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Everyday Creativity

Everyday Creativity

By Open To Create

Hosted by Anna B. Sexton, founder of Open To Create... I want to inspire your creativity and nurture your talents, regardless of how they show up in the world. Anna's motto is "You don't have to be an artist to be creative" Guests come from creative, arts, social enterprise, education & community development backgrounds. Expect some frank discussions about a range of topics including mental health, long term illness; so if you have kids around definitely listen with headphones.
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Kaye Winwood; sensory visual artist, enhancer of dining, learning, community & co-curation experiences talks to Anna B. Sexton about

Everyday CreativityNov 14, 2023

00:00
45:23
Lucy Dossor talks getting creative in nature with Anna B. Sexton

Lucy Dossor talks getting creative in nature with Anna B. Sexton

This episode of the Everyday Creativity podcast comes about through the new creative partnership between Anna B. Sexton & Lucy Dossor from @ Growing Sudley in Liverpool, UK. There is a bit of talk about our new course; Grow Yourself starting on 9th March 2024 https://bit.ly/GrowYourself2024

We also talk about therapeutic gardening, following a slow and in-flow process and hedge witches and plant medicine.

All in all a very lovely episode - sadly the mic on my headphones was a bit pesky, and in the spirit of DIY/GSD the episode is as is...

ENJOY

Lucy's biog...

After a career spent mainly in the Creative Industries in a range of production roles in Theatre, TV and Film, Lucy reskilled in the field of Social and Therapeutic Horticulture and Urban Community Gardening. Having spent several years working with schools and community groups delivering growing workshops and activities, she completed training qualifications with Thrive, the main national training provider in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture. Passionate about the power of nature, in conjunction with other support services, to transform lives and significantly increase a sense of place and wellbeing, Lucy has been involved with the Growing Sudley Therapeutic Garden project since the Spring of 2014. She is the Project Director and co-founder of the Community Interest Company. Since 2017, she has dedicated her time to driving and building the foundations for the current iteration of the historic walled garden space. Lucy uses Permaculture across all areas of life and work and believes it to be a critical and exciting tool towards a healthier, fairer life for people and the planet alike. Her passion is to introduce as many people as possible to the healing power of nature and plants and the benefits of having symbiotic relationships with them.   

Lucy's links www.growingsudley.com

Transition Network | Transition Towns

Home | Permaculture Association

Home - Thrive


Links to Anna B. Sexton socials

Fancy having a chat on the podcast about your unique creative take on life - email anna@opentocreate.com

As always thank you for listening - spread the word, share this episode... and stay open to create...

Anna x

Feb 22, 202452:28
Dr. Tarek E. Virani talks with Anna B. Sexton about Everyday Creativity S.2 Ep. 10

Dr. Tarek E. Virani talks with Anna B. Sexton about Everyday Creativity S.2 Ep. 10

In this episode Anna B. Sexton gets to talk with Dr. Tarek E. Virani about cultural networks, staying in creative connection with ourselves through our passions for music, making, social activism and localism. We talk about the much-used word 'resilience' and what it means on day to day basis whilst being a creative, academic, parent and band member.

Anna and Tarek met through the UK-wide codesigned research project brought together to better understand creative resilience in the face of Covid-19. The outcome of a round of Zoom calls with creative freelancers and social entrepreneurs in a range of creative and cultural disciplines became the Resilience Toolkit to help creative and cultural micro-businesses calculate risk and provides tailored resources on improving resilience https://creativetoolkit.biz/

Tarek is an Associate Professor of Creative Industries at the School of Arts at UWE Bristol, he is part of the Digital Cultures Research Centre ( DCRC). Previously he was Deputy Director of Network: Queen Mary University of London's Centre for the Creative and Cultural Economy. His research interests span several areas within the creative and cultural economy including the role of intermediaries and social enterprises in the creative and cultural economy, cultural policy, artistic knowledge within locally bounded artistic communities, new work spaces in the creative and cultural economy, the role of micro-community engagement in culture-led regeneration, the role of the creative and cultural economy intermediary, the link between the creative industries and local development, creative and cultural hubs, and the internationalisation of creative work. Tarek has done work for several local, national and international organisations including research institutions, governments and other stakeholders.

Tarek links

Links to Anna B. Sexton socials

Fancy having a chat on the podcast about your unique creative take on life - email anna@opentocreate.com

As always thank you for listening - spread the word, share this episode... and stay open to create...

Anna x

Feb 12, 202448:15
Jo Hunter; Co-founder and CEO of 64 Million Artists talks with Anna B. Sexton about the 2024 January Challenge

Jo Hunter; Co-founder and CEO of 64 Million Artists talks with Anna B. Sexton about the 2024 January Challenge

Do you find yourself wondering about how you could get started with being creative or boosting your everyday creativity?

Well, we have the perfect guest for you...

Jo Hunter is the Founder and CEO of 64 Million Artists, a social enterprise inviting everyone in the UK to explore their creative potential and use it to challenge the status quo.

She is especially talking about the January Challenge; the annual free to join in daily prompt challenge. Launching 1st January 2024 the January Challenge is 31 creative prompts over the 31 days of the month, each designed by different people and communities across the UK.

Here from Jo about what was the creative catalyst for the challenge and what shape it has taken over the years...

