Embrace the Shake: Phil Hansen on Turning Limitations into Creativity

What if your greatest limitation became your most powerful creative force? In this episode, Phil Hansen, internationally recognized multimedia artist and TED speaker, joins hosts Biff Maier and Nicole Coman to share how a hand tremor reshaped his art, his mindset, and his life. From painting with worms and karate chops to creating art he deliberately destroys, Phil’s story is a masterclass in resilience, curiosity, and reinvention.

Together, they explore:

• How embracing constraints can spark innovation rather than stifle it
• The connection between intrinsic motivation and creativity—in children and adults
• The surprising role of failure and play in lifelong learning
• Why Phil believes we shouldn’t wait for inspiration—we should just start

With humor, vulnerability, and insight, Phil reminds us that creativity isn’t about perfect conditions, it’s about using what you have, right now, to make something extraordinary.

More on Phil Hansen:

https://www.philinthecircle.com/

Watch Phil Hansen’s TED Talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZTho_o_is

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Educating the Human Potential is a podcast about optimizing education for a better society, through a Montessori lens. Hosts Nicole Coman, a licensed educational psychologist specializing in school psychology and child development -- and a "Montessori mom" -- and Biff Maier, an American Montessori Society Living Legacy with decades of experience as a Montessori educator and school leader, engage with experts, educators, parents, and students. Each episode explores strategies to unlock human potential, offering thought-provoking conversations on learning, child development, and the evolving landscape of education. This podcast is presented by AMS, the American Montessori Society.

For more information about Montessori education, visit https://amshq.org/about-montessori/

And consider this AMS course for families interested in incorporating the Montessori philosophy into their day-to-day lives and parenting approach:
https://learn.amshq.org/parent-course-early-childhood

Contact us: [e-mail]