THE SYNCREATE PODCAST: EMPOWERING CREATIVITY
HOSTED BY MELINDA ROTHOUSE, PHD
WELCOME TO SYNCREATE, WHERE WE EXPLORE THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN CREATIVITY,
PSYCHOLOGY, AND SPIRITUALITY. OUR GOAL IS TO DEMYSTIFY THE CREATIVE PROCESS,
AND EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CREATIVE.
SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW US ON SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, YOUTUBE
OR WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS
HOSTED BY MELINDA ROTHOUSE, PHD
WELCOME TO SYNCREATE, WHERE WE EXPLORE THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN CREATIVITY,
PSYCHOLOGY, AND SPIRITUALITY. OUR GOAL IS TO DEMYSTIFY THE CREATIVE PROCESS,
AND EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CREATIVE.
SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW US ON SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, YOUTUBE
OR WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS
EPISODE 114: CREATIVE SPARK SERIES - THE ROLE OF THE ARTIST IN SOCIETY
WITH MELINDA ROTHOUSE & CHARLOTTE GULLICK
listen to the audio podcast here:
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO VERSION HERE:
In this episode of our Creative Spark Series, Charlotte and Melinda discuss the vital role that artists play in helping to envision and shape the future with their creative work. In keeping with our recent episode on Creativity for the Common Good (Episode 112), we explore how artists can use their vision and problem-solving skills to help make the world a better place, from pioneering new innovations and fostering community to helping others see into the possible future (as with science fiction). This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, also includes insights from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.
For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to reflect on how your creations (whatever they may be - from your cooking to your civic engagement) contribute to the world in a positive way.
Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.
If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in
Episode 49: Creativity in Challenging Times
Episode 104: Creativity Can Save Your Life
Episode 112: Creativity for the Common Good
At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, please reach out to us. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information here on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes.
Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate.
If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!
We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at [email protected].
For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to reflect on how your creations (whatever they may be - from your cooking to your civic engagement) contribute to the world in a positive way.
Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.
If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in
Episode 49: Creativity in Challenging Times
Episode 104: Creativity Can Save Your Life
Episode 112: Creativity for the Common Good
At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, please reach out to us. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information here on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes.
Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate.
If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review!
We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at [email protected].
EPISODE-SPECIFIC HYPERLINKS
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
Melinda: Creativity and community are absolutely vital in challenging times. Creativity is also consistently named one of the top skills of the 21st century, especially with the advent of AI. Welcome to Syncreate, a show where we explore the intersections between creativity, psychology and spirituality. We believe everyone has the capacity to create. Our goal is to demystify the process and expand the boundaries of what it means to be creative. What holds us back? Why do we get stuck? And how can we fully embrace our creativity?
We talk with visionaries and changemakers, and everyday creatives working in a wide range of fields and media - from the arts to science, technology and business. We aim to illuminate the creative process from imagination to innovation and everything in between. I'm Melinda Rothouse, and I help individuals and organizations bring their dreams and visions to life.
Charlotte: I'm Charlotte Gullick, and I'm a writer, educator, and writing coach. Melinda and I are the coauthors of a book on the creative process, also called Syncreate. At Syncreate, we’re here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you're not sure how to get it off the ground, visit us at syncreate.org.
Our book, now available in both print and audiobook format, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help bring your work to the world.
Melinda: Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Syncreate Podcast. We're happy you've joined us today. And today we're going to be talking about a light little topic - the role of the artist in society. (Laughter) So, I think in these divisive times we're living in, it's been a lot on my mind and I think on your mind, on many people's minds… like, what can we do? And how can we as artists and creatives be of benefit to the wider world? So, like, what is the role of the artist? And of course, this is an age-old question that has been addressed probably since the beginning of human consciousness. But we're going to tackle it here today. (Laughter)
So, you know, some people have talked about artists as kind of the canary in the coal mine. Like, the ones who are really, really sensitive to what's going on in the wider world. And maybe seeing things before other people see them and sensing them, and maybe expressing what they're feeling in the zeitgeist, perhaps before others are aware of it. Also, you know, people have talked about how artists not simply respond to what's happening in society, but also that we have the capacity to envision what do we want the world to be like?
