Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Syncreate Podcast: Empowering Creativity
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 125: Figuring it Out with Film Producer & Creative Entrepreneur Marco De Molina | 20 Aug 2026 | 00:54:03 | |
Marco De Molina is Grammy Nominated film producer who has received international acclaim throughout his career at prestigious film festivals worldwide including the Festival de Cannes. He has been recognized for his striking visuals, unique storytelling, a keen eye for developing new talent, and his ability to maximize production value. Marco has produced countless music videos for chart-topping musicians in all genres from metal to pop. He has received numerous nominations and wins at the MTV VMAs, and UKMVAs, including a Grammy Nomination for Best Music Video for LIL NAS X “Montero (Call Me By Your Name.)” He the Co-Founder of SPACEBRAIN Entertainment and One of Us, a prestige spirits platform, both of which he runs with his wife Roza Marchenko. Our conversation traces his journey from aspiring filmmaker to Grammy-nominated producer and creative entrepreneur. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, Marco suggests cultivating a daily discipline to hone your craft, and warns not to get caught up in other people’s successes, because as his mother once told him, “Excellence has no competition.” 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 21: The Walk of Faith and Courage with Shakespearean Actor Warren "Ren" Jackson, Episode 56: Asking the Questions with Broadway Stereophonic Cast Member Chris Stack, and Episode 119: Jazz Lessons with Musical Mathematician Lawrence Udeigwe, PhD. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 124: Creative Spark Series - Finding Your Story with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 06 Aug 2026 | 00:14:38 | |
Storytelling is a huge part of the creative process, and we all carry many stories within us. In this episode of our Creative Spark Series, we explore how to find the stories in our own life experiences, and how to begin working with them. We also explore the healing power of telling our stories, and how our personal (and sometimes painful) experiences can speak to larger, more universal themes. 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 recall life experiences that still feel a little uncomfortable, “spiky,” or have stuck with you over time, and begin to express them in a creative way to see if you can find a new perspective on them. 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 122: Sharing Your Creative Self, Episode 118: The Power of Imagination, and Episode 108: Breaking the Glass Ceiling in our Minds. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate book by Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 115: The Power of Play - Creativity, Play, and Embodiment with Dr. Tamara Russell | 02 Apr 2026 | 00:46:44 | |
Dr. Tamara Russell is a clinical psychologist, neuroscientist, martial artist and mindfulness trainer. She works as an academic and clinician, exploring the use of embodied mindfulness in the work of transformation and self-development. Tamara is involved in international collaborations looking at how mindfulness training changes the structure and function of the brain. She is the Director of the Mindfulness Centre of Excellence, London, an organization dedicated to the wider dissemination of mindfulness, with a particular focus on innovation in the delivery of mindfulness across a variety of sectors and populations. In this episode, we discuss the importance of play and embodiment in learning, innovation, and personal development. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to turn your daily to-do list into a compassionate to-to list, emphasizing gratitude and self-care. It might just change your whole relationship to your daily rhythm and workflow! 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 2: Embodiment and Creativity with Thais Bicalho Silva, Episode 62: The Neuroscience of Creativity with Dr. Indre Viskontas, and Episode 113: Music Mindfulness and Healing with Dr. AZA Allsop. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Mindfulness Centre of Excellence Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 25: Between Order & Chaos - Creativity, Neuroscience & Psychedelics with Bradley Cooke, Ph.D. | 22 Feb 2024 | 00:47:03 | |
What distinguishes creativity from other modes of thinking and being? How do we understand creativity from a neuroscientific perspective, and how do psychedelics affect creativity? We explore these questions with Bradley Cooke, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and Program Director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Cooke oversees the nation's portfolio of research into the neurobiology of obesity and diabetes. He’s also a visual artist with an interest in psychedelics research. We explore how creativity lives on a spectrum between order and chaos, between predictability and surprise, as exemplified by the Italian term sprezzatura, a sense of careless grace, casual elegance, or intentional nonchalance. Our Creativity Pro-Tip encourages you to consider the times, places, and conditions where you feel most creative, and to intentionally foster those conditions to support your creative pursuits. This often requires setting aside the to-do list, and carving out time for our creative process. 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 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera, and Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in April. You can find more information on our website, syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Bradley Cooke, Ph.D. on LinkedIn Dr. Dan Siegel on Chaos, Rigidity, and Integration My Funny Valentine - Miles Davis & John Coltrane Brad’s Research Portfolio at the National Institutes of Health Article: Psychedelics as Potential Catalysts of Scientific Creativity and Insight Article: 7 Ways Psychedelics Impact Creative Thinking Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 24: Creative Spark Series - Creative Planning with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 15 Feb 2024 | 00:13:23 | |
In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe the Plan, or organizational, phase of the creative process. The word “plan” might not immediately come to mind when we think about creativity, but planning and organization are actually vital to bringing a creative idea to the world. We discuss how convergent and divergent thinking figure into the creative process, as well as the importance of setting creative goals and milestones. We also share personal examples of how planning allows us to move forward with our creative work in a productive way, along with insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we focus on accountability partnership, where we enlist the help of a friend, colleague, or collaborator to help hold us accountable to our creative goals. Accountability partnerships can be formal or informal, but they afford us that extra bit of extrinsic motivation to move forward with our work. Accountability partnerships are a powerful way to boost our creative output. 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 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, Episode 20: The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce and Episode 22: Creative Play. At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors, so if you have an idea for a project or a new venture, please reach out to us for 1x1 coaching or join our Syncreate 2024 Coaching Group, starting in April. So you can find more information on our website, syncreate.org, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on YouTube, LinkedIn, FB, Insta & TikTok under Syncreate, and we’re now on Patreon as well. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 23: The Corporate Mystic - Archetypes of Leadership & Creativity with Stephanie Crain | 08 Feb 2024 | 00:51:27 | |
