Reigniting Creativity in Business and Life with Duncan Bruce

In this creative disruption episode, I sit down with Duncan Bruce, brand innovation expert who's worked with hundreds of the world's most iconic brands, to expose why corporate environments are killing creativity and how releasing intuition can transform burnt out teams into passionate innovators.

From revealing why the best lawyers and bankers are actually highly creative people to explaining how a simple medicine walk can reboot jaded thinking, Duncan destroys the myths around creativity and shows you how co-creative experiences can turn skeptical teams into evangelists for change.

Whether you're a burnt out professional who thinks creativity isn't for you, a team leader watching your people lose their spark, or a corporate executive who cares about the bottom line more than touchy-feely workshops, this conversation will revolutionize how you think about innovation and show you that creativity isn't a talent you're born with but a muscle you can train.

What we cover:

• The creativity myth: why "I'm not creative" is the biggest lie we tell ourselves
• Lawyers and bankers as creatives: how the best professionals are highly creative thinkers
• Permission and intuition: releasing the dam of possibility in corporate environments
• The school music trauma: how childhood criticism kills lifelong creative confidence
• Happy accidents and listening: Native American wisdom for noticing what's always there
• Location matters: why disconnection from the office unlocks creative breakthroughs
• The medicine walk technique: one hour that changes how you see the world forever
• Co-creation power: why creating together beats individual creativity every time
• Surrealist principles: random connections and disruption as innovation tools
• Hierarchy breakdown: how non-hierarchical events release unexpected brilliance
• Burnout and creativity: why creativity is the first thing to go under stress
• Bottom line impact: proof that creative disruption drives millions in revenue

Duncan doesn't just run workshops. He proves that with the right environment, permission structure, and experiential techniques, even the most cynical corporate teams can reconnect with their innate creativity and transform both culture and profitability.

Timestamps:

03:18 – Creativity defined: the release of intuition and flow

05:09 – Why lawyers and bankers are actually highly creative people

12:04 – How corporate roles constrain us and kill creativity from childhood

17:19 – Happy accidents: the Polaroid camera story and learning to listen

26:10 – Location disruption: why workshops must happen outside the office

34:20 – The medicine walk: Native American wisdom in under an hour

40:24 – Co-creative art: collaborative murals and permission to interfere

51:02 – Diagnosing lack of creativity: burnout, attrition, and gray clouds

54:25 – Anxiety and creativity cannot coexist: the neuroscience of creative flow

58:27 – Breaking hierarchy: the dead important speech that changes everything

01:01:05 – Debunking "I'm not creative": everyone can sing in harmony

Resources:

• The Dream Cafe book on Amazon: https://amazon.com/dream-cafe
• Duncan Bruce on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/duncanbruce
• The Brand Conspiracy

 

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🌍 Website: https://charlenegisele.com

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