And to even shape that, you know, think about all the science fiction writers, who at the time they were writing these outlandish things that then later came into being some technologies developing directly as a result of these science fiction writers going like, “What if this thing were possible?” Right? And also as artists and creators, we can help others maybe think differently, see differently, feel differently. You know, art is a very powerful medium. Whatever genre you're working in. It has the capability to touch people.
And in a deeper emotional level. And I was just looking at this quote from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Said that “No artist tolerates reality.” (Laughter) So, speaking to the transformational power of art and creativity, I have to thank Juro for that, for turning me on to Nietzsche's work on the artist and society. So again, you know, the arts have the power to speak to people’s experiences and emotions in a deeper way. So thoughts, Charlotte?
Charlotte: Well, yes, I totally agree with everything you're saying. And I'm also thinking about the person who might not define themselves as a capital A artist.
Melinda: Absolutely.
Charlotte: And being that, you know, things are so big right now that, you know, do I have permission as a lowercase A artist (laughter) - even if I let myself use that term for myself - do I have a right to have a place? Do I have entitlement? And we want to say definitely yes. Because we need all voices to imagine what's possible. And you know that art has its role beyond what we think sometimes. You know, there's… what's the phrase that “Art is there to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” (Laughter)
Melinda: Yes. Just love it. Yeah.
Charlotte: Yeah. So, like, that's… I think where we are right now and, you know, at Syncreate, as you say, like, we really want people to feel empowered to call themselves artists and not have that tied to a product, but to have that tied to a way of being. Tied to a way of thinking and how do we imagine what could be better, and saying yes to our ideas rather than no?
Melinda: Yeah, absolutely. I was just having a chat this morning on Instagram, with a friend of mine, Graden Keller. I'll give him a shout out. He's been doing a lot of writing on LinkedIn and Substack. And, you know, he wrote a very powerful piece about Ukraine that he just published. And this thing that's been going around like, oh, everyone's saying, you know, “Ukrainians are so resilient”. But that that actually can do a disservice, right? It's like, “Okay, but what are we doing sitting here on the sidelines?” You know, like, how can we actually get involved? And instead of just saying, “Wow, they're so strong…” - you know, like, let's help them in some way.
And so I was like, you know, “Thank you for this piece and for everything that you're doing.” And, you know, he was saying something along the lines of like, “Well, I do it because, you know, I feel strongly that I want to put these ideas out there and not for any specific, you know, end goal or return or whatever.” You know, he happens to actually have quite a large following. But, you know, he's writing about what he's passionate about and not just what he thinks is going to be popular or marketable or so forth, you know.
So… but I would… just back to what you were saying, I'm going to kick it back to you. But like, okay, so maybe this lowercase A artist or creative who, you know, like, we've talked in recent episodes about like, how can we, you know, be of benefit in our local communities? Like, what are small ways that we can exercise what we're talking about here?
Charlotte: Well, I think we have to be clear about the goals. And I think, you know, there's so many layers to it. Is the goal to just keep my own humanity alive in a time that feels like it's somehow scandalous or comfort? And like, “No, I'm going to draw or paint or dance, even while terrible things are going on.” And that's partly how we keep our individual humanity awake and alive. Not at the dismissal or at the ignorance of what's happening for other people, but that we don't become small. I think that's the main thing. That we don't we don't become constricted.
And maybe that's with the ingredients that you have. You get creative or you sing in public. Like, there are ways to keep ourselves… like, bright spots that I think are really, really important. And then I think to your point, like, maybe that's - and we've talked about this before - like, maybe you have people over and everyone brings a favorite poem, and you read it together or you, I mean, each person reads one… and that we think about what passes through time? Yes, there's intergenerational trauma, but there's also art, song, poem, dance, so many things.
It’s like, how are we keeping ourselves in fullness in difficult times? So, I think that there are more things that we could do.
