The Wilderness of Creativity

Hosted by Lucy Colgan

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Jun 2026

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About the show

If you are looking for fast hacks or viral growth tips, this is not the place! However, if you’re looking for depth, vulnerability and a sense of belonging while feeling lost or 'in between', then you have finally found your tribe! The Wilderness of Creativity is the platform for creatives, thinkers and dreamers to share their stories of survival. Through meaningful conversations with inspiring guests and gentle solo reflections, we will brave the wilderness of creativity together as a means to gain creative clarity, confidence and connection. Welcome to your next adventure!

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60 recent

June 11, 202649 min

Are we being trained out of our creativity?

Did you know NASA research found that 98% of children demonstrate 'creative genius' levels of divergent thinking, compared to just 2% of adults? What happens to our creativity as we grow up and can we get it back?In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the science of creativity, why it appears to decline from childhood to adulthood and how we can reignite our creative potential at any stage of life. Joining us is AMC Newton FRSA, who shares powerful insights into creativity, neurodiversity, and the importance of treating creativity like a muscle that can be strengthened through practice. Together, we examine how childhood experiences, education systems, workplace culture and societal expectations influence the way we think, innovate, and solve problems.We also challenge the common belief that creativity is something we lose over time. Instead, we discuss how creativity often becomes underused and how intentional habits, play, curiosity, and experimentation can help us reconnect with it.Key TakeawaysThe connection between ADHD and creative thinkingHow LEGO® Serious Play® supports innovation, ideation, and self-expressionThe impact of education and social conditioning on creative confidencePractical strategies to rebuild creativity through play, curiosity, and experimentationI’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!The world's first creativity trainer. ADHD brain, loves the colour orange, playing with LEGO, knitting and artingAMC's WebsiteLink to get on the IAF #Faciltiate2027 waitlist: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/iafenglandandwales/2169697Also a link for anyone interested in signing up for the LEGO® Serious Play® & Neurodiveristy project: https://forms.gle/CjT8DGw3Gh3ts1Ne6More information about LEGO® Serious Play® for anyone interested: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/themes/serious-play/backgroundhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/amc-newton-orange/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/creative_orange_studio/Website;https://www.creativeorangestudio.com/Mentioned in this episode:You Tube channel

June 4, 202618 min

What does it take to create meaningful change in the arts?

This episode is a little different from the usual format! Earlier this year, I attended the Arts Education Conference hosted by Captivate Notts where I had the opportunity to speak with a range of artists, educators, cultural leaders and advocates about the future of arts education and the wider cultural sector.Rather than a single interview, this episode brings together highlights from those conversations, capturing the energy, ideas, and challenges being discussed across the field. As a first attempt at editing an episode built from multiple conversations, this feels like a snapshot of the conference experience itself, full of different perspectives and inspiring possibilities.Throughout the episode, we explore:The role of sector gatherings in fostering collaboration and connectionThe challenges and opportunities facing arts education todayHow access, funding, curriculum design, and community engagement continue to shape creative learningThe need for systemic change across arts and cultural organisationsWhat a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive future for the arts could look likeIf you found this conversation valuable, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing the episode with someone you know! Your support helps more people discover these conversations and strengthens the wider discussion around arts education and cultural change.I’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Find out more about the organisations and people featured in this episode:Stacey Moon-Tracy - Stacey's new play 'Critical Care' launches its UK tour at The Belgrade Theatre. Book your tickets now!Chris White (The Doodling poet)Caroline Rowland (Community Engagement Producer at NonSuch Theatre)Sarah Shemilt - STEP Fusion and outreach officer Katie Culbard - Programme Manager - Open Doors (Newark)Rachel Scanlon (Artist)Emily Minnett (Captivate Co-ordinator)

May 28, 202637 min

What if your ‘little idea’ isn’t little at all?

