Creativity, spirituality and money with David Nichtern
David Nichtern is a Emmy-winning songwriter and composer, serial entrepreneur, and one of the world's leading teachers of Buddhism. So what does it really mean to combine creative spark, practical business-building and a profound spiritual practice? And what do you do...
read moreDiscovering your best future (even when your path isn’t clear), with Kay Hutchison
'I took myself right out of this life and started again - basically putting myself back together'. What do you do when your brilliant life goes off the rails? Kay Hutchison had a high-powered TV career and the lifestyle to match, when she realised it was all wrong....
read moreLove your superpowers, with Marianne Cantwell
From the outside, Marianne Cantwell looks like a classic 'laptop lifestyle' entrepreneur, travelling the world with her business. But it's her much quieter, approach of embracing empathy and life as a highly sensitive person that has made her the founder of a loyal...
read moreFun, fearlessness and founding a joyful business, with Harriet Kelsall
21 years ago Harriet Kelsall was making jewellery on the side of her day job in IT. Today she’s founder of her highly successful bespoke jewellery company (where she still finds time to design), as well as in-demand creative business mentor and Chairman of the British...
read moreHow to reinvent yourself, even when you feel you’ve failed, with Judy Apps
Judy Apps is a successful consultant and writer, helping people to communicate, and I wasn't expecting her story of years of what felt like failure and lack of direction. She tells the tale of her early career studying opera, and how an audition in Italy sent...
read moreThe joy of multiple passions, with Polymath author Waqās Ahmed
This is for you if you have way more interests, skills and things you want to do that the rest of the world can really get their head round. Waqās Ahmed spent five years researching extraordinary people to write The Polymath, a book that flies the flag for living a...
read moreA million book sales without a publisher, with author Mel Sherratt
Can you really become a million-selling novelist without a publisher or an agent? And if so, how? Author Mel Sharratt tells me how she went from redundancy to eleven best-sellers, and building the life as a full-time author that she'd dreamt of since childhood. But we...
read moreAnxiety, creativity and the power of yes, with Matthew Barley
If there's one thing that stops creative people releasing their full talents, it's anxiety. When anxiety takes over, you say NO to things. You stop having great ideas. You don't do the things that allow other people to experience your work. It isn't easy to beat...
read moreA passion for food, with chef and writer Alan Rosenthal
The Times called Alan Rosenthal 'one of Britain's top foodies' for his food columns and recipe books, his brand Stewed! and his work developing food and restaurants for big UK companies. Alan joins Joanna Pieters to talk about...
read moreKathryn Nicolai: becoming a writer, aphantasia and how to launch a hit podcast
When Kathryn Nicolai decided to launch a podcast Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, she didn't plan much fuss or fanfare. After all, she was a yoga teacher, not a writer. Since she was a small child, she'd told herself bedtime stories to get to...
read moreAnna Kunnecke: writing, beauty and the unexpected joy of order
How do you create when the world seems to be full of pain? How do you keep going when there are so many distractions? Today I talk to the wonderful Anna Kunnecke about the stories we tell ourselves and how we can turn them to our benefit. We talk about showing up 'as...
read moreAaron Dworkin: ‘You can do anything’, music, mentors and 500 rejections
Newsweek named Aaron Dworkin as one of the 15 people who make America great, but he was a bi-racial, adopted violin undergraduate with no money or connections when he had the idea for The Sphinx Organisation. 'Have you practiced?' asked his teacher? 'No,' he said,...
read moreYour zone of genius and how to rock your story, with Marsha Shandur
Marsha Shandur was living as she'd dreamed of for nearly 15 years: a job as a successful radio DJ, a life full of live gigs and music, on the brink of the big time. But there was something missing. (Whisper it: she was getting bored). So she took off. She moved...
read moreBeing unstoppable, with Monica Michelle of Invisible Not Broken
Monica Michelle had a thriving, six-figure photography business which she loved. She adored the families, the kids, the women who she did boudoir photos for, as well as the events and the travel she was in demand for. Health reasons had forced her to abandon a career...
read moreRoger Mavity: creativity myths and making mischief
Senior ad man, and CEO of one of Britain's leading design companies, or bestselling author and photographer? Roger Mavity is both, and joins me to debunk some creativity myths, talk about mischief making in the toilets (literally), and taking no nonsense from clients....
