In this talk, filmed at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival on the morning of Saturday, May 26, 2012, I create a framework bringing sacred outlook and a profound sense of connection into the process of designing and building specifically and creativity in general. The framework comes from Vajrayana Buddhism, also known as Tantric Buddhism, […]
This American Life’s Ira Glass On Being Creative
Here is an amazingly candid video by the host of This American Life, Ira Glass, on the work behind creativity and being creative. So often we are mesmerized by the finished product that we forget that a lot of hard work goes into the creations around us that we all value. Don’t be fooled! If […]
Slivers of Eternity: One Minute Meditations on the Ground of Creativity, #19
In this clip, taken outside the historic Fox Theater in Oakland after a Beats Antique concert, a spontaneous crowd gathers around a portable sound system playing break beats, funk, dub step, and the occasional Michael Jackson mega hit. The Occupy Oakland Movement and the eclectic and irreverent spirit of the night owls light a fire […]
How to Live a Creative Life
Do you feel unfulfilled or stuck in a rut? Do you doubt your ability to create anything meaningful or worthwhile? Or, on the other end of the spectrum, are you overwhelmed by creative ideas that you never find the time to bring to life? You are not alone. It is surprisingly common for people to […]
Creativity and Leadership: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
I recently had an illuminating conversation with a dear friend of mine, Kathy Hart. Kathy is a change expert who, along with her company ClearVision Consulting, goes into large organizations and helps them execute large, system-wide changes, ultimately with the goal of aligning everyone, as her company name implies, with a clear vision. As a […]
It’s Official: Austin Hill Shaw Will Be Speaking on Creativity at the Science and Nonduality Conference in October
I am very excited to announce that this last weekend I received notice from the Science & Nonduality Conference (SAND). My talk, “Creativity and Nonduality: How The Tension Between Egoic Identity and the Absolute Self Shapes the Creative Process” will be part of this year’s line up. Here’s the official word: Thank you for your […]
Creativity Expert Austin Hill Shaw Interviewed by Modern Times Magazine
Several weeks ago, I was interviewed by Taylor Holmes on my upcoming presentation on The 5 Essentials of Designing and Building Sacred Space at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival. Taylor and I talked for just under an hour and he asked me some really provocative questions on the potential for learning at a music […]
How Does Being Bilingual Affect Creativity?
Not long ago I wrote a series of posts on how my own creativity was affected by learning Spanish, starting when I was 29. Today I stumbled upon a blog post by Jonah Lehrer entitled “The Benefits of Being Bilingual,” which gives the hard science behind my own subjective experience. I really enjoyed this article. Here’s an […]
Creativity and Neurology: The Way We Think About the Brain Can Determine Its Creative Potential
“Why do we persist in our belief that the brain is purely and simply a ‘machine,’ a program without promise? Why are we ignorant of our own plasticity?” That question is raised by Catherine Malabou in her book, What Should We Do With Our Brain?, which in part explores how the ways in which we think about our […]
Creativity Expert, Sir Ken Robinson, says: “We Don’t Grow Into Creativity, We Grow Out of It”
Here is a short but powerful video on the creative mindset of children versus adults. Children are willing to take risks, make mistakes, and fail, which allows them to explore freely and creatively. Adults, however, bound my social norms and how they think they should appear, are uncomfortable making mistakes and failing. The result: creativity […]