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this episode explores the archetypes, personas, and roles we embody in our work life and beyond, beginning with the archetype of The Lovers. My guest is The Corporate Mystic, Stephanie Crain, an Austin-based leadership/ ethos coach and innovation consultant. She’s the founder of Tapas Innovation, and a Certified Master Jungian Coach with a Success Mindset specialization. Stephanie works with executives, creators, and entrepreneurs to realize their full authentic expression and value activation. Our conversation focuses on the Corporate Persona Archetype Test she developed to help people better understand the roles and personas they adopt in the workplace, develop greater self-awareness, and embrace their full professional potential. Our Creativity Pro-Tip for this episode invites you to take the free Corporate Persona Archetype Test and to consider the ways you show up at work, in your leadership, and in your wider life. Where do you shine? Where are you holding back? And how could you step forward with greater authenticity and confidence? 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 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Attorney Dylan Hayre, Episode 15: Leadership, Burnout & Personal Sustainability with Dr. Katherine Semler, and Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD. The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda, and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Stephanie Crain / The Corporate Mystic on LinkedIn Free Corporate Persona Archetype Test Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 22 - Creative Spark Series: Creative Play with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 01 Feb 2024 | 00:08:18 | |
In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe the Play, or ideation, phase of the creative process. In our view of the creative process, we begin with play. This is where we dream, fantasize, imagine, and envision the work we want to create. It’s where we play with ideas, build our skills, and experiment with different ways of bringing our ideas to life. We share insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we focus on “woodshedding,” a term from the jazz world, which involves honing our craft, putting the time in to practice our scales (or the equivalent in whatever medium we’re working in), and developing our skills. It involves the (playful) discipline of building our skills so that we can be best equipped to actually bring our creative ideas into being. 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 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, Episode 14: Anatomy of a Song with Singer/Songwriter George McCormack, and Episode 21: The Walk of Faith & Courage with Actor Ren Jackson. The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda, and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Charlotte Gullick’s Website Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 21: The Walk of Faith and Courage with Shakespearean Actor Warren "Ren" Jackson | 25 Jan 2024 | 00:45:22 | |
Following the creative path professionally requires faith and courage, as exemplified by our current guest Warren “Ren” Jackson. Originally from Indianapolis (where he and Melinda went school together growing up), Ren went on to earn an MFA from the University of Arizona, and then to a professional acting career with an emphasis on Shakespeare. He continued his artistic exploration amid the thriving theater and teaching artist community in New York. A former company member with the Brooklyn based, site-specific theater company, Brave New World Rep, he has worked extensively in New York and regionally in the Midwest. Being a former competitive athlete, much of his approach to his artistic work is grounded in his exploration of a story's physicality. Whether through stage combat, dance, gesture or stylized movement, he has a commitment and enthusiasm to creating a physical narrative that supplements and highlights the writer's text. Our conversation focuses on Ren’s approach to acting and directing, how growing up in the Black church helped to influence his understanding of creativity, and what he terms “the walk of faith and courage” required to follow the creative path with authenticity. Ren is currently performing with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in a production of Amen Corner by James Baldwin, followed by a production of Julius Cesar. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to consider how creativity lives in your body, in your gestures, your voice, your eyes, and your interactions with other others, and how you use that creativity to connect and communicate. 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 3: Creative Polymathy with Musician and Multi-Creative Michael Walker, Episode 5: Creative Global Citizenship with Screenwriter and Filmmaker Shuja Uddin, and Episode 8: Grief, Healing, and the Artist’s Life with Anne Myers Cleary.
Ren’s Linked-In Profile Play: Master Harold and the Boys by Athol Fugard Play: Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare The Delacorte Theater / Shakespeare in the Park Play / Book: Elijah Broke the Gate Book: The Courage to Create by Rollo May Play: Amen Corner by James Baldwin | |||
| Episode 20: Creative Spark Series - The Syncreate Model of Play, Plan & Produce with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 18 Jan 2024 | 00:13:18 | |
In this episode of our new Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte give an overview of the Syncreate model of Play, Plan & Produce to help you move from ideation to completion with your creative work. Do you have an idea for a creative project but can’t seem to move it forward? Or maybe you’ve stalled out along the way, or can’t figure out how to bring it to completion? We share insights from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities to help you move through the creative process with greater ease and agility. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to pay attention to the “whispers of the creative mind”–those words, images, and flashes of inspiration we may receive throughout the day or in dreams–and actually document them in some way so you can come back to them later. 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 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera. The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda, and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 19: Creativity, Sexuality & The Sacred Feminine with Leah Shadwick, Marie Commisso and Thais Bicalho Silva | 11 Jan 2024 | 00:43:27 | |
For our first full-length episode of 2024, we’re taking things in a more personal direction, as Melinda shares the story of her recent hysterectomy journey, along with her team of women healers, Leah Shadwick, Marie Commisso, and Thais Bicalho Silva. We discuss the connections between creativity, sexuality, the body, and the sacred feminine, as well as womens’ health and healing through creativity, community, and the arts. 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 2: Embodiment and Creativity with Thais Bicalho Silva, Episode 4: Stewarding Change with Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer Reem Khashou, and Episode 8: Grief, Healing, and the Artist’s Life with Anne Myers Cleary. The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with Melinda and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Leah Shadwick / Bird’s Nest Acupuncture Marie Commisso Healing Website Mayoli Movement - Thais Bicalho Silva’s Physical Therapy and Feldenkrais Practice Book: Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup, M.D. Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 18: Creative Spark Series - 2024 Creative Intentions with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 04 Jan 2024 | 00:10:26 | |