read moreMia Michaels: fear, courage and being a unicorn in a world of donkeys
Mia Michaels has reached the very top of her world, touring the globe and in demand by top stars and producers, TV shows and companies. But it wasn't always this way: she was once the misfit child with the leg brace, who was told repeatedly she had the wrong body to...
read moreCreativity, introversion and going all-in, with Michaela Chung
'A writer who is not writing is a danger to herself', says Michaela Chung. She's the creator of the hugely popular website Introvert Spring, author of two books and in-demand expert on how to thrive as an introvert. She joins me to talk about her own creative and...
read moreClaiming the story that’s yours, with author Sophie Sabbage
Sophie Sabbage lived and breathed books as a child: they healed her and made sense of her life. And yet it took decades and the diganosis of a terminal illness to make her finally sit down and write. The result was The Cancer Whisperer, a bestselling book that was...
read moreDarren Henley: 30+ books, a radio station, and the most influential UK arts job
Darren Henley doesn't much care for how things were done 'before' - he wants to know what people want now. He was journalist-turned-manager of a controversial, immensely popular classical music radio station, and now spends at least half his time touring England...
read moreBeating perfectionism and growing a community, with Carrie Brummer of Artist Strong
One day in her 20s, Carrie Brummer picked up her paintbrush in her sister's basement, with the knowledge it might be the last time. Facing an operation that could take her sight, and possibly her life, she immersed herself into creating two self-portraits. 'I just...
read moreHow to make better decisions and beat overwhelm, with Michael Nicholas
Do you get to the end of the day feeling that you used your time and energy in the best possible way? Although we're making decisions every moment of every day, most of the time we're not conscious of what goes on behind our 'rational' thinking. Michael Nicholas...
read moreFinding your creative brand, with Jonathan Tilley
You've launched your creative business, you've grown it to six-figures and more... then you find that someone else has stolen it. That happened to dancer, choregographer and voiceover artist Jonathan Tilley. But it started him on a journey that's led to an entirely...
read moreHow to get 3 million viewers and still create with joy, with artist Amrit Singh
Amrit Singh was a jobbing designer when a friend introduced him to the live-streaming app Periscope. In just 2 years he's attracted over 3 million viewers watching his live art and inspiration sessions. It's led to his own thriving art business, an international...
read moreHow to build a community who’ll bring your vision to life, with film director Elena Rossini
Subscribe to the Creative Life Show on iTunes Subscribe to the Creative Life Show on Android Subscribe to the Creative Life Show on RSS The board of TV execs seemed so positive. ‘Your presentation was the best one of the last round!’ they said. The film director Elena...
read moreShould I work with a friend? Lessons from the front line, with Jordan Lloyd
Creatives work best when they collaborate, right? And isn't it the ideal to work with a friend you know and like? Jordan Lloyd's work as a highly specialist photography colourist relies on strong relationships, but he's learnt the hard way. He shares the story of a...
read moreHow the coolest creative travel business nearly didn’t launch, with Geetika Agrawal of VAWAA
Geetika Agrawal has possibly the coolest business ever. Vacation with an Artist connects artists and craftspeople around the world with curious, engaged travellers who want to immerse themselves in learning or deepening a skill. She'd been dreaming about it for years,...
read moreHow to follow your intuition when the answer is crazy, with Retronaut founder Wolfgang Wild
Creative people sometimes get lost. Really lost. Wolfgang Wild was one of those. He'd spent years flitting between jobs, searching for the fulfilment he could never find. Then he had a moment of realisation, asking himself a question that he'd asked himself plenty of...
read moreHow to value your work to earn more with Anabel Roque Rodriguez
If you do creative work of any kind, the way you value your work and your own skills is crucial. Anabel Roque Rodriguez has practical, inspiring advice on how to take back control when it feels as though the world doesn't value what you do. Get the free download here:...
read moreAre you sharing your work in progress? Why it’s essential, with Noah Scalin of Creative Sprint
Noah's the co-creator of the brilliant Creative Sprint process, as well as an artist, creativity consultant and author. Until now, it's been a free 30-day live series, but he and his sister Mica Scalin have just published Creative Sprint, a book of six month-long...