Melinda: And my mind is going to like, okay, what did people do before mass media? Before there even was an opportunity to like, broadcast things out on a large level? People sat around the campfire and sang and shared stories, or, you know, composed poems or made art for themselves and their families and their immediate communities. Like, it wasn't about trying to get famous and make a lot of money, you know. (Laughter) Like, we as humans have been doing this for, again, as long as we've been humans. Maybe before, you know? (Laughter)
Charlotte: I think what we're trying to say, it's so vital. It's not secondary. And I think about it, Ismet Prcic--if I'm saying his last name right--he is a writer who was conscripted into the Bosnian war. And one of the things that he did is that he joined an acting troupe, and they got together and staged plays that were activists and community centered, and kind of like, on the fly or illegal. And that's part of, like… that's how he sustained himself when he had to do these… had to be in situations that were costing humanity. He was making sure that his humanity was staying alive.
Melinda: Yes. Yeah. So, like, the… like, truly everyday creativity, as we often talk about, but like, as activism, even in a really local context.
Charlotte: I have so many friends that are singing right now, in different ways. And it is what is sustaining them. They're with other people. And like, for them, it's almost sacred.
Melinda: Absolutely.
Charlotte: You know? Yeah. And to share voices, like, it's how they're getting through.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. Whatever gets you through it. Right. Yeah. So, when we were kind of talking about like, brainstorming about this episode, you mentioned a quote from Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, the Kenyan author, who actually was a professor of mine at NYU. So, I was excited that you brought him up. He passed away recently, but, you know, beloved author. And this quote is, “Imagination is the central formative agency in human society. It's because we can imagine different futures, that we can struggle against the present state of things.”
So, we're going to be talking more about the power of imagination in a future episode coming up. But, again, I think that speaks to this same idea that, like, if we can imagine a different way of being, then that's the first step to bringing it into being.
Charlotte: And I think, this sounds really casual and I don't mean it that way, but there's incredible power to the phrase,“Wouldn’t it be nice?”
Melinda: Yes.
Charlotte: And then like, fill in the blank. And that is where creativity comes in, where we say that we are boundless in what is possible.
Melinda: Yeah.
Charlotte: So, wouldn’t it be nice, and then fill in the blank of like, even, you're doing the dishes, you're driving your car, and letting that muscle of imagination and creativity stay really present. And toned, I guess. Don't let it atrophy right now.
Melinda: Yeah. It's that “What if?” question that we talk about in our book, you know. That initial phase of creativity, which is imagination and daydreaming and you know, what's possible? Like you said. So, our Pro Tip for today, as we've been discussing, is how to think about like… consider/reflect on how your creations contribute to the wider world in a positive way. And perhaps help people to think and see differently.
So again, this doesn't have to be some high art concept kind of thing. How can your culinary creations nourish and enrich your family and friends in some positive way? You know, like, there's so many ways that we express our creativity during our daily lives at home, at work, in our civic worlds. So, what does that look like for you?
Charlotte: Thank you for joining us today. Find and connect with us on YouTube and social media under @syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review.
Melinda: And we're recording today at Record ATX Studios in Austin, with Charlotte joining us from the Hudson Valley. The podcast is produced in collaboration with Mike Osborne at 14th Street Studios. Thanks so much for being with us, and see you next time.
We talk with visionaries and changemakers, and everyday creatives working in a wide range of fields and media - from the arts to science, technology and business. We aim to illuminate the creative process from imagination to innovation and everything in between. I'm Melinda Rothouse, and I help individuals and organizations bring their dreams and visions to life.
Charlotte: I'm Charlotte Gullick, and I'm a writer, educator, and writing coach. Melinda and I are the coauthors of a book on the creative process, also called Syncreate. At Syncreate, we’re here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you're not sure how to get it off the ground, visit us at syncreate.org.
Our book, now available in both print and audiobook format, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help bring your work to the world.
