What We Call Intuition When I sit with my guitar, I often begin to play with no real plan, no score, searching for inspiration and aesthetic expression. One phrase begins to find another. Minutes or hours might pass as I follow a current of sound I somehow already knew. When I play with others, the […]
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The Creative Generalist
The Honest Imposter I remember the year I stopped being a musician for the first time—or rather, the year I stepped sideways into something that looked nothing like music, though it quietly rested on the same principles. In the spring of 1997, I was in my fifth year of touring with Glueleg: carrying amplifiers into
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Education & eLearning
Credentials, and their Origins A man stands before the court in Valladolid, Spain, in the late sixteenth century. His boots are worn, his cloak patched. He carries more dignity than coin. In his hand is a parchment heavy with seals: his carta ejecutoria de hidalguía. It certifies what his purse cannot—that he is noble, an
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The Creative Generalist, Education & eLearning
Creative Generalism in the Age of AI How we think, make, and adapt has changed—forever. We are living through a fundamental shift in how creative work happens. Not next year. Now. The arrival of generative AI has done more than change the tools. It’s altered the tempo, the texture, and the terrain of creative life.
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Education & eLearning
3.3. Cognitive Cartography Mapping Your Own Mind From the outset of this essay series, The Pursuit Paradox has been an exploration of contradiction. An attempt to name and map the often unspoken tensions that shape our creative lives, our self-identity, and our reinvention in the modern world. Across nine essays, the series has traced the paths between
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The Creative Generalist, The Pursuit Paradox
3.2. The Language of the Possible So far, we’ve journeyed a distance of 8 essays to arrive at this point in the arc of The Pursuit Paradox. From desire to disillusionment, from creative momentum to cognitive reinvention, each essay has traced the architecture of creative self-identity. We’ve questioned ambition, deconstructed inherited narratives, and examined how
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The Creative Generalist, The Pursuit Paradox
3.1. Perception as a Creative Act What is the nature of seeing? This question is not about our eyes—not entirely. Nor is it about light, or optics, or even neuroscience in the strict sense. As creatives, it is about the world as it appears to us, and more importantly, why it appears that way. Perception is
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The Pursuit Paradox, The Creative Generalist
2.3. The Vanishing Point of Identity There can come a moment when you are no longer the person you remember being. Not because you have grown, but because something essential in your personality has ruptured. The thread has snapped. You have finally lost the plot. Your name remains, but it no longer signifies anyone recognisable.
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The Pursuit Paradox, The Creative Generalist
2.2. The War Between Nostalgia and Reinvention In Collapse of the Muse, we examined how artistic identity can erode under the weight of expectation, creative exhaustion, and the merciless passage of time. Now, we turn to an even more insidious struggle—the war within the creative mind itself. Nostalgia, far from being a mere sentimental indulgence,
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The Creative Generalist, The Pursuit Paradox
2.1. Collapse of the Muse: What Happens When Our Fire Fans Out The pursuit of creative ambition is an architecture of longing. For visual artists, musicians, designers, and writers, it is an intricate structure, built over years of passion, sacrifice, and an almost gravitational pull toward an imagined future. The creative is not merely someone
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The Pursuit Paradox, The Creative Generalist
1.3. The Perceptual Blueprint: How Early Experiences Shape Creative Identity A guitarist picks up their instrument and instinctively plays the same riff they’ve played for years. A designer opens Illustrator, automatically selecting the colour palette that has come to define their style. A writer sits down to begin a new article, unconsciously slipping into the
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The Pursuit Paradox, The Creative Generalist
1.2. The Aesthetic Illusion: Unveiling the Mirage of Beauty What compels us to chase the things we desire? Is it the promise of fulfilment, or the illusion that meaning lies within our reach? Are we driven by an authentic creative impulse, or by unseen forces—biological, cultural, psychological—that shape our perception of success, identity, and purpose?