What if the creative spark you’ve been overlooking is the very thing that could change your life?In this episode, writer, illustrator and performance poet Chris White shares how saying yes to creativity took him from Derby to stages, schools and festivals around the world proving that imagination can open doors you never expected.From publishing his first book Bitey the Veggie Vampire to performing at renowned festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe and the Doha Book Festival, Chris shares the highs, challenges, and unexpected moments that shaped his creative career so far. We talk about building a creative life, finding your unique voice, and why curiosity, playfulness and persistence matter more than money (although it helps if you get paid!).I’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!Chris is a writer. illustrator and performance poet from Derby, UK. He has had many poetry and story books published since his first, 'BITEY THE VEGGIE VAMPIRE', in 2000. His books include 'THE A-Z OF COMPLETELY MADE-UP DINOSAURS' and ‘DON’T PUT DAVE IN THE MICROWAVE!’ Chris, or 'The Doodling Poet', as he is also known, has featured at many literary festivals, including The Edinburgh Fringe, The Edinburgh Book Festival, The Doha Book Festival, The Derby Poetry Festival, and The Cheltenham Book Festival. His poetry performances and writing and illustrating workshops have taken him all over the world, visiting schools in places such as China, Russia, Vietnam, Jordan, India, Germany, The Congo, and Qatar.Chris's Facebook page@mr_chris_white on InstagramChris's WebsiteMentioned in this episode:You Tube channel

May 21, 20266 min

Creativity saved me!

*Trigger warning - some listeners might find parts of this conversation upsetting as we discuss baby loss.In part 2, we discuss the pressure to appear successful online, especially for introverts and the toll that can take on creativity and wellbeing. Amy also shares how creativity can become a grounding force during difficult seasons of life.If you or someone you love has been affected by baby loss, support is available and you’re never alone. Please consider visiting The Wilderness of Creativity Shopify store to purchase some merch, with 10% of all sales donated to Forever Stars to help support families through baby loss and bereavement.Thank you for listening,Stay wild xI’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!

May 21, 202619 min

Can we be honest about this?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by comparison or the pressure to 'keep up'?In Part 1, special guest Amy Lord shares her journey as a self-employed mum, emphasising the importance of realistic expectations, authenticity and creativity in balancing work and life. This episode explores the pressures of social media, the value of listening over speaking, and how creativity can be a vital tool for resilience.I’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!Amy is an artist and has been a self-employed creative person for 17 years. She’s now exploring how to keep that going whilst juggling motherhood. Her new mission is to help as many mothers as possible stay creative and doing what they love through 1:1 mentoring, community support and group programmes. Her first beta group for Mama Reset starts on 28th January. Amy-lord.com @Amylordcreative on Instagram@selfemployedmamaclubAmy's WebsiteMentioned in this episode:You Tube channel

May 14, 202643 min

Can self-improvement get in the way of self-discovery?

Mental health is rarely simple or linear, and creativity can often reflect that complexity.In a world obsessed with productivity, it’s easy to lose sight of who we actually are beneath the pressure to constantly evolve. Sometimes growth comes from discipline and change, but sometimes it comes from slowing down long enough to notice what you genuinely enjoy and what you’ve outgrown. Maybe the thing you've been chasing was never really yours to begin with?Returning guest, writer and creative thinker Kay Sibson, joins me in the wilderness do discuss the 'messy middle' of creativity - the uncertain space between ideas, identity and growth. Together, we explore the tension between self-improvement and self-discovery, and invite you to question whether the constant pursuit of becoming 'better' can indeed disconnect us from ourselves instead of bringing us closer.Listen to Kay's first episode 'How to build an authentic brand' HERE and let us know what you think!I’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!Kay Sibson is a writer and creative thinker based in Montana. Her work explores self-trust, experimentation, and leaving room for the unknown while moving through change.@consultingkay on InstagramKay's WebsiteMentioned in this episode:Like this show?

May 7, 202643 min

How did you learn to see yourself in the first place?

I felt so inspired by this conversation with Deborah Haddon. The aim is not to criticise schools, but instead challenge something much deeper: how we learn to see ourselves in the first place. This is about asking what happens when creativity, curiosity and self-expression are nurtured… or rather slowly edited out of us.With the recent SEND review, proposed Schools and Wellbeing reforms, and the wider political debates about inclusion and outcomes, we’re all being invited to reconsider what, how and why we learn the way we learn in schools. Are we building systems that help children become themselves, or systems that teach them how to perform a version of what’s expected? Because underneath all of it sits the same question: do we really trust the self?In this episode, Deborah shares her self-approach philosophy and the work of the Ethereal Learning Foundation, exploring how creativity, autonomy and self-discovery can reshape learning into something far more human.We talk about:The shift toward home education and what’s driving itCreativity as the foundation of inclusive learningSelf-discovery, expression and meeting people where they areAutonomy and what it means to actually trust the learnerI’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!Deb Haddon has an extensive career in all aspects of education totalling 30 years. She started her journey as a Primary Teacher in an inner-city school in Leicester moving to another inner-city school in Nottingham and progressing to a Senior Leader. During this time, she developed expertise in creating appropriate, individualised learning programmes and relationship-based classroom management. Deb made the decision to leave mainstream education to set up her own business as she had the focus and passion to facilitate a holistic approach to self, enabling people to realise and fulfil their unique potential. Deb has now developed a learning foundation offering an opportunity for home educated children to access play-based and project-based activities with a focus on personal development. This is delivered through The SELF Approach, a philosophy developed and implemented over 28 years of observing young people and how they relate to self and others. Deb's Facebook page@elf_learningfoundation on InstagramMentioned in this episode:You Tube channel

