The Creative Condition podcast

The full length version of this episode is also out now! There's a lot of fear out there. Pitching. Testing. Neurotesting. Data power. Nobody wants to fail and so nobody succeeds in the way those big, juicy, swaggering advertising campaigns can when the right balance of idea, risk, and attention to detail is struck.Erin Riley is moving up from U.S. CEO of TBWA/Chiat/Day, one of the world's biggest advertising agencies, to Global CEO of TBWA and we sit down right after the news to discuss why she wants to fight for creativity, to break through the algorithmic flattening of culture, and cultivate working environments that encourage risk and bold ideas.Erin worked client side under advertising legend Sir John Hegarty (Episode 75 for John), before taking a series of promotions. We get into her background, why her parents' encouragement to find her voice and build her identity was crucial, and what a CEO must do in a company with over 11,000 employees, trading on creativity.https://www.TBWA.com/https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition book and the brand new 'Anatomy of Creativity' map.Sponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/@_TheCreativeConditio al

There's a lot of fear out there. Pitching. Testing. Neurotesting. Data power. Nobody wants to fail and so nobody succeeds in the way those big, juicy, swaggering advertising campaigns can when the right balance of idea, risk, and attention to detail is struck.Erin Riley is moving up from U.S. CEO of TBWA/Chiat/Day, one of the world's biggest advertising agencies, to Global CEO of TBWA and we sit down right after the news to discuss why she wants to fight for creativity, to break through the algorithmic flattening of culture, and cultivate working environments that encourage risk and bold ideas.Erin worked client side under advertising legend Sir John Hegarty (Episode 75 for John), before taking a series of promotions. We get into her background, why her parents' encouragement to find her voice and build her identity was crucial, and what a CEO must do in a company with over 11,000 employees, trading on creativity.https://www.TBWA.com/https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition book and the brand new 'Anatomy of Creativity' map.Sponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/@_TheCreativeCondition

The brand new tool for better consciously understanding and commanding your creativity is here. 'The Anatomy of Creativity' is a universe of components that inform, modify, and impact our creativity on any given day. By working through, and gaining a sense of how the components affect you, and influence one another, you can identify blind spots, opportunities for growth, and strengths to lead with.This is an explainer, and the map is available in print, or as a digital file for the price of a pint at https://bentallonwriter.com/shop.Supported as ever by https://illustrationx.comTake a moment to help out the Ukrainian Institute by supporting their creative community during this time of war. https://ui.org.ua

What we learned about creativity from multidisciplinary artist Sara Prinsloo!You can listen to the highlights and the full-length episode now.Sara Prinsloo tells stories across many different mediums. She's an artist who draws upon her working-class roots and personality and is not afraid to use her flaws to blistering creative effect.From 'trashy Barbie' installations to sculpture and drawing, we discuss the links between her personality and this spectrum of work, and why pride in who you are and your people is a golden source of inspiration.Sara also balances full-time work in teaching, as a technician, and conducts workshops to help young people by helping them connect to their creativity.https://www.saraprinsloo.co.uk/https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookSponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/@_TheCreativeCondition

Sara Prinsloo tells stories across many different mediums. She's an artist who draws upon her working-class roots and personality and is not afraid to use her flaws to blistering creative effect.From 'trashy Barbie' installations to sculpture and drawing, we discuss the links between her personality and this spectrum of work, and why pride in who you are and your people is a golden source of inspiration.Sara also balances full-time work in teaching, as a technician, and conducts workshops to help young people by helping them connect to their creativity.https://www.saraprinsloo.co.uk/https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookSponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/@_TheCreativeCondition

The full-length version of episode 241 is also available now.Sara Prinsloo tells stories across many different mediums. She's an artist who draws upon her working-class roots and personality and is not afraid to use her flaws to blistering creative effect.From 'trashy Barbie' installations to sculpture and drawing, we discuss the links between her personality and this spectrum of work, and why pride in who you are and your people is a golden source of inspiration.Sara also balances full-time work in teaching, as a technician, and conducts workshops to help young people by helping them connect to their creativity.https://www.saraprinsloo.co.uk/https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookSponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/@_TheCreativeCondition

In the last episode, 'The Power of Naughty', I explored the benefits of chaos energy well channeled. But what do we do with the little f**kers? In this episode, I read the 'Dirty Energy' chapter of The Creative Condition book, in which several teachers, community workers, and professionals share thoughts on how we provide better tools for embattled young people to express themselves, and tap into a unique form of creativity.https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookSponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/@_TheCreativeCondition

Following on from the brilliant historian Professor Carl Chinn, I wanted to paint a layered picture of what it means to be working class, and the challenges we face in the arts in 2024. It is not a new phenomenon, but it is a problem that has been exacerbated over the 14 years from 2010-2024 under a Conservative government that preferred to heighten police powers and cut away arts and youth funding during a mental health crisis.As we move toward a glimmer of hope with a new Labour government, I read the 'Power of Naughty' chapter from The Creative Condition book, which better illustrates the nature of this beast than I could in a rambled monologue.  Part 2, 'Dirty Energy' is coming next.https://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookSponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uaHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28rwnz18j4

You can also enjoy the full-length and highlights episode now.Here's what we learned from Professor Carl Chinn discussing the working class and the arts in the 21st century.History has rarely been kind to the working class. Nor has the arts. Too often, those of us who make it into the creative industry and sustain careers do so despite our background and the class ceiling, not because of it.Professor Carl Chinn grew up in working-class Birmingham, surrounded by family, hearing stories that would prove his inspiration to become a successful historian. His work covers the history of Birmingham, the original peaky blinder gangs, and the urban working class and he earned the honour of MBE while still facing prejudice and skepticism because of his roots.We discuss the sharpened imposter syndrome felt by many working-class people, the ongoing battle for an egalitarian, democratic society that values the energy brought by the working class, and the role of community spaces in healing the terminal despondency tangible among working people.Sponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-carl-chinn-mbe-7577441b4?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.birminghambooks.co.uk/carl_chinnHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28rwnz18j4

You can also enjoy the shorter highlights episode now.History has rarely been kind to the working class. Nor has the arts. Too often, those of us who make it into the creative industry and sustain careers do so despite our background and the class ceiling, not because of it.Professor Carl Chinn grew up in working-class Birmingham, surrounded by family, hearing stories that would prove his inspiration to become a successful historian. His work covers the history of Birmingham, the original peaky blinder gangs, and the urban working class and he earned the honour of MBE while still facing prejudice and skepticism because of his roots.We discuss the sharpened imposter syndrome felt by many working-class people, the ongoing battle for an egalitarian, democratic society that values the energy of the working class, and the role of community spaces in healing the terminal despondency tangible among working people.Sponsored as ever by https://illustrationx.com who have a superb new quarterly illustration trends report here: https://www.illustrationx.com/uk/news/5992/trendx_-_april_2024and the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.uahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-carl-chinn-mbe-7577441b4?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.birminghambooks.co.uk/carl_chinnHosted by Ben Tallon https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com/shop for The Creative Condition bookhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28rwnz18j4