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The Creative Generalist, The Pursuit Paradox
1.1. A Beautiful Trap: Why We Crave the Unattainable Somewhere in the mind of every artist lingers the belief that if they create something truly extraordinary—if they sacrifice enough, refine enough, and dedicate themselves fully—the world will take notice. There will be a moment of arrival, a threshold beyond which fulfilment awaits. But the mind
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The Pursuit Paradox, The Creative Generalist
The Synthetic Mind: How Generative AI and Creativity Intersect What is self-expression? Is it the act of inventing something entirely new, or is it the art of weaving together fragments of existing ideas into an original form? Does authenticity demand singularity, or is it revealed in the unique synthesis of borrowed influences? The most profound
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Audio Production, Digital Design
Crafting a Common Tongue for the Digital Renaissance When we speak, what are we truly conveying, and how does our intended meaning shift through the lens of another’s interpretation? Language is not just a mechanism for communication but a fluid, evolving system—one that both mirrors and molds our thoughts, shaped as much by context as
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
AGI and Emergent Properties: How Complexity Shapes Intelligence and Creativity Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is being talked about as the next transformative leap in technology by the likes of experts at OpenAI, Anthropic, and institutions such as MIT, Stanford, and Oxford. With the potential to revolutionise problem-solving, creativity, and human-like reasoning, AGI is sparking intense
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Multimedia Production
Seeing Music, Hearing Colour: Accessing Synaesthesia Have you ever heard a piece of music and imagined its rhythms and melody as a pattern of swirling colours, each note igniting a different hue in your mind? Or have you smelled the sweet, floral aroma of blooming jasmine on a warm summer evening and felt transported to
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The Creative Generalist, Digital Design, Multimedia Production
The Alchemy of Emotions Emotional responses are a fundamental aspect of the human condition, shaping our perceptions, beliefs, and behaviours. Recently, I was reminded of this truth while revisiting the exquisite multi-generational narrative of One Hundred Years of Solitude by the acclaimed Gabriel García Márquez, and its equally compelling Netflix adaptation. The story vividly illustrates
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Education & eLearning, Digital Design, The Creative Generalist
Shaping Creativity with Cognitive Science As a lifelong musician, multimedia producer, and design director, my career spans a spectrum of creative disciplines. Each project, whether it involves composing a song or designing a digital product, invariably demands me to solve a fundamental puzzle: What ignites the appropriate creative spark in us, and how might I
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Digital Design, Education & eLearning, The Creative Generalist
Intuition in the Machine? Intuition has long been revered as a profoundly human faculty, a silent navigator guiding us through creativity and decision-making. It frequently operates beyond the reach of conscious thought, weaving together emotional and experiential threads into insights that defy linear logic. Yet, as artificial intelligence begins to emulate aspects of this enigmatic
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Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, The Creative Generalist
AI and the Invisible Library In a recent article published in Nature, the acclaimed historian and author Jo Marchant explores what might well be one of the most extraordinary technological breakthroughs of our generation. Titled How AI is Unlocking Ancient Texts — and Could Rewrite History, the piece explores how artificial intelligence is revolutionising the way we
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Artificial Intelligence, Education & eLearning, The Creative Generalist
Bridges of Continuity As I reflect on the last day of 2024, I am grateful of the gravity and significance of this year’s events. The passing of my mother, my daughter’s marriage, and my son’s first steps into homeownership mark profound milestones in the tapestry of adult life. Each moment carries its own weight, yet
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The Creative Generalist, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning
Borrow and Transform. Creativity is a paradox. It thrives on influence yet demands originality. Every artist, musician, storyteller, and innovator finds themselves navigating the precarious balance of drawing inspiration from the world around them while striving to create something authentically their own. In today’s evolving tech-driven landscape, how do we honour what inspires us while
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The Creative Generalist, Audio Production, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Multimedia Production
AI, Game Theory, and the Creative Mind Over the past two years, I’ve worked daily with AI tools—Perplexity for research, Firefly for design, Copilot for coding and Gemini for exploration. At first, they were just that—tools. Efficient utilities to streamline workflows or explore possibilities. But as I developed techniques and strategies with these tools, something
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning
Reimagining Aesthetics The first time I stood in front of a Picasso—one of his cubist-era portraits of a woman whose face seemed to defy all logic—I was barely 13. I remember thinking, “This is supposed to be good?” I tilted my head, squinted, stepped back, as if changing my vantage point might reveal some hidden
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Audio Production, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Multimedia Production
Curating Life’s Narratives Life is a shifting mosaic of memories, challenges, and hopeful triumphs. Fragments that can seem scattered, but through the art of curation, can be aligned into a narrative that reveals who we are. It’s not just about how we share our story with the world; it’s about discovering meaning and purpose within
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The Creative Generalist, Audio Production, Digital Design, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
Courage in the Quiet of Disapproval In moments of introspection, especially when faced with a personal crossroads, I often find myself grappling with a deceptively simple question: What will others think of me? It’s a question rooted in an innate need for validation—a longing to be seen through the lens of socially accepted moral integrity.