For our very first episode of the new year, we’re doing something new! A couple of things, actually. We’re moving to a weekly release schedule, and introducing a new series we’re calling Creative Sparks to help stimulate your creativity. Every other week, Syncreate Co-Founders Melinda and Charlotte will co-host a mini-episode focusing on a specific aspect of the creative process to help stimulate your creativity. As with our longer episodes, we’ll end with a Creativity Pro-Tip that you can immediately put to use to enhance your creative work. For this first Creative Spark episode and Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to think about your own creative goals, intentions, and aspirations for 2024, and how you can establish a consistent creative practice, including discipline and accountability, in order to realize those aspirations. 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 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera. The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, including previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with me and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 17: Creative Collaboration - The Joy and The Pain with Syncreate Podcast Producer Mike Osborne | 28 Dec 2023 | 00:34:15 | |
In our final episode of 2023, Melinda and Mike reflect on our collaboration in developing and producing The Syncreate Podcast over the last year, from its ideation phase to the present. We talk about Melinda’s inspiration for the show, some of the myths and stereotypes she wants to dispel about creativity, and (now that we can laugh about it) our creative friction in bringing the show to life. We’ve landed in a good place, so it’s all good. But collaboration isn’t always easy, and this episode offers a view behind the curtain into our own creative process, both the joy and the pain. Mike is the co-creator of the Famous & Gravy podcast, and the Founder of 14th Street Studios in Austin, which he launched to help bring more people into podcasting. He’s a podcast veteran, with over twelve years of experience as a creator. Michael started his first show while working on his PhD in climate science at Stanford. He has three original productions and is involved in a number of ongoing productions. For our Creativity Pro Tip today, think about your daily creative discipline. Whenever I work with clients, I encourage them to develop a regular practice. Maybe daily is not realistic, but sitting down and doing your work on a consistent basis allows the muse a place to land. Additionally, how do you collaborate in your creative work, whether in your family, in your professional life, in sports, and so on. What is the quality of collaboration? 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. Additional graphic design and video production assistance from Daniel Whiteside. If you enjoy this episode, you might also like our conversations in Episode 1 on Audio Storytelling with Podcaster and Environmentalist Michael Osborne, PhD, Episode 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera. The Syncreate Podcast is now on Patreon. We’d love your support in continuing to grow the podcast and our Syncreate community. For a small monthly contribution, you’ll receive exclusive content and access, previews of upcoming episodes, monthly calls with me and more. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD | 14 Dec 2023 | 00:25:27 | |
What is creativity and how do we study it? If you’re curious to learn more about the study of creativity and innovation, this episode is for you. The Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership Program at Saybrook University The Four C Model of Creativity
| |||
| Episode 114: Creative Spark Series - The Role of the Artist in Society with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 19 Mar 2026 | 00:14:28 | |
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, and 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 15: Leadership, Burnout & Personal Sustainability with Dr. Katherine Semler | 30 Nov 2023 | 00:25:30 | |
We’ve all likely experienced some degree of burnout or overwhelm in the course of our lives, especially since the pandemic. But what exactly is burnout? How can we recognize the signs of it, prevent it from overtaking us, and heal from it once we’ve experienced it? My guest on the show today is Dr. Katherine Semler. Katherine has worked for 25 years in the field of leadership development. She is a senior partner at Korn Ferry and an adjunct faculty member at Ashridge Hult Business School. She is the co-author of Running On Empty, a book about burnout and the practices that can protect us from it. We recorded this episode together in Girona, Spain, where we recently led a retreat together on Personal Sustainability and Creativity Through Writing and Contemplative Arts. Our conversation focuses on leadership, Katherine’s research on burnout, and personal sustainability, including practices to help prevent burnout and refill our energetic wells, such as creativity, movement, and time in nature. For our Creativity Pro-Tip for today, I encourage you to set aside some time in your schedule, even if it’s only 30 minutes or so, to put away the to-do list, write in a journal, get out some paints or markers, or play some music. Get your hands in the dirt and do some gardening, or cook a nice meal. Notice what happens. The more often you allow yourself to replenish in this way, the more energy you’ll have for your life, and the less you’ll be susceptible to burnout. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Christian Haigis with assistance from Michael Osborne in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. If you enjoy this episode, you might also like our conversations in Episode 6: Gratitude, Gentleness, and Generosity with Mayela Padilla Manasjan and Episode 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Attorney Dylan Hayre.
Book: Running on Empty by Amy Bradley and Katherine Semler Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 14: Anatomy of a Song with Singer/Songwriter George McCormack | 16 Nov 2023 | 00:34:13 | |
Songwriting, like many creative pursuits, can be a mysterious process. There’s no set formula for writing a song, and each songwriter approaches it in their own unique way. My guest today is George McCormack, a British singer-songwriter who performs as Son of Cormack. George and I were introduced by a mutual friend last year and started collaborating musically. You’ll hear us playing together during the episode, with George on guitar and lead vocals, and me on bass and backing vocals. Our focus in the conversation today is his songwriting process, with a focus on the song, ”Accelerate to a Standstill,” which is essentially a metaphor for the climate crisis and our collective inability to respond or take full responsibility for it. George’s tagline is “An Irish boy, with an English Voice.” With Irish roots, George grew up in English pubs to jukebox lullabies in the 80s and went to a British boarding school. He lived in London for a decade and now lives in Austin, Texas, where he is writing and finally self-publishing his music. BBC INTRODUCING has picked up some of his songs and has been playing them on the radio. He appeared on the BBC Introducing stage at Lakefest Festival in the grounds of Eastnor Castle in 2022 and has been a guest live on air with BBC Hereford & Worcester. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Christian Haigis with assistance from Michael Osborne in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. If you enjoy this episode, you might also like our conversations in Episode 3: Creative Polymathy with Musician and Multi-Creative Michael Walker, Episode 8: Grief, Healing, and the Artist’s Life with Anne Myers Cleary, and Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 13: Creativity as a Foundation of Resilience with Cyrus Gray III | 02 Nov 2023 | 00:29:29 | |
