The Common Creative - But Never Ordinary A podcast series with Paul Fairweather and Chris Meredith The worlds of business, home and play are all starved of creativity. From an early age, we’re taught how to analyse, critique and simplify but the tools for exploring, ideating and creating are assumed to be instinctive. The Common Creative is all about bringing creativity back into everyday life - understanding the essence of creativity and making creativity a common as a loaf of bread and as well understood as a common language. Hosts Paul Fairweather and Chris Meredith are both creative thought-leaders and have been bonded by a common passion for creating and sharing something new and inspiring every day. Paul paints a watercolour of the household object and posts the image on IG “@everythink”, Chris photographs the same beach each and every day and posts the image on IG “@thisisbalmoral” By day, Paul Fairweather is a Brisbane-based, speaker, author, mentor, architect and artist. Chris Meredith is a Sydney-based, business coach, innovation consultant, and award-winning photo-artist. Each podcast explores a different aspect of creativity. Recent topics have included: Energy, Time, Constraints and even the Impact of Covid-19 (why not?!) The podcasts are ideal for anyone looking to get out of a rut and deliver stuff that goes beyond the norm. Join us for our conversations and surprising guests to unlock your own creativity. https://thecommoncreative.co/ https://www.paulfairweather.com/ https://chrismeredith.com.au/
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September 7, 2026Episode 21134 min
Episode 211: Paul & Chris - Creative Pause
After 210 episodes and six years of conversations, Chris Meredith and Paul Fairweather are pressing pause on The Common Creative. In this reflective episode, they look back on what the podcast has taught them from the power of creative conversations and storytelling to the chemistry that has shaped the show over the years. But this isn’t a farewell it’s a reset. Chris and Paul explore what might come next, including sharper questions, new seasons, fresh formats and potential partnerships. It’s a conversation about knowing when to pause, making space for new ideas, and allowing creativity to evolve.
December 1, 2022Episode 6552 min
S5E65: Episode 65: Nigel Marsh - Creative, Committed and a Little Crazy
Nigel Marsh is the poster-boy for any professional looking to navigate the tricky balance of family, career and personal goals, whilst having some fun along the way. A former ad-man, he is now a professional coach, speaker, best-selling author and award-winning podcaster. The author of four books including his latest book ‘Smart, Stupid and Sixty’, he is the co-founder of Earth-Hour which is recognized as one of the most successful brand launches anywhere in the world. Nigel also founded and runs The Sydney Skinny - a mass nude swim that’s all about celebrating body positivity. His TED speech on work/life balance remains one of the most popular ever given outside of the USA with over 6 million views. Amongst his other roles he is a proud ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and host of the award-winning Five of My Life podcast. Challenged by Chris and Paul to explain why creativity in business is often stifled, he suggested that it’s all about defining clear goals and then pursuing them ferociously - harnessing creative tools along the way if they help you get there. His hilarious and insightful book ‘Smart Stupid and Sixty’ is Chris’ book of the year. LINKS: Nigel Marsh - Special Guest LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-marsh-28790416/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nigel_marsh/ Website - https://nigelmarsh.com/ Australian Indigenous Education Foundation - http://www.aief.com.au/ Sydney Skinny - Sydney Skinny Plantation Shutters and Outdoor Blinds (thesydneyskinny.com.au) Earth Hour https://www.earthhour.org.au Books: Smart, Stupid and Sixty - Smart, Stupid and Sixty Fit, Fifty and Fired Up - Fit, Fifty and Fired Up Overworked and Underlaid - Overworked and Underlaid Fat, Forty and Fired - Fat, Forty and Fired Podcast: The Five of My Life https://omny.fm/shows/the-five-of-my-life Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
August 13, 2020Episode 322 min
S1E3: Episode 3 - What can nuts teach us about Creativity?