April 30, 202643 min

What happens when we stop dreaming?

What happens when we stop dreaming? Do we lose more than imagination? Do we lose our voice, our future?In this powerful conversation, award-winning actress and producer Ariana Lebron reveals how creativity didn’t just shape her career, it saved her. Once a selectively mute child navigating trauma, she found her voice through theatre and transformed it into a life of storytelling across stage and screen.From art as healing to art as community, from motherhood to multicultural expression, this is a story about why dreaming isn’t optional - it’s essential; because when artists dare to imagine, they don’t just change their own lives… they help us all see what’s possible.I’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!Ariana Lebrón was born in Dominican Republic to a Domincan mother and Puerto Rican father. This meant she would live most of her childhood between both Caribbean Islands and learn to appreciate the love for a life full of culture and arts. From a very young age Ariana started exploring stage performances in school plays and theatre groups, which made her fell in love with the performing arts. It was not much later in life that she landed the opportunity to attend London's prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

March 26, 202652 min

Is human creativity being lost or liberated by AI?

*Trigger Warning:This episode includes discussion of restrictive dieting, specifically the keto diet, and its impact on mental and physical health. The guest shares personal experiences of health challenges that led to a significant period of reflection and life reassessment. These topics may be sensitive for listeners with experiences related to disordered eating or mental health struggles. Listener discretion is advised.In this open and honest conversation, Claire shares her journey through self-doubt and significant health challenges, including the impact of restrictive dieting, which ultimately led her to pause and re-evaluate what truly matters. By embracing a less conventional path, she began to rediscover her own worth and creative identity.We discuss the importance of mental health, the power of community among childminders and how AI, when used thoughtfully, can support educators without replacing the personal magic that makes their work so meaningful.I’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!Claire Hassall is an Ofsted-registered childminder and the founder of Not Just a Childminder. Drawing on over a decade in early years and her own experience of burnout, she supports childminders to prioritise wellbeing, work more sustainably, and explore gentle tools — including AI that can reduce overwhelm and free up energy for what really matters.Claire's Facebook page@notjustachildminder on InstagramClaire's WebsiteMentioned in this episode:You Tube channel

March 19, 202646 min

What happens when we let go of perfection?

What if the key to healing isn’t fixing yourself but finally accepting yourself 'just as you are'?Art therapy provides a unique platform for self-expression, which Lesley Andrew believes is essential for both children and adults. She discusses how the pressure of academic standards can stifle creativity, as students often focus more on grades than on genuine expression, which she knows about first-hand as a former teacher. By removing the pressure to perform, art therapy allows individuals to tap into their true selves, creating an environment where they can explore their creativity freely. Lesley emphasises that the process is more important than the final product, encouraging her clients to embrace experimentation and navigate their artistic journeys without fear.Thank you for listening,Stay wild xI’d love to hear from you! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - be sure to subscribe here so you never miss an episode - and check out our FREE Substack newsletter!Enjoying the show? You can rate and review the podcast here - your feedback helps more listeners discover the show, builds our community, and keeps the episodes coming! About the Host:Lucy Colgan is a seasoned creative leader, educator and podcast host with nearly two decades of experience in the arts and education. She holds a PGCE in Drama & Performing Arts and a Professional Diploma in Dance from Trinity Laban, and has worked as a freelance artist, project manager, and director across the creative sector.She launched The Wilderness of Creativity in 2024 and invites listeners to explore what it really means to 'take the road less travelled', combining vulnerability, practical insight and inspirational storytelling.Want to learn more about today’s guest? Check out their full bio and links below!Mentioned in this episode:Like this show?