This episode, featuring Cyrus Gray III, demonstrates how creativity can support resilience, even under extremely difficult circumstances. In Episode 11, I talked with Dylan Hayre about the creativity in his criminal justice reform work. In this episode, we hear about the criminal justice system from the perspective of someone who found himself behind bars for nearly five years, four of those awaiting trial for murder, all the while maintaining his innocence. Our conversation focuses on Cyrus’ story and his efforts to navigate the criminal justice system, advocate for himself and others, and ultimately win his release. He embraced the power of community to foster positive changes to the system. I see this as a fundamentally creative act. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Christian Haigis with assistance from Michael Osborne in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. If you enjoy this episode, you might also like our conversations in Episode 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Attorney Dylan Hayre and Episode 12: Creativity, Inclusivity and Community Theater with Sharanya Rao. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Article: “Pre-Trial Injustice” by Cyrus Gray with Matthew Clair Article: “Criminal Injustice: A View from the Juror’s Box” by Melinda Rothouse Book: Privilege and Punishment: How Race and Class Matter in Criminal Court by Matthew Clair Article: “Five Years, and Counting, Without Trial” by Brittany Kelley Article: “Hays County Sets Trial Date for Man Stuck in Jail for Five Years” by Brant Bingamon Free Devonte Amerson Linktree with Additional Links & Information Mano Amiga - Criminal Justice Reform Organization in San Marcos, Texas Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 12: Creativity, Inclusivity and Community Theater with Sharanya Rao | 19 Oct 2023 | 00:29:17 | |
Sharanya Rao is a leadership, team, and career coach with an emphasis on equity and inclusion. She’s also the Artistic Director of Leela - An Indian Community Theatre in Austin, Texas. Her current project, Anklets in the Boardroom, gives voice to South Asian women’s experiences in the workplace. Her project is a living example of creating in community, in service of positive social change, which is one of Syncreate’s core principles. Our conversation in this episode focuses on how she’s brought together a “confluence of passions” with her work in coaching, DEI, and theater, culminating in Anklets in the Boardroom. Sharanya’s story demonstrates how one person, with a bit of inspiration, can create something new, unique, and impactful for the benefit of the wider community. Our Creativity Pro Tip at the end of the episode encourages us to reflect on how we can each bring our own unique passions together in a new way to create something that may benefit the wider world. For me, this podcast is a synthesis of my own interests in creativity, psychology, spirituality, public speaking, performance, and my personal network of creatives all over the world. So, what’s your passion project, and how could you bring it to life? Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. If you enjoy this episode, you might also like our conversations in Episode 5: Creative Global Citizenship with Screenwriter and Filmmaker Shuja Uddin, Episode 6: Gratitude, Gentleness, and Generosity with Mayela Padilla Manasjan and Episode 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Attorney Dylan Hayre Episode-specific hyperlinks: Leela - An Indian Community Theatre Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed Book: The First, The Few, and The Only by Deepa Purushothaman Book: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Dylan Hayre | 05 Oct 2023 | 00:26:50 | |
Dylan Hayre is a leader in criminal justice reform focusing on supervision in probation and parole. We connected through his work and leadership, and from the start I was struck by his passion and drive, not only for criminal justice work, but in his striving for self-cultivation in leading from his core values and principles. Dylan is a highly creative thinker, bringing an innovative approach to solving the problems of a complex and highly entrenched institutional system. Our conversation in this episode focuses on the creativity in Dylan’s work, as well as the values and principles he brings to his leadership in the field. Currently serving as Director of Criminal Justice Reform at Arnold Ventures, Dylan previously served in the ACLU’s Justice Division, where he led their advocacy work on clemency and death penalty repeal. Prior to that, he served as the Senior Policy Advisor at JustLeadershipUSA, where he led the organization’s policy analysis. Our Creativity Pro Tip at the end of the episode focuses on creative, values-based leadership. We all lead in different ways in different contexts, whether explicitly or implicitly, so I encourage you to consider how you show up as a leader in your own life, whether based in formal leadership roles or positions, or in your family, community, and so on. Leadership is an exercise in creativity, and our values are the cornerstone of our leadership. So what are your core values and passions? Have you ever formally articulated them and how they guide your path and decision making? If not, today is a great time to start. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. If you like this episode, you might also enjoy Episode 6: Gratitude, Gentleness, and Generosity with Mayela Padilla Manasjan and Episode 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Overview of Criminal Justice Reform from the Equal Justice Initiative History of Juneteenth from National Geographic Overview of Stoicism from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy How To Reform Criminal Justice, When Prosecutors Hold The Power by Dylan Hayre Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist & Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera | 21 Sep 2023 | 00:27:05 | |
What comes to mind when you hear the word “imagination”? Does it evoke a particular image, scene, or context in your mind’s eye? We often associate imagination with the visual sense, as a close relative and component of creativity. But imagination can be associated with any of the five senses or perceptual fields, and it is also closely linked with intuition, spirituality, and synchronicity. And what about the dark side of imagination? We discuss all of this and more in Episode 10 of The Syncreate Podcast with Dr. Diana Rivera. Dr. Rivera is a licensed clinical psychologist and creativity coach in Los Angeles. She’s the owner of Empowerment Psychology, and she's worked for many years as a facilitator in performing arts education, as well as offering professional development coaching to artists, youth, educators, and corporate America. She holds two Bachelor’s degrees from the University of California at Santa Cruz in American Studies and Theatre Arts. She has a MA in Psychology with a specialization in Creativity Studies and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Saybrook University. She is also a certified personal/professional development coach as designated by the International Coaching Federation.
Dr. Rivera’s Psychotherapy Website: https://www.empowermentpsychologyla.com/ Dr. Rivera’s Creativity Coaching Website: https://creativeempowermentcoaching.com/ Saybrook University Creativity, Innovation & Leadership Ph.D. Program Article by Dr. Rothouse on Jungian Psychology and Creativity: Navigating the Creative Wilderness in the Journal of Creativity Buddhist Teacher Pema Chödrön Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 9: Music and Psychology - "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims | 07 Sep 2023 | 00:26:48 | |
Dr. Jeff Mims is a psychologist, creativity expert, musician, and researcher. His work focuses on the relationships between music, health and well-being. He holds a doctorate in humanistic psychology with a specialization in creativity studies, as well as a master's in rehabilitation counseling, and a bachelor's in film and cinema studies. Currently he’s the operations lead at the Music and Expressive Arts Center of Oklahoma. For his doctoral research, Jeff focused on the musical experience of “the pocket.” This term comes out of the jazz world, when a group of musicians performing together come into a collective flow state. Dr. Mims and Dr. Rothouse were in the same PhD program at Saybrook University, focusing on creativity, but he started the program right after she finished. So we knew of each other, and we were connected on LinkedIn, but we only recently finally got to meet in person at a creativity conference in Oregon. Through our conversations at the conference, we both recognized an opportunity to collaborate, so I’m excited to bring you our conversation today about the pocket experience and the healing power of music.
