With a 40-year career in the toy and art supply industry, most recently as CEO at Faber-Castell USA, Jamie Gallagher brings a wealth of insight into how creative companies function. He is the founder of 4 the Win, which fosters creativity and innovation among individuals, teams, organizations and communities through four pillars of success: Purpose, Culture, Creativity, and Clarity. Drawing upon Jamie’s experiences leading teams at Lego, Playmobil, and Faber-Castell, we discuss both barriers and accelerants to innovation, which have everything to do with mindset, trust, and culture. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to contemplate the four accelerators of purpose, culture, creativity and clarity, and consider how you could bring them more intentionally into your creative and professional work. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD, Episode 23: The Corporate Mystic with Stephanie Crain, and Episode 27: The Spirit of Collaboration with Attorney and Musician Randy Langford.At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: 4theWin PartnersJamie Gallagher on LinkedInBook: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtBook: Deep Work by Cal NewportFaber-Castell USAShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

In this installment of our Creative Spark series of bite-size, mini-episodes, Melinda & Charlotte discuss the importance of giving back to our creative communities. This could take the form of mentoring or guiding others, or just simply lending a helping hand with someone’s creative work or process. Helping others can also help us out of our own creative ruts. We might not think we have anything insightful to share, but we probably have more wisdom than we realize; what might seem obvious or second-nature to us, could actually be a revelation to someone else. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, includes insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, ask yourself: what's one way you can share your knowledge with others and/or give back to your creative community? Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce, Episode 31: The Power of Collaboration, and Episode 35: Navigating the Creative Wilderness. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!

Picking up where we left off in Part 1 (Episode 34), we continue the conversation about creativity and transpersonal psychology with Marina Smirnova, Ph.D., head of the Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health specialization within the Humanistic Psychology program at Saybrook University, and a professor of transpersonal psychology, or the psychology of spirituality. We explore questions of meaning-making, integration, and expanded states of consciousness, as well as learning to trust ourselves and to honor our own intuitive guidance with respect to our creative and professional work. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera, Episode 23: The Corporate Mystic with Stephanie Crain, and Episode 34: Creativity and Transpersonal Psychology Part 1.At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: Marina’s Faculty Profile at Saybrook UniversityDr. Stanislav GrofChristina GrofArticle: Spiritual Emergency: The Understanding and Treatment of Spiritual Crises by Cristina Grof and Stanislav GrofCarl JungJoseph CampbellDr. John Edward MackShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

In this episode of our Creative Spark series, we explore the creative call to adventure and subsequent journey through the wilderness. We often start our creative projects with a sense of inspiration and excitement, only to flounder along the way, or plunge into self-doubt. Never fear - this is actually part of the process, and if we can learn to navigate this wilderness, our work can actually benefit from it. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, includes insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to listen to the creative call to adventure, and to heed it, even if the way feels scary or uncertain. Sometimes following the call can change our wok and our lives in ways we never imagined.  Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce, Episode 22: Creative Play, and Episode 33: Incubation & The Power of Time Away. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteDocumentary - Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain Institute of American Indian ArtsInternal Family Systems TherapyShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

Where do our creative ideas and inspirations come from? For many of us, our creativity is deeply intertwined with questions of meaning, consciousness, and spirituality. Our guest today is Marina Smirnova, Ph.D., head of the Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health specialization within the Humanistic Psychology program at Saybrook University, and a professor of transpersonal psychology, or the psychology of spirituality. Our conversation explores our own early childhood experiences of the transpersonal, as well as how landscape and environment affect our lives, and how we understand creativity as a meaning-making process. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD, and Episode 21: The Walk of Faith and Courage with Shakespearean Actor Warren "Ren" Jackson, and Episode 32: Creativity & Synchronicity with Dr. Steven Pritzker.At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: Marina’s Faculty Profile at Saybrook UniversityArticle: The Practice of Transpersonal PsychologyBook: The Soul’s Code by James HillmanDr. Stanislav GrofDr. Joseph Campbell and The Hero’s JourneyShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte emphasize the importance of creative incubation, and of stepping away from our work at key moments in order to gain the perspective to move forward in a productive way. This is not the same as procrastination or avoidance; it is a strategic move in the creative process that allows us to return to the work with fresh eyes. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, includes insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to consider how you might meaningfully embrace creative incubation, or step away from a work in progress, whether for a day, a week, or more, in order for to gain the perspective or insight needed to return to it with a sense of freshness and renewed purpose.  Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce, Episode 29: Iteration, and Episode 31: The Power of Collaboration.At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