What can nuts teach us about creativity? Paul and Chris take an unusual angle in this episode by challenging each-other to use ‘nuts’ as their inspiration for sharing ideas about creativity. And despite their initial misgivings, both end up pleasantly surprised about the rich insights it reveals: Too much of a good thing Just like nuts, too much creativity on a single theme can be a handicap. (For example, too many Brazil nuts can cause selenium poisoning and loss of hair!) Everyone, eventually, has to move on and stretch themselves in a new creative direction. Some nuts aren’t nuts Peanuts, Cashews and Brazil nuts aren’t in fact technically nuts - they’re legumes! And equally, creative ideas are often misunderstood or miscategorised when they’re first aired. It’s important to ensure they’re accurately understood when sharing them - even if they look like something that seems familiar. Were all a little nuts Creatives, by definition, think up and share ideas that are new. This means they’re bound to be criticised and potentially be perceived as being a bit weird (or maybe ‘nuts’!) The solution is to signal in advance to those around that the creative person is in an expansive mode and it means that they’ll be sharing ideas that might at first sound strange. One persons waste is another’s raw material [paul - can you insert details of your friend who makes the bowls from nut shells?] Links/references Nuts that aren’t actually nuts https://www.businessinsider.com.au/nuts-that-arent-actually-nuts-2016-2 Are Creative People Crazier? https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/open-gently/201904/are-creative-people-crazier Chris Meredith (Co-Host) https://chrismeredith.com.au Paul Fairweather (Co-Host) https://www.paulfairweather.com The Common Creative https://thecommoncreative.co See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, we welcome back the brilliant Neall Foard to The Common Creative Podcast for a deep dive into the evolving world of storytelling especially through video. Neal inspired us so much with his first Common Creative conversation (see episode no 83 “Grateful Creativity”) that he’s the first ever guest to be invited back for more. Over the past 18 months, Neil has been honing his craft and discovering what resonates in today’s fast-moving digital story telling landscape, whilst launching a new training program for story telling on-line called “Storyfire”. Neil, with his 25+ years in advertising and marketing, knows a thing or two about storytelling. He’s created award-winning campaigns for brands like Budweiser, Lexus, and Sony, and was once ranked among the top ten most awarded creative directors in the world. Now, with his viral videos inspiring millions, he’s sharing the news about the role of video and how to build your own on-screen presence. Listen out for tips on the importance of getting great by practicing again, again and again (to the point where you cant ‘act’ anymore). If you want to take your video storytelling game to the next level, this episode is a must-listen. LINKS: Neal Foard - Special Guest Episode 83: Neal Foard - Grateful Creativity - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/episode-83-neal-foard-grateful-creativity/id1525162918?i=1000621336255 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/neal-foard-3727403/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@nealfoard/videos Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nealfoard/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nealfoard Storyfire Course - https://storyfire.mykajabi.com/a/2147962025/fus3Dd28 Website - nealfoard.com Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 24, 2024Episode 11249 min
S6E112: Episode 112: Scott Andrew James - A Poetic Creative Type
This week’s episode, Scott Andrew James is a multifaceted creative located in Austin, Texas, who operates in the dual roles of a book coach and a roving poet. Scott found his true calling in the world of words. He ultimately discovered his passion for creating interactive, co-creative poetry. Using his grandfather's 1946 Smith Corona typewriter, Scott's creative journey began with an unconventional path as he chose the wilderness over the classroom. Eventually settling in Austin, Texas, his passion for poetry took an interactive turn when he began composing personalised poetry at events. Scott's technique of tapping into his intuitive creativity raises intriguing questions about the spaces where technology aids and hinders the creative process. The episode culminates with a remarkable live demonstration of Scott's typewriting skills, prompting reflections on the importance of preparing mentally and physically to harness creativity. LINKS: Scott Andrew James - Special Guests Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/scottandrewjames/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottajames/ Website - https://www.scottandrewjames.com/ https://scottjamesconsulting.com/ The episode with the Neuroscientist who studies intuition is. The episodes on Mindwandering and Mindwondering Roger Beaty on the 3 networks Sunni Brown’s TED Talk Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 11, 2023Episode 8038 min