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Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, The Creative Generalist
Design’s Invisible Architecture Design is a term both vast and vital, touching everything from the strokes of an illustration to the structure of a symphony, the interface of a digital app to the complex systems that shape our world. It transcends any one discipline, serving as the connective tissue between creativity and purpose. In this
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Digital Design, Audio Production, Multimedia Production, The Creative Generalist, Web Development
Your Greatest Masterpiece Might Never Be Seen In a world where visibility often defines value, it’s easy to conflate creative success with recognition. Yet, the true magic of creation isn’t in applause—it’s in the alchemy of turning thought into reality. The act of making—of giving form to an idea—holds its own profound rewards, even if
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
Embracing the Pivot How do we know when it’s time to change direction? Life’s most transformative moments often hinge on this question, requiring a single step into a new direction—a pivot. In its simplest form, a pivot is the act of shifting course while remaining rooted on an axis, balancing what we hold onto with
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Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, The Creative Generalist
The Universe is a Mirror There are moments in life that seem to transcend explanation — when the threads of chance weave themselves into a pattern too intricate and meaningful to ignore. These moments, which Carl Jung called “synchronicities,” beckon us to step beyond the confines of the rational mind and enter a realm where meaning and
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The Creative Generalist, Digital Design, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
The Art as the Journey Artistry transcends the act of creation; it is about how we navigate life’s challenges, confront our vulnerabilities, and return with insights that shape both our work and who we become. To be an artist is to embark on a hero’s journey — one that calls for stepping away from comfort,
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Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production, The Creative Generalist
Rise of the Creative Generalist Creativity is the language of the soul, a means by which we translate our most profound experiences and feelings into communicative forms that resonate with like minds. Many artists, musicians and designers dedicate their lives to mastering their craft, driven by a pursuit of authenticity, depth and excellence. This dedication
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Audio Production, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
Finding Your Voice through Digital Mediums: The Recording of Glueleg’s Horror Vacui In today’s creative landscape, the ability to harness digital tools effectively can make the difference between an idea that lingers in the mind and a project that comes to life with authenticity. For musicians and artists striving for genuine self-expression, understanding how to
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The Creative Generalist, Audio Production, Digital Design, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
Creativity. Purpose. Drive. In the world of artistic entrepreneurship, three interconnected elements—creativity, purpose, and drive—form a guiding constellation that leads the creator through the uncharted territory of innovation and personal growth. These components shape not just the work we do but who we become as individuals striving to express, connect, and transcend. Drawing from my
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Digital Design, Audio Production, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
From Strings to Screens: My Journey Through Creativity. Looking back on over three decades of work as a creative professional, I find myself compelled to share the story that brought me here. I’ve come to realize that each step—from music to multimedia to education—has shaped not only my career but also my perspective on life
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Audio Production, Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production, Web Development
Transform Your Life: Engaging with Culture through Digital Design In a world where so much of our time is spent online, digital design is a powerful way that we connect, communicate, and create meaning. It’s the new language of modern culture, a way to engage with the world and share our ideas in real time.
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Digital Design, Digital Transformation, Education & eLearning, The Creative Generalist
Exploring Generative AI-Driven Design Generative AI is rapidly transforming digital design, reshaping how creatives approach their work. Once limited to data processing, AI has now entered the realm of creativity, enabling algorithms to generate layouts, tweak color schemes, and even craft entire designs. For digital designers, this shift prompts a crucial question: What role does
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Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production, The Creative Generalist
Art vs. Entertainment in an Age of Limitless Creation We live in an age of limitless creation, where the boundary between art and entertainment shifts fluidly, often blurring until intent becomes intertwined. Art, with its unpredictable depths, invites us to linger and reflect, challenging our perceptions and urging transformation. Entertainment, meanwhile, offers the pleasure of
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The Creative Generalist, Artificial Intelligence, Audio Production, Digital Design, Education & eLearning, Multimedia Production
Unlocking Digital Design Skills – Episode Spotlight on “Generative AI Fundamentals” with Digital Designer Designation – The Podcast. In the dynamic field of digital design, having the right tools is key to unlocking productivity and creativity. The latest episode of Digital Designer Designation – The Podcast, titled “Practical Tools for Design Success”, brings you insights