How does synchronicity shape a creative life? In this episode, we explore how a shared connection, a chance meeting, or a risk taken can lead to opportunities we may never have imagined possible. Our guest is Dr. Steven Pritzker, Co-Editor of the The Encyclopedia of Creativity, Professor of Creativity Studies at Saybrook University, and a renowned television writer for Emmy-winning shows Room 222 and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, as well as writer/producer on a number of shows including Breaking Away, The Partridge Family, The Loveboat, and many more. We also discuss what it means to live a creative life. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to find ways to embrace and express your own unique creativity, to seize creative opportunities that arise, and to live a life that is fully engaged, whatever that looks like for you. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera, and Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhDAt Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: Dr. Steven Pritzker’s Saybrook University ProfileRoom 222 (TV Show)The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Encyclopedia of CreativityThe Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership Program at Saybrook UniversityShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte discuss the power of collaboration. It’s in our name, Syncreate: synergy and co-creation. We can accomplish so much more through collaboration than we can on our own. We describe own experiences of collaboration, and how you can harness the power of collaboration in your own creative work. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, includes insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to go on a walk in nature, observe the world around you, and all the ways you draw inspiration from your surroundings, which is also a form of collaboration. Alternatively, find and connect with a collaborator who complements your strengths so that you’re each bringing something different to the table in a creative synergy.Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 7: The Syncreate Story, Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce, Episode 22: Creative Play, and Episode 29: Iteration.At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteColors of Love Music ShowSyncreate Podcast Episode 3: Creative Polymathy with Michael WalkerCreative Mornings AustinSyncreate Podcast Episode 30: Creative Mornings AustinDavid Whyte Poem: Everything is Waiting for YouShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

Ben Thoma and Brian Thompson are the Co-Founders of Creative Mornings Austin, a local chapter of Creative Mornings, a monthly creative gathering in cities around the world. Described as “church for creatives,” Creative Mornings includes coffee and breakfast, a musical guest, and a presentation by a member of the local community, in a different location each month. The mantra of Creative Mornings Austin is “Everyone is creative, and everyone is welcome.” Our conversation explores the nature of creativity, the importance of creative community, the notion of “genius,” and tips for sparking your own creativity. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, try giving yourself a creative prompt, along the lines of an advertising brief, with specific constraints. It’s hard to stare at a blank page or a blank canvas, so give yourself some parameters, a “box” to start within and work your way out from. For examples, you can find many prompts in our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera, Episode 17: Creative Collaboration with Syncreate Podcast Producer Mike Osborne, and Episode 28: The Spirit of Collaboration with Attorney & Musician Randy Langford.. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube @ Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: Creative Mornings GlobalCreative Mornings AustinElizabeth Gilbert on GeniusAustin Kleon - Author of Steal Like an Artist + Show Your WorkBen Thoma on LinkedInBrian Thomas’ Website - brandwriter.comShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing Coach

In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe the process of iteration, where we revise, refine, rehearse, and otherwise fine-tune and polish up our creative work to bring it to completion. Sometimes iteration requires radical cutting, editing, and reworking. We liken this process to pruning, which actually allows a tree or bush to grow and thrive more fully. It can be painful, but it’s often necessary to bring a piece of work to its final form. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, includes insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, take a piece of your creative work that’s in progress, and try editing it, radically re-working it, or starting it over in a completely new way. How might you tell the story differently? What needs cutting? What if you changed the tempo of the song? Notice how the project evolves as a result of this iteration. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 7: The Syncreate Story, Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce, Episode 22: Creative Play, Episode 24: Creative Planning, and Episode 26: Produce!. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in July. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram & TikTok under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteAuthor: Katherine Anne PorterSyncreate Podcast Episode 14: Anatomy of a Song with Singer/Songwriter George McCormackShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