S6E80: Episode 80: Marcus Byrne - AI and the Future of Creativity
Marcus Byrne is an accomplished designer and Photoshop professional. As Head of Art at Thinkerbell, he's a design leader in creative production and AI. Father of eight- year-old illustrator Charlie Marker - a previous guest on The Common Creative. Marcus's recent personal projects have captured global attention. His explorations into AI have led to viral sensations such as "What if Antoni Gaudi designed regular household appliances" and "What if graffiti tags influenced the architecture of the buildings they once adorned?" These projects gained significant traction, being featured in renowned publications like Forbes, Trendhunter, Designboom, Cool Hunting, and even landing printed pieces in Germany. Marcus was also interviewed by The Guardian UK about his groundbreaking work. In light of the growing influence of AI in the creative industry, Marcus is interested in exploring how we, as humans, can utilize this power for social good, or if it's too late to control its impact. Join us as we delve into his experiences, his creative journey, and his insights into the ever-evolving intersection of art, technology, and social impact. LINKS: Marcus Byrne - Special Guest LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/marcus-byrne Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/marcusbyrnephotography/ Website - http://marcusbyrne.com/ Marcus's Book to help with Prompt Crafting. Learn how prompts work with 101 Midjourney Prompt Secrets. Download a free sample book here: h ttps://marcusbyrne.gumroad.com/l/101promptsecretsbook THE GUARDIAN - https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2023/jan/14/moderngadgets-style-gaudi-ai-midjourney-in-pictures ARCHIPANIC INTERVIEW - https://www.archipanic.com/graffiti-architectures-marcus-byrne/ MUMBRELLA OPINION PIECE - https://mumbrella.com.au/has-the-horse-already-bolted-772395 AI WEBSITES - https://www.midjourney.com https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2 Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 11, 2023Episode 7738 min
S6E77: Episode 77: Liz Soutar and Lauren Tan- Creativity by Style
In this episode, we have two special guests, Lauren Tan and Liz Soutar, who are both specialists in human-centered design that help teams inside organisations to solve complex problems using empathy and creativity. Lauren and Liz are both Design Thinking Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) with over 17 and 20 years of experience respectively. They have worked at the intersection of design and business, published papers and books on design, and presented at conferences. Lauren currently works as a Specialist Director in Deloitte Australia's Consulting practice, while Liz is a Specialist Senior Manager. They both apply creative thinking to solve problems for start-ups and large institutions, and have pioneered the use of Human-Centered Design (HCD) in various organisations, including Westpac. They delve into their own journeys and how they successfully enable creative processes for professional services consultants. It was incredibly insightful to learn from their different points of view and experiences. And discussed how human-centered design can help teams to be more creative and innovative, and how it can be integrated into existing business processes. The show is titled "Creativity by Style," which is a fitting title as it highlights how they have learned to wrap creativity in business processes and language, making it more accessible and comfortable for business people. Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into the power of human-centered design and how it can be used to solve complex problems and drive innovation in organisations. We hope you enjoy the discussion as much as we did! LINKS: Liz Soutar - Special Guest LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/liz-soutar-3744079 Lauren Tan - Special Guest LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/laurentan MAKE PUBLICATION - https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/technology/articles/make.html Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 2, 2023Episode 7639 min
S6E76: Episode 76: Chris Lutkin - The Voice of Creativity
This week’s guest is the multi-talented Chris Lutkin, an award-winning audiobook narrator, actor, content creator, and a writer. Chris is a professional, full time creative. He knows what it's like to be creative and earn money as a creator, throughout his career. He emphasises the importance of understanding the material and being able to take direction in having a good voice. Chris started his audiobook career in 2014 and has since narrated over 60 titles, receiving recognition with a Parent's Choice Silver Award and an EarPhones Award for his exceptional work. He's now converting his screenplay, which has been twice optioned, into a novel, inspired by the real-life story of a forgotten 19th-century baseball player named "Bull." Chris will produce this novel as an audiobook, bringing the story to life for audiences. In addition to his work in audiobooks, Chris is