Melinda: Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Syncreate Podcast. We're happy you've joined us today. And today we're going to be talking about a light little topic - the role of the artist in society. (Laughter) So, I think in these divisive times we're living in, it's been a lot on my mind and I think on your mind, on many people's minds… like, what can we do? And how can we as artists and creatives be of benefit to the wider world? So, like, what is the role of the artist? And of course, this is an age-old question that has been addressed probably since the beginning of human consciousness. But we're going to tackle it here today. (Laughter)
So, you know, some people have talked about artists as kind of the canary in the coal mine. Like, the ones who are really, really sensitive to what's going on in the wider world. And maybe seeing things before other people see them and sensing them, and maybe expressing what they're feeling in the zeitgeist, perhaps before others are aware of it. Also, you know, people have talked about how artists not simply respond to what's happening in society, but also that we have the capacity to envision what do we want the world to be like?
And to even shape that, you know, think about all the science fiction writers, who at the time they were writing these outlandish things that then later came into being some technologies developing directly as a result of these science fiction writers going like, “What if this thing were possible?” Right? And also as artists and creators, we can help others maybe think differently, see differently, feel differently. You know, art is a very powerful medium. Whatever genre you're working in. It has the capability to touch people.
And in a deeper emotional level. And I was just looking at this quote from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Said that “No artist tolerates reality.” (Laughter) So, speaking to the transformational power of art and creativity, I have to thank Juro for that, for turning me on to Nietzsche's work on the artist and society. So again, you know, the arts have the power to speak to people’s experiences and emotions in a deeper way. So thoughts, Charlotte?
Charlotte: Well, yes, I totally agree with everything you're saying. And I'm also thinking about the person who might not define themselves as a capital A artist.
Melinda: Absolutely.
Charlotte: And being that, you know, things are so big right now that, you know, do I have permission as a lowercase A artist (laughter) - even if I let myself use that term for myself - do I have a right to have a place? Do I have entitlement? And we want to say definitely yes. Because we need all voices to imagine what's possible. And you know that art has its role beyond what we think sometimes. You know, there's… what's the phrase that “Art is there to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” (Laughter)
Melinda: Yes. Just love it. Yeah.
Charlotte: Yeah. So, like, that's… I think where we are right now and, you know, at Syncreate, as you say, like, we really want people to feel empowered to call themselves artists and not have that tied to a product, but to have that tied to a way of being. Tied to a way of thinking and how do we imagine what could be better, and saying yes to our ideas rather than no?
Melinda: Yeah, absolutely. I was just having a chat this morning on Instagram, with a friend of mine, Graden Keller. I'll give him a shout out. He's been doing a lot of writing on LinkedIn and Substack. And, you know, he wrote a very powerful piece about Ukraine that he just published. And this thing that's been going around like, oh, everyone's saying, you know, “Ukrainians are so resilient”. But that that actually can do a disservice, right? It's like, “Okay, but what are we doing sitting here on the sidelines?” You know, like, how can we actually get involved? And instead of just saying, “Wow, they're so strong…” - you know, like, let's help them in some way.
And so I was like, you know, “Thank you for this piece and for everything that you're doing.” And, you know, he was saying something along the lines of like, “Well, I do it because, you know, I feel strongly that I want to put these ideas out there and not for any specific, you know, end goal or return or whatever.” You know, he happens to actually have quite a large following. But, you know, he's writing about what he's passionate about and not just what he thinks is going to be popular or marketable or so forth, you know.
So… but I would… just back to what you were saying, I'm going to kick it back to you. But like, okay, so maybe this lowercase A artist or creative who, you know, like, we've talked in recent episodes about like, how can we, you know, be of benefit in our local communities? Like, what are small ways that we can exercise what we're talking about here?
Charlotte: Well, I think we have to be clear about the goals. And I think, you know, there's so many layers to it. Is the goal to just keep my own humanity alive in a time that feels like it's somehow scandalous or comfort? And like, “No, I'm going to draw or paint or dance, even while terrible things are going on.” And that's partly how we keep our individual humanity awake and alive. Not at the dismissal or at the ignorance of what's happening for other people, but that we don't become small. I think that's the main thing. That we don't we don't become constricted.
