might be the most distinctly human activity that cannot be replaced by technology. They examine how imperfection, vulnerability and the willingness to make mistakes can become powerful educational tools and discuss André's project "Love Letters for My Peoples," which uses love as a framework for creativity and connection.

Throughout the conversation, André shares his philosophy of "heart work" — creative work that incorporates strands of one's authentic self — and reflects on the importance of process over product. André even makes a compelling comparison between his "Authors of the Estate" project and Nas's seminal album "Illmatic," referring to it as his defining work that fans always want to hear again. The episode concludes with André's thoughtful responses to Anne's closing lightning round questions, revealing his deep connection to creativity, his appreciation for his mother's early support of his creative pursuits and his belief that happiness comes from knowing the world has heard you.

A profound conversation about reclaiming narratives, finding freedom through creativity and the transformative power of play. Happy listening!

About André Anderson

Freedom & Balance is an Art College for the artist in everyone. They create programs that help organizations shape their future through play and help communities playfully grow into the type of leaders their world looks for. Andre and his team have worked with notable organizations including BBC, Google, Samsung, Estee Lauder, and The Guardian.

Selected links from episode

• Authors of the Estate
• Chalk Hill - Andre's follow-up book
• Freedom and Balance Art College
• Andre's TEDx talk on Aspirational Play
• https://www.freedomandbalance.com/loveletters
• Gamestorming book
• A Beautiful Constraint book
• Nas - Illmatic - The album Andre compared to his "Authors of the Estate" project
• The Arthur theme song “Believe in yourself”
• Follow Andre on Instagram
• Connect with Andre on LinkedIn

This episode is brought to you by Le Trente

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