read moreHow to beat self-doubt but stay true to yourself, with illustrator-turned-author Alice Stevenson
Download the notes: 5 lessons in how to take on a creative project well outside your normal creative comfort zone If you have a dream of expanding your creative work into a new area, but don't believe it will ever happen, this is the perfect episode for you. Becoming...
read moreHow to have unlimited ideas, with Rob Eastaway
There are two essential themes in this week's show with Rob Eastaway. We talk about the power of ideas, and getting a big creative idea off the ground with a partner who's much bigger than you are (and yes, it is possible!) Rob shares how he approached London's...
read moreHow to do a show 1700 times and still stay creative, with William Rycroft
Imagine signing up to perform a show 8 times a week for 6 months. Then imagine doing it for a year more, and another and another, but still having to keep your performance as fresh as the first night. William Rycroft did just that, clocking up an extraordinary 1700...
read moreWillpower: the secret power to change your life, with Ros Taylor
Willpower. We have it or not, right? And some days, it just vanishes. I've been fascinated by the link between willpower and creativity for years. How much is getting our creative work out down to self- And how much can we change the amount of willpower we have? Ros...
read moreHow to prove your critics wrong, with Kerry Nicholls
Subscribe on iTunes here What do you do when the shining future you have mapped out has to change, but everyone tells you it's over? At 23 Kerry Nicholls was told by colleagues, friends and dance bookers that her career was over, when she become pregnant unexpectedly....
read moreHow to beat your fear of being boring, with Emma Stroud
Subscribe on iTunes here Do you love being a creative but hate having to put yourself 'out there'? I've brought in the brilliant Emma Stroud to talk about the importance of telling our own stories as creatives. Should we wear our heart on our sleeve, or let our work...
read moreThe joy of a full-time creative business on Twitter, with Moose Allain
Subscribe on iTunes here If you've dreamed of escaping from a traditional job to the seaside to make a living from your creativity, this is for you. Artist and 'professional doodler' Moose Allain and his wife Karen did just that. They have a thriving business...
read moreHow to get more creative focus, with Future Brain author Dr Jenny Brockis
Get the free download: The Creative's Distraction Buster: 5 steps to eliminate distraction and work in the best way for your brain, my free instant guide to how you can be more focused and more creative, immediately. What would you achieve with more focus in...
read moreHow to survive a catastrophic commission, with Katharine Coleman
When you’re a professional creative, things go wrong. Sometimes things go HORRIBLY wrong. Katharine Coleman is a leading international glass artist, with nerves of steel. If you think that your medium is hard, just try working with something that can shatter with one...
read moreThe courage to crowdfund a bestseller, with photographer Laura Dodsworth
Photographer and storyteller Laura Dodsworth was a successful wedding photographer when she felt pulled to create a far more terrifying project: photographing 100 women and talking to them about their bodies. It became the hugely successful Bare Reality, and an...
read moreHow to talk brilliantly about your creative work (even if you hate speaking), with Caroline Goyder
What does it take to get 2.3 million views for a TEDx talk? Top voice coach Caroline Goyder joins me to talk about how to create presence and authority as a creative, and the story of her own books (including the long journey to be published) and online success. As...
read moreStop planning, start playing, with Designing your Life author Dave Evans
Download the transcript of our conversation here What do you do when your values clash with your lifestyle - but you love it? Dave Evans talks about how he went from high-profile Silicon Valley creative who never saw his kids to running the Life Lab at Stanford - a...
read moreCreating art through pain, with kinetic painter Norman Perryman
Painter Norman Perryman describes himself as 'a musician who was born an artist'. He creates live performances with classical orchestras and musicians, live painting to the music. On today's Creative Life Show we talk about how he goes about creating a new art form,...
read moreMaking emotion the heart of your work, with composer Roxanna Panufnik
Roxanna Panufnik is one of Britain's most popular classical composers. She’s particularly known for her works for choirs, and next year will see the premiere of a new opera, Silver Birch, which draws on stories of World War 1 as well as contemporary experiences of war...
read moreThe power of sensitivity, with Mindapples founder Andy Gibson
What if your moods and emotions were just signposts to how to live a fuller life? Andy Gibson has made it his job to help us prioritise our mental health as much as our physical wellbeing, so we can lead rich and creative lives. Andy talks about his own journey to set...