The Music and Expressive Arts Center of Oklahoma on LinkedIn Saybrook University Creativity, Innovation & Leadership Ph.D. Program Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 8: Grief, Healing, and the Artist’s Life with Anne Myers Cleary | 24 Aug 2023 | 00:24:41 | |
Anne Myers Cleary is a visual artist, as well as a writer and musician, based in Indianapolis. Anne majored in art at Kenyon College, and studied vocal performance and opera at Longy School of Music in Boston and the Jacob's School of Music at Indiana University. Her work has been featured as part of the Encore Sotheby’s Visiting Artist Series, The Harrison Center for the Arts, Kuaba Gallery, the Carmel Clay Library, and the St. Margaret’s Guild Decorator’s Showhouse. Anne shares in her Artist’s Statement: I believe in the importance of imagination, make believe, magic, and mystery, and the truths that are revealed therein. My work is an emotional response to the natural world. I'm interested in the complex and varied emotionality of places and the meaning we attach to them. How we feel in them, or gazing at them, removed. They are reflections of our inner psychological and emotional spaces. I am a traveler, capturing these sacred spaces as they are revealed to me in an attempt to understand human existence and its relationship to the natural world. We discuss how Anne discovered her own unique creative rhythms and routines, as well as her connection to the place she grew up, and how that sense of place figures into her work. We also explore her creative and meaning-making process in connection with a recent series of paintings in oil and spray paint that explore grief and healing, paradoxically expressed through bold, colorful abstract landscapes. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. If you enjoy this episode, you might also like our conversations in Episode 3: Creative Polymathy with Musician, Photographer, and Podcaster Michael Walker, and Episode 7: The Syncreate Story with Charlotte Gullick. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Anne’s website: annelouiseart.com Anne’s Instagram Anne’s work on Saatchi Artist Francis Bacon Saybrook University Creativity Studies Program Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 7: The Syncreate Story with Syncreate Co-Founder Charlotte Gullick | 10 Aug 2023 | 00:26:25 | |
One of our primary areas of focus at Syncreate involves honoring the power of collaboration and community in the creative process. So I’m thrilled to bring you my conversation with Charlotte Gullick, my Syncreate Co-Founder. Charlotte is an author, novelist, memoirist, and educator. Her first novel, By Way of Water, was chosen by Jayne Anne Phillips as the Grand Prize winner of the Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards Program. Her nonfiction has appeared in a number of prestigious literary journals, including The Rumpus, The Best of Brevity, The Los Angeles Review, and Hippocampus. Charlotte and Melinda first met in Austin when we were both teaching at Austin Community College. We founded Syncreate several years later, in 2013, to provide creativity coaching, consulting, workshops and retreats, and we co-wrote a book on the creative process called Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities, which came out in 2021 and won a Silver Nautilus Award for Creativity and Innovation. We recently traveled to Ashland, Oregon for the 2023 Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University, where we presented ideas for our next book on creativity and community. We recorded this podcast episode together in Ashland, and the conversation gave us an opportunity to reflect on our work together helping to empower creativity over the last 10 years. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. If you enjoy this episode, you might also like our conversation in Episode 3: Creative Polymathy with Musician, Photographer, and Podcaster Michael Walker.
Charlotte’s Website: www.charlottegullick.com Charlotte’s Novel: By Way of Water Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 6: Gratitude, Gentleness, and Generosity with Mayela Padilla Manasjan | 27 Jul 2023 | 00:26:02 | |
One of the most powerfully creative things we can do as leaders and changemakers in this complex world is to identify and live from our core values. As a creativity and leadership coach and consultant, I always encourage my clients to articulate their core values and utilize them as compass points in their work. My guest in this episode, Mayela Padilla Manasjan, exemplifies this values-driven creative leadership. Mayela is an environmental scientist as well as a poet and photographer. She’s also the Executive Director of Casa Werma, a Buddhist retreat center in Patzcuaro, Mexico. She leads from what she calls her “Three Gs”: gratitude, gentleness, and generosity. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter.
Mayela’s Website: www.mayelapadilla.com Tiny Climate Challenge Podcast Mayela’s Poetry Book: Orange Line to Tennessee
| |||
| Episode 113: Music Mindfulness & Healing with Dr. AZA Allsop | 05 Mar 2026 | 00:35:15 | |
Dr. AZA Allsop is an artist, neuroscientist, and psychiatrist who conducts research at the intersection of social cognition, music mindfulness, and psychedelics. AZA received his MD from Harvard Medical School, PhD in Neuroscience from MIT, and was an Emerson Scholar at Berklee College of Music. He is currently an Assistant Professor in Yale’s Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Collective Healing at Howard University. He combines art, science, and community to redefine culture and make social impact. Our conversation explores AZA’s current research, his music, and the question of how music and creativity can help heal the world. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to take a few mindful moments to pause and listen to what’s happening around you, as well as to take five minutes (or more, if possible) to set a timer and devote that time to your creativity on a regular basis. You may be surprised by what you can accomplish in a short amount of time. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, Episode 91: Envisioning the Possible with Vlad Glăveanu, PhD, and Episode 62: The Neuroscience of Creativity with Dr. Indre Viskontas. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 5: Creative Global Citizenship with Filmmaker and Screenwriter Shuja Uddin | 13 Jul 2023 | 00:23:14 | |
Creativity benefits from a diverse array of perspectives and experiences. The more creative inputs we have, the more we experience life and the world around us, the more stories and ideas we can observe, live, and share. In this episode, we talk with Austin, Texas-based Shuja Uddin, a screenwriter, filmmaker, and professor of media studies originally from Karachi, Pakistan. We discuss the diverse influences on his storytelling and creative process, from growing up in the bustling metropolis of Karachi, to traveling the world, to studying at Boston University, as well as moments of comedic impersonation. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Episode Transcript Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 4: Stewarding Change with Wellness Coach & Personal Trainer Reem Khashou | 29 Jun 2023 | 00:20:26 | |
Change is hard. Our natural tendency is often to resist it, even if we know it’s good for us. Change represents the unknown, and so we often fear it. That’s why we need people like Reem Khashou, a Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer, to help us implement lasting change in our lives. In this episode, we discuss the mind-body-spirit connection, Reem’s own health and wellness journey, and her approach to stewarding change in her clients. We also examine the transtheoretical model of change, transpersonal psychology, and the importance of daily practices like meditation on the path to wellness. Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter.