How do we move from healing to wholeness in body, mind, and spirit? How can we communicate and create from a place of deep integrity? We explore these questions with podcaster, workshop facilitator & former NFL player Eben Britton. After 7 years in the NFL, Eben has embarked on a journey of healing and wellness, which he shares via his podcast, workshops, and retreats. His work includes restorative practices such as yoga, meditation, and breath work, as well as practices to enhance communication, relationships, and authenticity. We discuss Eben’s journey from healing to wholeness, as well as the psychology of wellness, intuition, and individuation. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to take some time for retreat, whatever that means for you, in order to rest and rejuvenate. That could mean signing up for a formal retreat, or simply taking some time off the busyness of life to rest and refocus on what’s really important.Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 2: Embodiment and Creativity with Thais Bicalho Silva, Episode 4: Stewarding Change with Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer Reem Khashou & Episode 15: Leadership, Burnout & Personal Sustainability with Dr. Katherine Semler. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in April. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: Eben’s WebsiteEben’s InstagramThe Eben Flow PodcastHeal & Flow Event March 23-24 in Wimberley, TXBook: The Way of the Superior Man by David DeidaBook: Iron John by Robert BlyBook: Wild at Heart by John & Stasi EldridgeDave MeltzerBook: Women Who Run with the Wolves by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola EstésShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate YouTubeSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInMelinda Rothouse Website

Collaboration is vital for getting things done, for innovation, and for solving complex problems. But do we really understand collaboration, and what distinguishes it from coordination, cooperation, and even teamwork? According to our current guest, Randy Langford, collaboration involves people in community using communication to express their needs, and offer resources to support one another, for a common purpose. It’s basically the opposite of competition.Randy is an Austin-based attorney, professor, and musician with a focus on collaboration and restorative justice. He worked as a criminal defense attorney before turning his attention to more collaborative legal practices. We discuss his journey from the ranches of southeast Texas, through law school and the criminal justice system, to championing collaboration through his law practice and teaching. Randy is also a prolific singer-songwriter, and he and Melinda have recently been collaborating on music and performance. We discuss our musical collaboration and share a couple of songs from our current collaborative show, Colors of Love.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, reflect on how you collaborate in your creative, professional, and personal life. Try embracing the spirit of collaboration in asking for what you need, sharing resources, and supporting your collaborators toward a common purpose. If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, Episode 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Attorney Dylan Hayre, Episode 14: Anatomy of a Song with Singer/Songwriter George McCormack, and Episode 17: Creative Collaboration with Syncreate Podcast Producer Mike Osborne. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in April. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and Patreon. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: Randy Langford’s Law WebsiteRestorative JusticeShamanacana, Randy’s Music SiteRandy’s YouTube Channel, including full videos of the songs from this EpisodeMelinda Joy Music WebsiteShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse Website

In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe the final phase of the creative process: Produce. In this phase, according to our Syncreate model, we move toward completion of our creative work. This is where we refine, iterate, polish, get feedback, and ultimately share our creative efforts with the world. It’s also where we celebrate and give back to our creative communities. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, includes insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to recognize how far you’ve traveled already on your creative journey, and to celebrate your milestones, along with your accomplishments. We also emphasize the importance of recognizing, celebrating, and empowering your creative community. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 7: The Syncreate Story, Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce, Episode 22: Creative Play, and Episode 24: Creative Planning. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in April. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram & TikTok under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteSyncreate Podcast Episode 14: Anatomy of a Song with Singer/Songwriter George McCormackSyncreate Podcast Episode 17: Creative Collaboration - The Joy and The Pain with Syncreate Podcast Producer Mike OsborneBook: Swim Home ot the Vanished by Brendan Shay BashamBook: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererSong: Fuel by Black ThoughtArtist Ernie BarnesShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate LinkedInSyncrea

