The Creative Condition podcast
Welcome to 'The Creative Condition' podcast: an ongoing exploration of human creativity to help you understand and maximise yours. The show is hosted by creativity coach, Founder of The Creative Condition, and The New York Times, Adidas, and Premier League illustrator Ben Tallon. Creativity is an often misunderstood pillar of human happiness, something far bigger than artistic talent and crucial for fulfilling lives and careers. Featuring exclusive interviews with experts and thought leaders, including illustrators, rock stars, artists, sensitivity experts, designers, emergency service workers, Olympic gold medal winners, comedians, microbiologists, photographers, fighters, and many others. Supported by founding sponsor illustrationx.com Also supported by the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.ua
Episodes
Covered in this instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
- Are we all on ref cam?
- Identity and belonging on the paper round
- AI agents and primitive idiocy
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, a readin...
A moment with The Creative Condition founder Ben Tallon as he shares creativity-led thoughts, insights, lessons, feelings, and observations for the duration of one brew (hot beverage).
Today, join me as I reflect on a nettle sting sustained by reaching for a bag of dog shit, and why it links to Marcus Aurelius.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-sto...
Aaron Becker, Seth Kleinberg, and Troy James Miller from Los Angeles-based Filmograph join me to take us inside their brilliant studio.
Their output is insane and inspiring, from The Penguin to Mission Impossible via Aquaman, a visit to their portfolio is a must for any serious film fan.
We cover:
- The importance of respect for the concept over trends
- Filmograph's origins
- The importance of time off
- Changing plans in the service o...
Covered in this instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
- Golden hour comfort
- Learning through humour
- Burning bridges
- Gallows humour
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podc...
After reading a beautiful piece of writing about Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke's football strike partnership in 1999 by Matt Dickinson, I was reminded of the vital importance of our creative partners in life.
To help you recognise and value yours, I work through some that spring to mind in my life, how they vary, and why they matter for our creativity.
I dig into:
- Why partners matter for our creativity
- Types of partners
- The differ...
Covered in this instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
- Three nice things after a bad night's sleep
- A tiny assault on my peace
- Telling an authentic story
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, ...
The world is heavy. It always was. But today, we're slammed by a constant wall of white noise, and the vast majority of what we're told is negative.
Anxiety is heightened perhaps more than ever before as a by-product of our hyper-connected digital way of life.
Too many people spend their days exhausted and locked in a state of fear. It's damaging our ability to create, to feel hopeful, optimistic, and curious.
Every one...
A responsive instalment of The Creativity Diary as I drive under a motorway bridge and struggle to get past the graffiti message painted on it.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including books, a reading list, and 300+ podcasts at htt...
PJ Richardson discovered graffiti. It brought him fulfilment when chaos was present in his early life.
The chaos hasn't gone away; it has only changed shape and form. We discuss his journey from painting walls to leading a Los Angeles-based motion and design studio, what today's chaos looks like, and how he finds the space to create great art within it in the commercial world.
We discuss:
- Trauma and resilience
- Abandon min...
Covered in this instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
- The perfect nap
- Porn magazine reflections and the importance of accepting our roots and creativity context
- Parenting lessons and humans encountering their element
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreative...
As awareness of both the shiny clock towers and the most hidden caves of mental health grows, it's become increasingly common to self- or misdiagnose.
'Burnout' can be tossed around too lightly. I've done it myself. I came to understand what I felt was overwhelm.
I'm joined by Cognitive Performance Strategist and burnout coach Emily Herird to discuss a condition intertwined with the crazed pace of our 21st ...
A moment with The Creative Condition founder Ben Tallon as he shares creativity-led thoughts, insights, lessons, feelings, and observations for the duration of one brew (hot beverage).
Today, join me as I interrogate the word creativity to see if it's doing my ambitions to see it better understood more harm than good.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP&a...
Covered in this instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
- Outraged by outrage
- The people on the roadside
- A simple comment reminds me of something key about creativity
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Access creativity resources, including bo...
Was there ever a good time to start a business?
Jamhot and I both entered the creative industry during the financial crash of 2008. Do we now look back and make a distorted comparison to the insanity of today? Or do we recognise that there was never a good time to throw ourselves into this creative life?
We discuss:
- Storytelling and surviving
- Receiving reckless emails
- Being open to change
- Lunch clubs and the need for in-person commun...
A moment with The Creative Condition founder Ben Tallon as he shares creativity-led thoughts, insights, lessons, feelings, and observations for the duration of one brew (hot beverage).
Today, join me as I share my Eureka! moment as I recognised a big lacking part of my dream job puzzle, and ask you to assess yours.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one...
Covered in this week's instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
- AI and the need for mental healthcare
- A moment of connection under the station stairs
- Lessons from a doctor
- The joys of getting lost
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching session now at https://thecreativecondition.com
Acces...
Reclaim the Throne is The Creative Condition’s campaign to recognise the need for a downtime revolution.
The resistance to the big tech coup of our minds starts with our arses.
From there, we will reclaim the bus stop, the park bench, the underground train, the taxi, waiting rooms, receptions, and the good old walk from A to B.
These clutches of two, five, and ten-minute windows add up to a valuable, regular chunk of time to spend ...
In 2025 the perception of creativity is still rooted in artistic talent. There are assumptions that our passions are already in us, waiting to be activated, and people continue to quit at the first hurdle when it comes to creating.
I'm joined by Zorana Pringle, the Yale University Centre for Emotional Intelligence Senior Research Scientist and author of The Creativity Choice in which she challenges these damaging misunderstandi...
A moment with The Creative Condition founder Ben Tallon as he shares creativity-led thoughts, insights, lessons, feelings, and observations for the duration of one brew (hot beverage).
Today, join me as I explore shared themes between the Yellowstone cowboys and illustrators and challenge the productivity trap.
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-sto...
Covered in this week's instalment of 'The Creativity Diary':
- Learnings from a lollipop lady
- A burst basketball and productivity guilt as a learned behaviour
- My beautiful cheap watch and proud identity
- An unexpected meeting with the local council
As ever supported by Illustration X https://illustrationx.com
Work with me through the 'PIT STOP' one-stop creativity foundational coaching s...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.