And maybe that's with the ingredients that you have. You get creative or you sing in public. Like, there are ways to keep ourselves… like, bright spots that I think are really, really important. And then I think to your point, like, maybe that's - and we've talked about this before - like, maybe you have people over and everyone brings a favorite poem, and you read it together or you, I mean, each person reads one… and that we think about what passes through time? Yes, there's intergenerational trauma, but there's also art, song, poem, dance, so many things.
It’s like, how are we keeping ourselves in fullness in difficult times? So, I think that there are more things that we could do.
Melinda: And my mind is going to like, okay, what did people do before mass media? Before there even was an opportunity to like, broadcast things out on a large level? People sat around the campfire and sang and shared stories, or, you know, composed poems or made art for themselves and their families and their immediate communities. Like, it wasn't about trying to get famous and make a lot of money, you know. (Laughter) Like, we as humans have been doing this for, again, as long as we've been humans. Maybe before, you know? (Laughter)
Charlotte: I think what we're trying to say, it's so vital. It's not secondary. And I think about it, Ismet Prcic--if I'm saying his last name right--he is a writer who was conscripted into the Bosnian war. And one of the things that he did is that he joined an acting troupe, and they got together and staged plays that were activists and community centered, and kind of like, on the fly or illegal. And that's part of, like… that's how he sustained himself when he had to do these… had to be in situations that were costing humanity. He was making sure that his humanity was staying alive.
Melinda: Yes. Yeah. So, like, the… like, truly everyday creativity, as we often talk about, but like, as activism, even in a really local context.
Charlotte: I have so many friends that are singing right now, in different ways. And it is what is sustaining them. They're with other people. And like, for them, it's almost sacred.
Melinda: Absolutely.
Charlotte: You know? Yeah. And to share voices, like, it's how they're getting through.
Melinda: Yeah. Yeah. Whatever gets you through it. Right. Yeah. So, when we were kind of talking about like, brainstorming about this episode, you mentioned a quote from Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, the Kenyan author, who actually was a professor of mine at NYU. So, I was excited that you brought him up. He passed away recently, but, you know, beloved author. And this quote is, “Imagination is the central formative agency in human society. It's because we can imagine different futures, that we can struggle against the present state of things.”
So, we're going to be talking more about the power of imagination in a future episode coming up. But, again, I think that speaks to this same idea that, like, if we can imagine a different way of being, then that's the first step to bringing it into being.
Charlotte: And I think, this sounds really casual and I don't mean it that way, but there's incredible power to the phrase,“Wouldn’t it be nice?”
Melinda: Yes.
Charlotte: And then like, fill in the blank. And that is where creativity comes in, where we say that we are boundless in what is possible.
Melinda: Yeah.
Charlotte: So, wouldn’t it be nice, and then fill in the blank of like, even, you're doing the dishes, you're driving your car, and letting that muscle of imagination and creativity stay really present. And toned, I guess. Don't let it atrophy right now.
Melinda: Yeah. It's that “What if?” question that we talk about in our book, you know. That initial phase of creativity, which is imagination and daydreaming and you know, what's possible? Like you said. So, our Pro Tip for today, as we've been discussing, is how to think about like… consider/reflect on how your creations contribute to the wider world in a positive way. And perhaps help people to think and see differently.
So again, this doesn't have to be some high art concept kind of thing. How can your culinary creations nourish and enrich your family and friends in some positive way? You know, like, there's so many ways that we express our creativity during our daily lives at home, at work, in our civic worlds. So, what does that look like for you?
Charlotte: Thank you for joining us today. Find and connect with us on YouTube and social media under @syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review.
Melinda: And we're recording today at Record ATX Studios in Austin, with Charlotte joining us from the Hudson Valley. The podcast is produced in collaboration with Mike Osborne at 14th Street Studios. Thanks so much for being with us, and see you next time.