Reem Khashou’s Website: changewithreem.com Transtheoretical Model of Change
| |||
| Episode 3: Creative Polymathy with Musician, Photographer, and Podcaster Michael Walker | 15 Jun 2023 | 00:24:39 | |
Melinda came across the term “creative polymathy,” meaning interest and skill in multiple creative fields or disciplines, a few years ago at a creativity conference, and it really resonated. The nature of creativity is to make associations between disparate ideas and inspirations, so it makes sense that creative people often have talent and ability in more than one area. Michael Walker is one of these people; he’s a musician and songwriter, as well as a photographer, podcaster, and the Director of Many Things at Positive Energy, a building science consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. Michael recently released a couple of instrumental albums inspired by Palo Duro Canyon, near his hometown of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. In this episode, we discuss the creative process in Michael’s music, as well as his influences and inspirations, ranging from Buddhist meditation to the landscape of West Texas. The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. Michael’s Website: sleepyburrito.com Creative Polymathy Johnny Greenwood (film composer) Ryuichi Sakamoto (film composer) Positive Energy (building science consulting firm in Austin, TX) Terry Allen (artist and musician) Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 2: Embodiment and Creativity with Physical Therapist Thais Bicalho Silva | 01 Jun 2023 | 00:21:30 | |
We often talk about the mind-body connection, but how does this relate to creativity? Embodiment refers to the state of fully inhabiting our physical selves, as well as our internal, phenomenological experience of living as a physical being. Many of us have complicated relationships with our bodies, especially those of us who have experienced trauma in some form or another (which is most of us). Yet, the body is also a fundamental source of creativity, as we explore in this episode with physical therapist, dancer, and Feldenkrais practitioner Thais Bicalho Silva. Our conversation explores the healing power of movement and touch, as well as what comes alive for us when we experience ourselves from the inside out, as opposed to self-objectifying, and what’s possible when we create from that place. The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. Thais’ Website: mayolimovement.com Psychiatrist and Trauma Researcher Bessel van der Kolk Book: The Body Keeps the Score Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio Book: Descartes’ Error | |||
| Episode 1: Audio Storytelling with Podcaster and Environmental Scientist Michael Osborne | 18 May 2023 | 00:21:51 | |
Podcasting has become such an important medium of creativity, carrying on a long tradition of oral storytelling that stretches back to the beginnings of human history and culture. But what makes a successful podcast and how do you create one? Today’s guest, Michael Osborne, PhD, stumbled into podcasting while working on a PhD in environmental science at Stanford, and never looked back. Over the last 12 years, he’s hosted and produced several very popular and critically acclaimed shows with themes ranging from humans’ impact on the environment and big data to dead celebrities and how to live a meaningful life. In this episode specifically, and in the show more broadly, we explore the creative process itself, as well as the multidimensional nature of creativity and innovation. The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Creative development and video production by Shuja Uddin and Devon Foster at Tishna Films. Artwork by Dreux Carpenter. | |||
| Trailer - Introducing the Syncreate Podcast! | 09 May 2023 | 00:02:24 | |
Introducing the Syncreate Podcast, exploring the intersections of creativity, psychology, and spirituality. | |||
| Episode 112: Creative Spark Series - Creativity for the Common Good with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 19 Feb 2026 | 00:14:08 | |
Building upon our recent Creative Spark episodes on creativity in communication (Episode 110) and self-empowerment (Episode 108), Charlotte and Melinda contemplate how we can use our creativity for the common good, such as connecting in meaningful ways, supporting our local communities in challenging times, giving people the benefit of the doubt, and asking questions before jumping to conclusions. 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 use your creativity to bring a more relational (rather than transactional) focus to your day-to-day interactions, and to find ways to support others in your local community. 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 72: Creative Community, Episode 108: Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Our Minds, and Episode 110: Creativity in Communication. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 111: Stories from the Podcast Studio with Record ATX Co-Founder Grant Davis | 05 Feb 2026 | 00:35:50 | |
Grant Davis is the co-owner of Record ATX, a creative audio and video production studio in Austin, Texas, where we record The Syncreate Podcast.He’s also the longtime co-host of The Beerists Podcast, an award winning craft beer review show and host of Hello Crawlers, a book club podcast dedicated to the Dungeon Crawler Carl book series. Our conversation traces Grant’s journey from baby podcaster to studio co-owner, sharing stories and insights from both the creative and production sides of the podcasting process. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, if you’re thinking of starting a podcast (or any creative endeavor for that matter), remember that quality matters, perfection is the enemy of creativity, and just put it out there! 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 1: Audio Storytelling with Podcaster and Environmentalist Michael Osborne, PhD, Episode 52: Texas Poet Laureate Amanda Johnston, and Episode 109: Light and Shadow: The Art of Journaling with Keila Shaheen. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 110: Creative Spark Series - Creativity in Communication with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 22 Jan 2026 | 00:14:09 | |
,In this episode of our Creative Spark series, we reflect on how we can bring our creativity into our communication and relationships with others, using the “Yes, and…” principle from improv, which opens up possibilities, inviting dialogue, collaboration, and a deepening of connection. 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 bring more flexibility, objectivity, and humor into your communication style for greater perspective, engagement, and collaboration. 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 102: Creativity as a Path of Adventure, Episode 106: Creative Confessions and Episode 108: Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Our Minds. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 109: Light and Shadow - The Art of Journaling with Keila Shaheen | 08 Jan 2026 | 00:37:23 | |
Keila Shaheen is a Brazilian–Puerto Rican American scholar, international bestselling author, and musician. She is the creator of the Zenfulnote app and author of The Shadow Work Journal, which has sold over a million copies and helped introduce shadow work to a new generation. Now pioneering the practice of Light Work, Keila’s mission is to guide others toward inner transformation and creative awakening. Keila integrates depth psychology and the arts to help people reconnect with their inner world. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS News, and The Atlantic. Our conversation focuses on Keila’s personal, creative, and psychological journey, and previews her new book, The Light Work Journal. For our creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage daily positive affirmations for psychological and creative development, such as those featured in The Light Work Journal. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 34: Creativity and Transpersonal Psychology Part 1 with Marina Smirnova, PhD, Episode 42: Creativity & Depth Psychology with Jennifer Leigh Selig, and Episode 60: Intuition & Creativity with Intuitive Medium and Spiritual Director Steven Ross. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Shadow Work Journal by Keila Shaheen Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 108: Creative Spark Series - Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Our Minds with Melinda Rothouse and Charlotte Gullick | 11 Dec 2025 | 00:16:23 | |