What distinguishes creativity from other modes of thinking and being? How do we understand creativity from a neuroscientific perspective, and how do psychedelics affect creativity? We explore these questions with Bradley Cooke, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and Program Director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Cooke oversees the nation's portfolio of research into the neurobiology of obesity and diabetes. He’s also a visual artist with an interest in psychedelics research. We explore how creativity lives on a spectrum between order and chaos, between predictability and surprise, as exemplified by the Italian term sprezzatura, a sense of careless grace, casual elegance, or intentional nonchalance. Our Creativity Pro-Tip encourages you to consider the times, places, and conditions where you feel most creative, and to intentionally foster those conditions to support your creative pursuits. This often requires setting aside the to-do list, and carving out time for our creative process.Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera, and Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD.At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in April. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org.Episode-specific hyperlinks: Bradley Cooke, Ph.D. on LinkedInThe Art of SprezzaturaDr. Dan Siegel on Chaos, Rigidity, and IntegrationMy Funny Valentine - Miles Davis & John ColtraneBrad’s Research Portfolio at the National Institutes of HealthArticle: Psychedelics as Potential Catalysts of Scientific Creativity and InsightArticle: 7 Ways Psychedelics Impact Creative ThinkingShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate TwitterSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse Website

In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe the Plan, or organizational, phase of the creative process. The word “plan” might not immediately come to mind when we think about creativity, but planning and organization are actually vital to bringing a creative idea to the world. We discuss how convergent and divergent thinking figure into the creative process, as well as the importance of setting creative goals and milestones. We also share personal examples of how planning allows us to move forward with our creative work in a productive way, along with insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we focus on accountability partnership, where we enlist the help of a friend, colleague, or collaborator to help hold us accountable to our creative goals. Accountability partnerships can be formal or informal, but they afford us that extra bit of extrinsic motivation to move forward with our work. Accountability partnerships are a powerful way to boost our creative output. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce and Episode 22: Creative Play. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in April. So you can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on YouTube, LinkedIn, FB, Insta & TikTok under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate TwitterSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this episode explores the archetypes, personas, and roles we embody in our work life and beyond, beginning with the archetype of The Lovers. My guest is The Corporate Mystic, Stephanie Crain, an Austin-based leadership/ ethos coach and innovation consultant. She’s the founder of Tapas Innovation, and a Certified Master Jungian Coach with a Success Mindset specialization. Stephanie works with executives, creators, and entrepreneurs to realize their full authentic expression and value activation. Our conversation focuses on the Corporate Persona Archetype Test she developed to help people better understand the roles and personas they adopt in the workplace, develop greater self-awareness, and embrace their full professional potential.Our Creativity Pro-Tip for this episode invites you to take the free Corporate Persona Archetype Test and to consider the ways you show up at work, in your leadership, and in your wider life. Where do you shine? Where are you holding back? And how could you step forward with greater authenticity and confidence?Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Attorney Dylan Hayre, Episode 15: Leadership, Burnout & Personal Sustainability with Dr. Katherine Semler, and Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD. The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda, and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Tapas InnovationStephanie Crain / The Corporate Mystic on LinkedInFree Corporate Persona Archetype TestTarot CardsPersonality TestsEmotional Intelligence and LeadershipShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate TwitterSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe the Play, or ideation, phase of the creative process. In our view of the creative process, we begin with play. This is where we dream, fantasize, imagine, and envision the work we want to create. It’s where we play with ideas, build our skills, and experiment with different ways of bringing our ideas to life. We share insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we focus on “woodshedding,” a term from the jazz world, which involves honing our craft, putting the time in to practice our scales (or the equivalent in whatever medium we’re working in), and developing our skills. It involves the (playful) discipline of building our skills so that we can be best equipped to actually bring our creative ideas into being.  Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, Episode 14: Anatomy of a Song with Singer/Songwriter George McCormack, and Episode 21: The Walk of Faith & Courage with Actor Ren Jackson.The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda, and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteDocumentary: American SymphonyShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate TwitterSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

