MindFolk: Recent Episodes
Brian Pagán
MindFolk: Human Creativity and Mindful Innovation, in a Podcast.
Host Brian Pagán talks with scientists, artists, philosophers, and designers about how to build a more compassionate world. We discuss topics like human experience (UX) design, empathy, storytelling, ethics, privacy, and creativity.
How can love help us create sustainable change? Ghada Alaa Hamdy shares how she does it, both in the humanitarian sector and at home.
"We're trying really to experience coexistence in a practical way."
See the shownotes & transcript on our website
References Ghada's LinkedIn Profile
Bahá'í faith and community
Topics Communication, Love, Psychological Safety, Culture, Growth, Bahá'í, Service, Harassment, Gender, Social Justice, Change Management, Inclusion
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Some of humanity's most creative works come from an 'outside' perspective. Cíntia Taylor is one of those talented outsiders who moves fluidly between worlds while examining the spaces between them.
"If you're not the default, you... need support."
See the transcript & shownotes on our website
Cíntia Taylor cintiataylor.com | taylored.eu | LinkedIn | Instagram
References Clinch (film)
Amélie Onzon
Youval Kuipers
Your Hair is Cute (film)
Débora Santiago
SAE Institute
Brené Brown
Transactional Analysis
Topics Screenwriting, Improv, Creative Process, Race, Identity, Home, Imposter Syndrome, Shame, Trauma, Vulnerability
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At any given moment in life, we can either do (take action) or be (simply exist). And we're closest to our true purpose when we can move between those states mindfully. Let's practice this together!
"One of the foundations of [do-be-do] is actually taking the time and the silence to be for a moment and to connect."
See the transcript & shownotes on our website
People The Upgrade SocietyThe Upgrade Society's Website
Thomas Swaak
The Essentialist Website
Sujith Ravindran
Sujith on LinkedIn
Rolf van Haren
Rolf van Haren @ LinkedIn
References VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity
The Hero's Journey
Topics Creativity, VUCA, Leadership, Mindfulness, Activism, Non-judgement, Meaningful Value, Ego
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It's not easy to sashay between two worlds, but it can be incredibly rewarding. Sherin Wafaai examines with us her practice for turning anger into compassion, the importance of our own boundaries, and transforming trauma into purpose.
⚠️ This one goes to a dark place not necessarily suitable for kids...
"Where there is no love, put love, and then there will be love."
See the transcript & shownotes on our website
Sherin Wafaai Instagram | Sherin's LinkedIn Profile | Healers & Guides
References Conscious Leadership with Jim Dethmer
Topics Compassion, Leadership, Trauma, Healing, Love, Empathy, UX, Design, Creative Career, Shame, Grace, Boundaries
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No organization or company survives 19 years by accident. Goran Mrvoš opens up about how being in nature helps him nurture his own, and his company's, emotional intelligence, grit, and enthusiasm for experimentation.
"Being young in your soul is not a matter of age, but of mindset. "
See the transcript & shownotes on our website
Goran Mrvoš Instagram | Goran's LinkedIn Profile | Infosit Website | Apprais.ly
Topics Remote Work, Company Culture, Nature, Employee Assessment, Creativity, Empathy, App Engagement, Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Safety, Digital Detox, Barter Deals
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Within each of us resides at least one fundamental paradox: a contradiction that makes us who we uniquely are. Adedana Ashebir shares with us how her paradoxes fuel her journey toward self-compassion, her relationships with friends & family, and her career in venture capital, empowering overlooked entrepreneurs.
"The PhD-level [of empathy] is: how to have grace for other people, when they don't have grace for you ."
See the transcript & shownotes on our website
Adedana Ashebir Instagram | Twitter | @Afracanah on Insta | Afracanah on Twitter | Village Capital
Topics Grace, Imposter Syndrome, Love, Empathy, Theater, Faith, Collective Trauma, Race, Investment Capital, Entrepreneurship, Stress
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The worst crisis inspires the most meaningful change. Abdalla Shaheen shares with Brian the story of his own crisis, finding love in the Sinai, getting married via Google Translate, and experiencing Bedouin superpowers first-hand.
"You are here on a training mission to learn how to tame your ego."
See the shownotes & transcript on our website
Abdalla Shaheen E-mail Address
References The Purpose of Life by Jeffrey Lang
Habiba Community Farm
Topics Spirituality, Religion, Transformation, Ego, Love, Natural Living, Compassion, Relationships, Sustainability
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Interaction designers often transition into other creative roles, and Karin Ackerholm is no exception. She talks with Brian about having curiosity as a superpower, learning empathy from immigrants, and dedicating her career to making the world more sustainable for all of us.
"Should we spend our funding on things that make the world better or worse?"
See the shownotes & transcript on our website
Karin Ackerholm LinkedIn profile | University bio
References Brainpickings: Paula Scher on Combinatorial Creativity
Topics Sustainability, Innovation, Sustainable Business, Refugees, Comfort in Discomfort, Curiosity, Relationship-Building, Creative Career, Stress, Self-Care, Empathy
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We each face challenges differently, and no one has faced 2020's challenges like Joost MF Liebregts. He shares with Brian the story of how he successfully pivoted his business, and they discuss the happy intersection between sustainability and good business.
"It's an erosion of status quo that makes change happen."
🌍 See the shownotes & transcript on our website
Joost MF Liebregts Joost on LinkedIn | Purpose Design | Shots of Purpose
References * The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris * Give and Take by Adam Grant * The Futur on YouTube
Topics Gardening, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Creative Career, Experimentation, Inspiration, Privilege, Design Sprints, Digital Workshops, Barter Deals, Value-Based Pricing
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From romance novels to board games to The Washington Post, Chiara Vercesi's creative career is far from 'standard.' In this conversation, she takes Brian on a journey from introducing Grandma to homosexuality to having an agent in New York and co-founding Sail Ho Studio.
"I prefer harsh reality over comfortable lies."
🌍 See the shownotes & transcript on our website
Chiara Vercesi Chiara's website | Behance | Instagram | Sail Ho Studio
Topics Illustration, Empathy, Relationships, Creative Career, Rationality, Atheism, Homosexuality, Portfolio Advice, Listening, Diffusion, Creative Process
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As we experiment with different formats, Brian presents our first MindSnack, a short monologue on a topic he finds interesting. This one is about privacy.
Rather than a limitation, Brian sees privacy as an opportunity to build a trusting, healthy relationship with our customers or audience. He outlines the GDPR's three most important concepts and lays out an ethical framework for Privacy by Design, all in less than 10 minutes.
"A healthy relationship between ourselves and our customers relies on fair value exchange."
🌍 See the shownotes & transcript on our website
References * Watch the talk as a video * Download the Ethical Design Checklist
Topics Privacy by Design, Privacy, Convenience, UX, eCommerce, GDPR, Data Protection, Ethical Design, Fair Value Exchange, Customer Experience
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In this wild interview, Brian speaks with Melanja Palitta: dancer, filmmaker, painter, photographer, yoga instructor, and all-around creative powerhouse. Their conversation about creativity quickly veers off into a thesis on Melanja's trifocal model of human emotion.
"The law of love is able to go beyond."
🌍 See the shownotes & transcript on our website
Melanja Palitta Balanslab website | @melanjapalitta on Instagram
Topics Creativity, Home, Relationships, Love vs Fear, Emotion, Energy, Spirituality, Logos, Painting, Dualism, Infinite Light, Gnosticism, Pina Bausch
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