

The Creative Condition podcast
Ben Tallon
Welcome to 'The Creative Condition' podcast: an ongoing exploration of human creativity to help you understand and maximise yours. The show is hosted by creativity coach, Founder of The Creative Condition, and The New York Times, Adidas, and Premier League illustrator Ben Tallon. Creativity is an often misunderstood pillar of human happiness, something far bigger than artistic talent and crucial for fulfilling lives and careers. Featuring exclusive interviews with experts and thought leaders, including illustrators, rock stars, artists, sensitivity experts, designers, emergency service workers, Olympic gold medal winners, comedians, microbiologists, photographers, fighters, and many others.Supported by founding sponsor illustrationx.com. Also supported by the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.ua
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 30, 2025 • 14min
The Creativity Diary Entry 17: ABOLISH THE PARASITE CLASS
A responsive instalment of The Creativity Diary as I drive under a motorway bridge and struggle to get past the graffiti message painted on it.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jul 23, 2025 • 1h 25min
Ep 269: PJ Richardson, Laundry co-founder on playing in the chaos of agency creativity
PJ Richardson discovered graffiti. It brought him fulfilment when chaos was present in his early life.
The chaos hasn't gone away; it has only changed shape and form. We discuss his journey from painting walls to leading a Los Angeles-based motion and design studio, what today's chaos looks like, and how he finds the space to create great art within it in the commercial world.
We discuss:
Trauma and resilience
Abandon mindset when all else seems lost
The need to create 'sandboxes' and 'playgrounds' to avoid stifling creativity with procedure and protocol.
Laundry's conception and evolution.
https://www.laundry.studio/
As ever, The Creative Condition podcast is supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session or my 'The Creative Condition' workshop now at https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jul 16, 2025 • 15min
The Creativity Diary Entry 16: Porn mag reflection, parenting lessons about elements, the perfect nap
Covered in this instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
The perfect nap
Porn magazine reflections and the importance of accepting our roots and creativity context
Parenting lessons and humans encountering their element
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jul 9, 2025 • 1h 8min
Ep 268: BURNOUT! Emily Heird breaks down what it is, what it’s not, and what steps you can take to get better
As awareness of both the shiny clock towers and the most hidden caves of mental health grows, it's become increasingly common to self- or misdiagnose.
'Burnout' can be tossed around too lightly. I've done it myself. I came to understand what I felt was overwhelm.
I'm joined by Cognitive Performance Strategist and burnout coach Emily Herird to discuss a condition intertwined with the crazed pace of our 21st century lives. She explains what burnout is, what it's not, and what steps we can take to avoid it, or get better.
We discuss:
What burnout feels like
What it's not
Why people. burn out
How people can recover, or begin creating space for rest and nourishing activities
The role of modern life and the ubiquity of technology
Common mistakes people make leading to burnout
https://vantageviewcoaching.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-heird/
As ever, The Creative Condition podcast is supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session or my 'The Creative Condition' workshop now at https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jul 7, 2025 • 10min
Brew Brain Dump 8: Is the word ’creativity’ a part of the problem?
A moment with The Creative Condition founder Ben Tallon as he shares creativity-led thoughts, insights, lessons, feelings, and observations for the duration of one brew (hot beverage).
Today, join me as I interrogate the word creativity to see if it's doing my ambitions to see it better understood more harm than good.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session or my 'The Creative Condition' workshop now at https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
Access creativity resources including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jul 2, 2025 • 13min
The Creativity Diary Entry 15: Outraged by silly outrage, the things you do so naturally we overlook them, people stuck on the side of the road,
Covered in this instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
Outraged by outrage
The people on the roadside
A simple comment reminds me of something key about creativity
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jun 25, 2025 • 1h 20min
Ep 267: Jamhot co-founder Graeme McGowan on the creative industry landscape in the latest revolution
Was there ever a good time to start a business?
Jamhot and I both entered the creative industry during the financial crash of 2008. Do we now look back and make a distorted comparison to the insanity of today? Or do we recognise that there was never a good time to throw ourselves into this creative life?
We discuss:
Storytelling and surviving
Receiving reckless emails
Being open to change
Lunch clubs and the need for in-person community for optimal creativity
Not forming ideas from assumptions
Balancing rest and productivity
https://thisisjamhot.com/
As ever, The Creative Condition podcast is supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session or my 'The Creative Condition' workshop now at https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jun 19, 2025 • 15min
Brew Brain Dump 7: The missing piece of a dream job!
A moment with The Creative Condition founder Ben Tallon as he shares creativity-led thoughts, insights, lessons, feelings, and observations for the duration of one brew (hot beverage).
Today, join me as I share my Eureka! moment as I recognised a big lacking part of my dream job puzzle, and ask you to assess yours.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session or my 'The Creative Condition' workshop now at https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
Access creativity resources including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jun 18, 2025 • 20min
The Creativity Diary Entry 14: AI mania, a moment under the station stairs, and lessons from a doctor
Covered in this week's instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
AI and the need for mental healthcare
A moment of connection under the station stairs
Lessons from a doctor
The joys of getting lost
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua

Jun 11, 2025 • 19min
Ep 266: RECLAIM THE THRONE! Why regaining ownership of our minds begins with our arses
Reclaim the Throne is The Creative Condition’s campaign to recognise the need for a downtime revolution.
The resistance to the big tech coup of our minds starts with our arses.
From there, we will reclaim the bus stop, the park bench, the underground train, the taxi, waiting rooms, receptions, and the good old walk from A to B.
These clutches of two, five, and ten-minute windows add up to a valuable, regular chunk of time to spend on something better than the algorithm sludge we’ve been pumping into our brains for too long.
I hope you’ll join the cause and report back with news of your own glorious anointment.
https://www.thecreativecondition.com/throne
As ever, The Creative Condition podcast is supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session or my 'The Creative Condition' workshop now at https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at https://thecreativecondition.com
Help the Ukrainian Institute's brave creative community during a horrific time of war at https://ui.org.ua