Following the creative path professionally requires faith and courage, as exemplified by our current guest Warren “Ren” Jackson. Originally from Indianapolis (where he and Melinda went school together growing up), Ren went on to earn an MFA from the University of Arizona, and then to a professional acting career with an emphasis on Shakespeare. He continued his artistic exploration amid the thriving theater and teaching artist community in New York. A former company member with the Brooklyn based, site-specific theater company, Brave New World Rep, he has worked extensively in New York and regionally in the Midwest. Being a former competitive athlete, much of his approach to his artistic work is grounded in his exploration of a story's physicality. Whether through stage combat, dance, gesture or stylized movement, he has a commitment and enthusiasm to creating a physical narrative that supplements and highlights the writer's text. Our conversation focuses on Ren’s approach to acting and directing, how growing up in the Black church helped to influence his understanding of creativity, and what he terms “the walk of faith and courage” required to follow the creative path with authenticity. Ren is currently performing with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in a production of Amen Corner by James Baldwin, followed by a production of Julius Cesar. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to consider how creativity lives in your body, in your gestures, your voice, your eyes, and your interactions with other others, and how you use that creativity to connect and communicate. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 3: Creative Polymathy with Musician and Multi-Creative Michael Walker, Episode 5: Creative Global Citizenship with Screenwriter and Filmmaker Shuja Uddin, and Episode 8: Grief, Healing, and the Artist’s Life with Anne Myers Cleary.Episode-specific hyperlinks: Ren’s Linked-In ProfilePlay: The Crucible by Arthur MillerPlay: Master Harold and the Boys by Athol FugardPlay: Titus Andronicus by William ShakespeareThe Delacorte Theater / Shakespeare in the ParkPlay / Book: Elijah Broke the GateBook: The Courage to Create by Rollo MayPlay: Amen Corner by James Baldwin

In this episode of our new Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte give an overview of the Syncreate model of Play, Plan & Produce to help you move from ideation to completion with your creative work. Do you have an idea for a creative project but can’t seem to move it forward? Or maybe you’ve stalled out along the way, or can’t figure out how to bring it to completion? We share insights from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities to help you move through the creative process with greater ease and agility. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to pay attention to the “whispers of the creative mind”–those words, images, and flashes of inspiration we may receive throughout the day or in dreams–and actually document them in some way so you can come back to them later. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera.The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda, and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate BookCharlotte Gullick’s WebsiteShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate TwitterSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website

For our first full-length episode of 2024, we’re taking things in a more personal direction, as Melinda shares the story of her recent hysterectomy journey, along with her team of women healers, Leah Shadwick, Marie Commisso, and Thais Bicalho Silva. We discuss the connections between creativity, sexuality, the body, and the sacred feminine, as well as womens’ health and healing through creativity, community, and the arts. Many women deal with a range of reproductive health issues like endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, and menopause symptoms, often in isolation. Even in the 21st Century, women’s health often still feels like a taboo topic, so it’s time to have the conversation. We each share our deeply personal experiences, as well as how we’ve healed and continue to heal, by sharing our stories. May this episode be of benefit to anyone who has a body and seeks information, resources, and solidarity in their journey to health and well-being. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 2: Embodiment and Creativity with Thais Bicalho Silva, Episode 4: Stewarding Change with Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer Reem Khashou, and Episode 8: Grief, Healing, and the Artist’s Life with Anne Myers Cleary.The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Leah Shadwick / Bird’s Nest AcupunctureMarie Commisso Healing WebsiteMayoli Movement - Thais Bicalho Silva’s Physical Therapy and Feldenkrais PracticeBook: Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup, M.D.Austin-Area OB/GYNShow / permanent hyperlinks: The Syncreate PodcastSyncreate WebsiteSyncreate InstagramSyncreate FacebookSyncreate TwitterSyncreate LinkedInSyncreate YouTubeMelinda Rothouse WebsiteAustin Writing CoachMelinda Joy Music Website