read moreComing back after rejection, with Psychologies editor Suzy Greaves
Leading life coach, author and editor of one of the UK's most successful women's magazines, Suzy Greaves shares her painfully honest story of how her first book went disastrously wrong. We talk about how her inner critic scuppered what seemed the opportunity of a...
read morePower up your creative brain, with Brainhack author Neil Pavitt
How's your brain doing? Today I'm talking with Neil Pavitt about how we can make the most of our grey matter to make us more creative and less stressed. Neil's new book Brainhack is a fast, fun user's guide to the brain, and I quiz him on how we can put his tips into...
read moreWhat to do when someone steals your work, with Emma Hammett
Can you be creative running a 'functional' service business? I talk to Emma Hammett about her journey from nurse to author, regular TV guest, columnist and founder of award-winning company First Aid for Life. Emma shares how her first attempt at hiring went...
read moreHow to rediscover your inner 5 year old, with Simple Thinking author Richard Gerver
If you'd like to solve your problems with more creativity, curiosity and fun, my conversation with Richard Gerver is for you. When you were five, you were full of creativity, fun and ideas. You were curious about everything, you took risks and didn't worry about...
read moreHow to have a huge impact working alone, with Nicola Peel
Nicola Peel is an environmentalist, film-maker and self-described solutionologist, based in the Amazon. She’s spent her career finding solutions to questions like: how do we get clean water when all the local water is untreatable? How do we deal with plastic rubbish,...
read moreFrom freelance frustration to your own design label, with Shona Easton
If you were in the UK in 1990s and early 2000s, you undoubtedly saw Shona Easton's handbags around. As head of handbag design for Next, she created bags which sold by the thousand, before setting up her own label creating beautiful, must-have and ethical designs....
read moreHow to get your creative work finished, with Mike Monday
How would your life be different if you could get your creative work finished? If your work is hiding in a drawer or a computer because you don't think it's good enough, my conversation with Mike Monday is essential listening. Mike Monday, now an international DJ and...
read moreHow to succeed as a writer in tough times, with Jessica Duchen
Novelist, playwright, journalist, librettist and blogger, Jessica Duchen has been writing professionally for nearly 30 years, during which time the world for writers has changed beyond recognition. While many writers have given up, defeated by decreasing rates,...
read moreWhat to do when no one believes in you, with Laura Kriefman
It’s a dark October evening sky over the Bristol docks. There’s the low buzz of a gathering crowd, ten thousand people moving towards the water, puzzled, laughing, wondrous. They look upwards at the huge, dark, sculptural shapes of three industrial cranes with...
read moreHow to handle creative resistance, with Nick Williams
Click here to download the notes on how Nick deals with creative resistance to create 13 books and numerous other creative projects, plus tips for your creative life 'Wherever there is great inspiration and there is our soul’s purpose, not far away there will be...
read moreThe power of taking on big issues, with Maggie Semple
If you tried to pin a label on Maggie Semple, OBE, she’d be leaping away to the next big thing before you could get anywhere near. Dancer, choreographer, high-level public servant, blue-chip leadership and diversity consultant, justice advisor, fashion label founder....
read moreHow to change your life by changing your reactions, with Jez Rose
Are you full of ideas but can't keep on top of them? Or just overwhelmed by life getting in the way? Today I have a fabulous conversation with The Behaviour Expert, Jez Rose. Jez is an internationally in-demand speaker and coach who spends his time getting inside our...
read moreHow’s your creative life? Your personal Unstuckness Audit
In this first episode, I ask you: how's your creative life today? Are you in full creative flow, or, if you're honest, a bit frustrated and stuck? I take you through the Unstuckness Audit. This is a great tool so that you can work out where there might be some...
read moreHow to stop people-pleasing and be really productive instead, with Grace Marshall
Do you ever feel that there’s just too much stuff getting in the way of you achieving what you want to? Or find yourself prioritising what other people want from you? If so, my conversation with Grace Marshall is essential listening. Grace has inspired me for years....
read moreHow to discover unlimited creativity by starting small, with Noah Scalin
It's a thrill to launch Creative LIfe Show interviews with the artist and activist Noah Scalin. On the surface, Noah is a successful artist, consultant and writer. But his story started as a frustrated, bored graphic designer, desperate to get himself out of a rut. On...
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