Arrest All Mimics: The Original Thinking And Creative Innovation Podcast

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 Lauren for many years and Jeffrey lets us in on the inner workings.The podcast is supported by Illustration X. Https://illustrationx.com for their global range of illustrators and animators.https://madoffproductions.com/https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

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 can see their global roster of artists, illustrators and animators at https://illustrationx.comhttps://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

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.Why is it important to feel, and find out what is right for our creativity at any given time, when it is all too easy to stick with what we've always done, staying in our comfort zone?Adelaide's story is a superb showcase of the great things that can happen when we stay true to our heart and listen to the soul.The Creative Condition is supported by Illustration X. Head to https://illustrationx.com to see their incredible global range of illustrators and animators.Photograph by Carla Van De Puttellar https://www.instagram.com/carlavandeputtelaar/?hl=enhttps://adelaidedamoahart.com/https://instagram.com/adelaidedamoahhtt

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 22nd - 25th March and tickets are still available. Head to https://www.offf.barcelona/ now to find out more.The show is supported by Illustration X. You can see their global range of illustrators and animators at https://illustrationx.com now.

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 supported by https://illustrationx.comhttps://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.comhttps://designweek.co.uk

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 purer years of play and exploration? Why did we choose to go to art or design school? And when did we last stop to check we were still on the right course, and not just making money, or chasing someone else's definition of success?Peleg Top is a coach and mentor for accomplished creatives at a crossroads. We discuss his own story, and how his own emptiness as a designer left him in what he calls a 'spiritual crisis' before beginning to reconnect to his purpose. Digging into the observations and lessons he has learned, and now shares, we lay out some of the most common traps and remedies for others at their own personal c

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.ukhttps://bentallonwriter.comhttps://bentallon.comhttps://illustrationx.com

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 with the insurmountable monsters in our lives.The show is supported by Illustration X. Check out their global range of illustration and animation portfolios now at https://illustrationx.comhttps://www.samdcruze.com/child-of#:~:text=child%20of%20launched%20at%20the,through%20art%2C%20mentorship%20and%20workshops.https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

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 time he was 22. His story is among the greatest examples of using initiative, passion and play to overcome economic and cultural hurdles and make something unique, that had soul. He opens up about the ideas, attitude and methods behind it, and provides golden advice for those looking to thrive on their terms in troubled times.He would go on to edit GQ and Hotdog before creating Leeds, Leeds, Leeds Magazine through passion for his boyhood club, Leeds United and new time on his hand thanks to sobriety.James' excellent new memoir, 'Animal House' is incredibly motivating, and is out now: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/ani

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 role of in-person socialising and positive relationships away from the screen among many other things.Out tomorrow! Supported by IllustrationX https://illustrationx.comhttps://studiobnd.com/https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

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.comillustrationx.com

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 visual communication world.The show is supported by founding sponsor Illustration X. Their global portfolio of artists, illustrators, and animators can be seen at https://illustrationx.comhttps://bentallon.comhttps://dixonbaxi.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com

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 artists, illustrators, and animators can be seen at https://illustrationx.comhttps://bentallon.comhttp://www.anna-abraham.com/https://bentallonwriter.com

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 he provides tips and experiences on the matter.Supported by Illustration X: https://illustrationx.comhttps://www.olliehirst.co.uk/https://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.'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 https://designweek.co.ukhttps://bentallonwriter.comhttps://bentallon.comhttps://illustrationx.com

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 our path. Dan shares an inspiring story of overcoming adversity that will blow your mind!Supported by https://illustrationx.comhttps://twitter.com/dan_kieranhttps://unbound.com/https://bentallon.comhttps://www.idler.co.uk/

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 great takeaway tips and insights for all levels of physical fitness.The show is supported by Illustration X. See their broad range of illustration and animation portfolios now at https://illustrationx.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nuphysioandfitness/https://bentallon.com

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 unfortunate young people, who are all of our futures, to fall into the cracks.Too many of them end up in various secure children's units, where great work is being done to give them a chance of rebuilding broken lives.I'm joined by an unnamed head of home from one of the units to discuss her experiences of using creativity, care, and respect to tune into young people who have suffered and caused suffering when it need not be this way.It's a fascinating look at why further punishment and demonisation are not the way, and why a broader life education is essential for those who have not had a good start in life.Please subscr

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 streamline their own creativity.Today's show is supported by illustration and animation agency IllustrationX. Visit them at https://illustrationx.comhttps://www.kerrylyons.com/https://www.instagram.com/iamkerrylyons/https://bentallon.comhttps://bentallonwriter.com