In this episode of our Creative Spark series, we explore how our limiting beliefs and scarcity thinking can hold us back from personal, creative, and professional opportunities. With examples from our own lives, we share how to invite more abundance and expansiveness into our mindset, from actually seeing ourselves as creative to allowing ourselves little luxuries. 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 invite a bit more softness or expansiveness into your daily life, whatever that looks like for you, from an afternoon nap to fancy underwear or silk pajamas. What’s a positive risk that might bring a little more abundance into your mindset? 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 102: Creativity as a Path of Adventure, Episode 104: Creativity Can Save Your Life, and Episode 106: Creative Confessions. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 107: Mindfulness in Life, Work & Creativity with Hannah C. Williams | 27 Nov 2025 | 00:42:00 | |
Hannah Williams infuses the practice of mindfulness into all aspects of her life, from songwriting and performing to her work in real estate, and to her podcast, Mindfully Austin. Our conversation explores how practicing mindfulness creates ripple effects, touching every person and situation we come into contact with, from our professional relationships to our families and our creative work, fostering greater authenticity, connection, meaning, and happiness. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to find what brings you joy and gather with others to amplify your efforts. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 21: The Walk of Faith and Courage with Shakespearean Actor Warren "Ren" Jackson, Episode 85: Living a Spiritual Life with Wisdom Pathways Co-Founders Jenny Fairbank and Steven Ross, Episode 89: The Joy of Awakening with Drupon Lama Dorje & Carolina Putnam. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Hannah C. Williams on Instagram Hannah Wiliams Music on Instagram Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 106: Creative Spark Series - Creative Confessions with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:18:38 | |
In creativity, there’s no one “right” way to go about things; we all have our own unique creative habits and hacks. So, in this episode, Melinda and Charlotte reveal some of their creative quirks and strategies in the form of creative confessions. 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 your own creative practices and habits, and to share your creative confessions with us. Those who share will be entered into a drawing to receive free coaching session with us! 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 41: Creative Practice, Process, and Product, Episode 51: Curiosity & Exploration, and Episode 67: Moving Through the World with a Creative Eye. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 123: The Surface Area of Serendipity with Tech Entrepreneur Charles Cadbury | 23 Jul 2026 | 00:41:32 | |
What if you began each day outside, in nature, without technology, viewed your daily activities and connections as ways to increase the surface area of your serendipity, and spent Thursday evenings appreciating the sunset with friends? Welcome to Charles Cadbury’s world. A multi-award-winning technologist focusing on human-computer interaction and AI assistance, Charles is a creative entrepreneur who values the alchemy of connection. In this episode, we discuss the power of community and collaboration in innovation, as well as the vital importance of the creative journey itself. We also explore the creative potential of (and concerns around) emerging technologies such as AI assistants and agents. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, Charlie suggests taking time each day to unplug from technology and clear the mind, and to distill your to-do list down to three main things you can reasonably accomplish. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 111: Stories from the Podcast Studio with Grant Davis, Episode 107: Mindfulness in Life, Work, and Creativity with Hannah Williams, and Episode 14: Anatomy of a Song with George McCormack. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 105: Why Creativity Matters with Melinda Rothouse and Marcus McQuirter | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:59:24 | |
This episode is a co-release, originally recorded and released in August of 2025 on the podcast Intermission: Conversations with Theater People about anything but Theater, hosted by Marcus McQuirter. A previous guest on The Syncreate Podcast (Episode 73), Marcus is the Chair of the Drama Department at Austin Community College, where he teaches Voice, Acting, and Introduction to Theater. A storyteller at heart, he’s also a director, novelist, and podcaster. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on everything from the philosophy of art and arts education to religion, spirituality, and braving the creative wilderness. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 83: Proprioception with C. Prudence Arceneaux, Episode 73: Theatre, Storytelling, and the Labor of Creativity with Marcus McQuirter, PhD, and Episode 28: The Spirit of Collaboration with Attorney & Musician Randy Langford. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Marcus McQuirter, PhD Austin Community College Faculty Profile Austin Community College Drama Department Website Intermission: Conversations with Theater People about anything but Theater Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 104: Creative Spark Series - Creativity Can Save Your Life with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:15:28 | |
Have you ever used your creativity to navigate a difficult situation or make an important life decision? In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe how creativity can save your life, both literally and metaphorically, sharing stories from their own experience, including dislodging a boat that had run aground, to a hurricane rescue mission, to evading a water moccasin while kayaking. 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 think about a time you used your creativity to deal with a difficult situation, so the next time you find yourself in a pinch, you can use your creativity more intentionally to deal with it. 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 84: From Surviving to Thriving, Episode 98: Creativity and Humor, and Episode 102: Creativity as a Path of Adventure. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 103: Trauma, Creativity, and Mental Health with Tracy Sisk, LMHC | 02 Oct 2025 | 00:40:37 | |
The experience of trauma, in whatever form, can block our creativity and hinder our full flourishing. Creativity can offer a potent pathway for healing and working through trauma. In this episode we talk with Tracy Sisk, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and PhD Candidate at Saybrook University. Tracy offers mental health counseling under the name Honor Your Way Therapy in Clearwater, Florida. She is also the founder of The Practitioner’s Place, a supportive space for emerging therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers to connect, consult, and navigate their professional identities. We discuss the relationships between creativity, trauma, anxiety, and self-care practices for individuals and mental health professionals. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage a practice of mindful breathing whenever you’re feeling stressed or anxious, as Tracy describes in the episode. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera, Episode 87: Dreams and Creativity with Musician, Poet & Psychotherapist Linus Streckfus, and Episode 93: Creativity and Collaboration in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Work with Alisa Carr. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 102: Creative Spark Series - Creativity as a Path of Adventure with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:18:00 | |
In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte explore creativity as a path of adventure, sharing specific examples from their own lives and creative journeys. Embracing our creativity brings many benefits, including the unanticipated experiences and connections that follow when we say yes to our creative urges, impulses, and callings. 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 say yes to the next wild request in your life, whether external or internal, and see where it takes you. 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 35: Navigating the Creative Wilderness, Episode 82: Healing the Creative Wound, and Episode 100: Celebrating and Reflecting. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 101: Artificial Intelligence and Creativity - The End or Just the Beginning? with Douglas Eck, PhD | 04 Sep 2025 | 00:59:25 | |