a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre, as well as SAG-AFTRA and AEA. He has appeared in numerous commercials, films, television shows, and on stages across the country. Chris has also taught Acting for Camera classes and workshops for various institutions, including New York University, Lee Strasberg Institute, Weist-Barron Studios, Chicago Improv Festival, and Kansas City Improv Festival. He has even taught for a non-profit in Detroit. Join us as we dive into Chris Lutkin's unique and impressive career path, and hear his insights into audiobook narration and content creation. LINKS: Chris Lutkin - Special Guest LinkedIn - ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lutkin-85714ab9/h Website - https://www.chrislutkin.com/ Audiobooks - https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Chris+Lutkin Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lutlucky/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081013245787 Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@lutlucky?lang=en Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/Screengym SELF PUBLISHING LINKS: “A Guide to the Accurate Presentation of 1858-1869 Baseball” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085K7T5F8/ref=rdr_ext_tmb “Team Improv 123” by Heather Lutkin https://www.amazon.com/dp/1713210754?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Chris Lutkin’s Fine Art America Site https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/chris-lutkin Bull the MOVIE https://bullthemovie.wordpress.com/ Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rachel Barnard's project, “Young New Yorkers”, is a powerful example of creativity as a force for good. It’s a diversion program for young people who have been arrested in NYC that uses art and creativity as an alternative to the criminal legal system. An Australian-born architect, Rachel won a fellowship in 2011 from Columbia University's architecture school for her proposal for "Young New Yorkers", a public art platform for teens who had been arrested as adults. Her project went on to become a radical new alternative to jail for teenagers who had been arrested and prosecuted classified as adults. As she confesses during the podcast, she pitched the idea to a judge explaining that she’d won a fellowship to fund the project - but somehow forgot to mention that her fellowship was in fact, for Architecture! Via a creative process called Mapping, she has assisted over 1,400 young people to exit the criminal legal system. In this role, she partnered with multiple criminal legal agencies including NYC Criminal Courts, Kings County DA's Office, NYC Department of Probation, and the New York Police Department. It's a stunning story of how lives can be changed forever with a clear vision, a lot of grit and a dash of creative magic. Rachel is a coach, entrepreneur, and artist. She created the proprietary Map process that allows creative entrepreneurs to get unstuck and achieve their wildest dreams. She has been acknowledged in the media and has received awards and fellowships. She holds a Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Queensland. LINKS: Rachel Barnard - Special Guest LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-g-barnard-49335751/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/redgwenblue/ Website - http://mapwithrachel.com Young New Yorkers - https://www.youngnewyorkers.org Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week’s episode, we welcome Alina Gozin’a, who describes herself as an interdisciplinary artist. She’s not only one of Australia's most celebrated photographers, but also an artist and a keynote speaker. Alina has lived and worked in Odessa, Sydney, Berlin, Amsterdam, LA and New York. In her ‘former life’ she was a tax advisor in Banking & Finance at PwC but her passion for storytelling led her to pursue a postgraduate degree in Media Arts and Production at UTS. She went on to become a Cannes Lions nominated award winning creative artist using photography, film and art to tell stories for global corporations. She has executed campaigns for global companies like HBO, Tribeca Film, Stan, Forbes, AFR Magazine, SMH, Good Weekend Magazine, Madame Figaro Magazine, Universal Music, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros (NYC), BMF, Grey, McCann, ABC, SBS, Channel 9, Westfield and many more. Alina had numerous solo exhibitions and is represented by Wentworth Galleries. She has photographed notable personalities such as Scott Farquhar, Frank Lowy, Andrew Forrest, Anthony Pratt, Gretel Packer, Judith Neilson, Kevin Rudd, Christine Lagarde and more. As a speaker and educator, Alina’s international experience spans across New York and Sydney, giving masterclasses, keynote speaking and The Art of Seeing for major corporations, cultural and educational intuitions LINKS: Alina Gozin’a - Special Guest LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/alina-gozin’a-23a58335 Instagram - www.instagram.com/alinagozina/ Website - www.alinagozina.com Saxton - www.saxton.com.au/speakers/alina-gozina Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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