With the introduction of so many new AI tools for image, video, and music generation, is this the end of creativity as we know it, or the beginning of a new era? In this episode we explore the wild new world of creativity in the age of AI with Douglas Eck, PhD, Senior Research Director at Google DeepMind, and Research Co-Lead of Generative Media, which develops the AI tools Veo, Imagen and Lyria. He is the creator of Magenta, an open source research project exploring how machine learning can aid in music and art creation. His research focuses on machine learning and human-computer interaction. He holds a PhD in computer science and cognitive science from Indiana University. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, whether you’re a skeptic, curious, or just don’t know where to begin, we encourage you to check out the Magenta Blog and try experimenting with one of the many new AI creativity tools now available and see for yourself how they might enhance your creative work. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 91: Envisioning the Possible with Vlad Glăveanu, PhD, Episode 62: The Neuroscience of Creativity with Dr. Indre Viskontas, and Episode 58: Creative Problem Solving with BEST Robotics Executive Director Michael Steiner. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website. 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: AI: Your New Creative Muse? Google DeepMind Podcast Episode with Douglas Eck Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 100: Creative Spark Series - Celebrating and Reflecting with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:24:09 | |
In this episode of our Creative Spark series, to celebrate our 100th episode, Charlotte interviews Melinda about her own creative process of experience of envisioning, creating, hosting, and producing the podcast over the past two years. We reflect on lessons learned, how the show has evolved, insightful guests and conversations, and where we’ll go from here, including moving back to a bi-weekly release schedule. 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 get out there and start a project you’ve been contemplating or dreaming about, but haven’t started yet. Take a risk, take a leap, follow your passion, and see where it takes you. 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 1: Audio Storytelling with Podcaster and Environmentalist Michael Osborne, PhD, Episode 5: Creative Global Citizenship with Filmmaker and Screenwriter Shuja Uddin, and Episode 89: The Joy of Awakening with Drupon Lama Dorje & Carolina Putnam. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 99: Working with Self-Doubt in Our Creativity with Dreux Carpenter, MFA | 24 Jul 2025 | 00:34:47 | |
How do we work with self-doubt and mental health in our creative process? Dreux Carpenter is a multi creative and communications professional; he's a graphic designer, writer, and offers proofreading and editing services. He holds both Masters and MFA degrees in Writing and Consciousness, one from the New College of California and the other from the California Institute of Integral Studies. He served on the board of the Writers’ League of Texas for several years, and he’s married to Syncreate Co-Founder, co-author, and podcast co-host Charlotte Gullick. In this episode, Dreux opens up about his own experiences of self doubt in his creative journey, as strategies he uses to work with it and around it. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, if you’re feeling stuck with a creative project or struggling with self-doubt, try experimenting with a completely new medium or way of doing things. This can short-circuit the inner critic, allow you to be a beginner, and maybe offer new insights into your original project. 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 in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 83: Proprioception with C. Prudence Arceneaux, Episode 93: Creativity and Collaboration in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Work with Alisa Carr, and Episode 97: The Art of Jewelry Design with Geoffrey 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Dreux Carpenter on LinkedIn Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 98: Creative Spark Series - Creativity and Humor | 17 Jul 2025 | 00:12:30 | |
.In this episode of our Creative Spark series, we discuss the connections between humor, creativity, and health, specifically how we can use our creativity to find humor in difficult situations, including end-of-life medical situations. Melinda and Charlotte share their own experiences of medical challenges and sitting with dying parents who maintained their sense of humor to the end. 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 to think about a difficult situation and see if you can find any humor in it. This is a great practice for seeing challenges through a different, and perhaps more creative lens. 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 82: Healing the Creative Wound, and Episode 84: From Surviving to Thriving. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 97: The Art of Jewelry Design with Geoffrey Good | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:53:25 | |
Geoffrey Good is a renowned fine jewelry designer based in Hudson, New York, internationally recognized for his elegant, minimalist designs. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, he has established himself as a master craftsman and artist, known for his attention to detail and exceptional skill in creating exquisite pieces of jewelry. Geoffrey discovered his passion for jewelry in college after designing a pair of earrings for his girlfriend out of glass-scrap. After earning a degree in jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Geoffrey apprenticed with master jeweler Klaus Wisskirchen, assisting in jewelry-works for prestigious firms, including Cartier© and Christie’s© before starting his own atelier. His work has been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, and dozens of other renowned publications. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to continually explore your craft by drawing, writing, experimenting, and recording your inspirations on a regular basis 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 52: Texas Poet Laureate Amanda Johnston, Episode 56: Asking the Questions with Broadway Stereophonic Cast Member Chris Stack, and Episode 68: Wonders of Creation with Dr. Ladan Akbarnia. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 96: Creative Spark Series - Creativity Conference Reflections with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 03 Jul 2025 | 00:14:56 | |
In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda shares insights and reflections from her recent experience attending and presenting at the Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University, connecting and collaborating with friends and colleagues, and getting energized from being around others studying creativity. 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 find and attend an event where you can connect with others around creativity, collaboration, and community in a way that’s meaningful and relevant to you. 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 9: Music and Psychology: "The Pocket" Experience with Dr. Jeff Mims, Episode 16: Creativity, Innovation & Leadership with Robert Cleve, PhD, Episode 48: Can You Learn Creativity? with Creative Director Chris McKenna, and Episode 91: Envisioning the Possible with Vlad Glăveanu, PhD. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||
| Episode 122: Creative Spark Series - Sharing Your Creative Self with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick | 09 Jul 2026 | 00:10:01 | |
In this episode of our Creative Spark Series, Melinda & Charlotte explore both the fears and the benefits of sharing our creative selves with family, friends, and the wider world. Many creatives feel misunderstood by those closest to us, such as family members who may not “get” or value our work, so we feel hesitant or resistant to share our creative ideas and expressions with them. However, we believe there’s a positive risk in sharing and allowing ourselves to be known in this way, because it can actually allow our loved ones to become interested and invested in our creative lives.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 identify one trusted person in your inner circle that you could share your creative ideas with, take that initial step, and see where it leads. 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 106: Creative Confessions, Episode 108: Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Our Minds, and Episode 120: Putting Yourself Out There. 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, find us at syncreate.org. 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 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 info@syncreate.org. Episode-specific hyperlinks: The Syncreate book by Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick Show / permanent hyperlinks: | |||