You can join in the challenge as little or as much as you wish to via https://64millionartists.com/thejanuarychallenge/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/64millionartists/

Website https://64millionartists.com/

Podcast https://64millionartists.com/podcast/  

We hope you enjoy Anna's conversation with Jo which covers well-being in the workplace, personal growth, taking time out, families and creative challenges to keep connected and courageous in life.

More background on Jo Hunter

Since 64 Million Artists was founded in 2014, they have run bespoke programmes and nationwide campaigns for individuals, communities and leaders across schools, universities, whole cities, workplaces, cultural institutions and health and government bodies. They experiment with different ways to reconnect people with their creativity and work to understand and explore how creativity impacts positive change. Over 50,000 people take part in their January Challenge each year and they are well known for prioritising well-being, working a 4-day week and taking August off each year. Previously Jo was Head of Strategic Development at Battersea Arts Centre, Senior Artistic Associate at Harbourfront Centre Toronto and Head of Funded Programmes at Sing Up. She also started her career in the circus and is a former presenter of BBC's Why Don't You? She was a Clore Fellow in 2014/15 and is a fellow of the Salzburg Leadership Forum.

Links to Anna B. Sexton socials

Fancy having a chat on the podcast about your unique creative take on life - email anna@opentocreate.com

As always thank you for listening - Anna x

Dec 29, 202327:35
Suzie Pindar; the Naked Artist talks with Anna B. Sexton about life, navigating precarity and her art as self expression

Suzie Pindar; the Naked Artist talks with Anna B. Sexton about life, navigating precarity and her art as self expression

In this episode of the Everyday Creativity podcast, our guest is Suzie Pindar; the Naked Artist.

Together with Anna B. Sexton, our discussions cover the creative connections made whilst moving across the city commuting or out of artist walks.

As well as seeking to find creative responses as a tactic to tackle the precarity of living, working and attempting to thrive in London, UK as an artist. Being an artist educator and carer for a parent with Alzheimer's is also covered.

Suzie is a prolific multi-media artist using an array of making practices to express her day-to-day realities. She uses mark-making, written words, cut-up letters, and photography on the pages of books combining mixed heartfelt raw emotions.  Most recently she has been making street art with her word-based art and has had a solo show in Brussels, Belgium,

In all of her work, she aims to capture, her living, breathing, experiencing, feeling, and remembering, whilst recording her day-to-day healing, and recovery journey.

Throughout her process, Suzie demonstrates a staying power and commitment to her art as she works to go beyond mere surviving to thriving.

Suzie's social / contact links

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/suziepindar/

Website - https://www.thenakedartist.co.uk/

Links to Anna B. Sexton socials

Fancy having a chat on the podcast about your unique creative take on life - email anna@opentocreate.com

As always thank you for listening - Anna x

Dec 17, 202334:17
Chase Johnston-Lynch talks creativity, producing & bringing his new film to life with Anna B. Sexton

Chase Johnston-Lynch talks creativity, producing & bringing his new film to life with Anna B. Sexton

This is a full circle moment for Anna to interview Chase Johnston-Lynch fellow podcaster and producer of the Liverpool Community Podcast, amongst many of his creative facets.

Together they discuss the power of radio and podcasting, sharing skills with young people through grassroots-led creative education, and doing it messy with the equipment at hand plus how being neurodiverse brings new angles into the creative process.

Chase is an American filmmaker who used to produce/direct music videos in 90s NYC with such people as Wu Tang Clan and Alicia Keys. He came to Liverpool in 2001 and started teaching media/film studies and training the next generation. Currently based in Bankhill, Liverpool UK at the Big Condo Academy Chase is in the process of getting his next film produced and directed.

Links to Chase's socials


Links to Anna B. Sexton socials

Fancy having a chat on the podcast about your unique creative take on life - email anna@opentocreate.com

As always thank you for listening - Anna

Dec 09, 202338:48
Dr. Penny Hay; Professor of Imagination in conversation with Anna B. Sexton about her everyday creative practices...

Dr. Penny Hay; Professor of Imagination in conversation with Anna B. Sexton about her everyday creative practices...

In this episode, Anna B. Sexton is in conversation with Dr. Penny Hay is an artist, educator and researcher, Professor of Imagination Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries, Reader in Creative Teaching and Learning, strand leader for Creative Pedagogy, Chair of Imagination Research Space, co-chair of eARTh, Bath Spa University and Founding Director House of Imagination. Signature projects include School Without Walls and Forest of Imagination. Penny’s doctoral research focused on children’s learning identity as artists. Penny is an Honorary Fellow at Arts University Plymouth, a National Teaching Fellow, Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, with awards from Action for Children’s Arts, Thornton Education Trust, Landscape Institute and Creative Bath.

It was a real honour to reconnect with Penny on this episode of the Everyday Creativity podcast as her collaborative, open and active learning from the world around us very much inspires my own approaches to living a creative life.


Dr. Penny Hay NTF FHEA FCCT FRSA (Pronouns: she/her)

Relevant links ⁠https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/our-people/penny-hay

https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/research-and-enterprise/research-centres/earth/⁠

http://houseofimagination.org

⁠http://www.forestofimagination.org.uk

⁠http://www.school-without-walls.org

⁠https://www.compound13.org

https://www.interstice.eu/⁠

Anna B. Sexton socials

Fancy having a chat on the podcast about your unique creative take on life - email anna@opentocreate.com

As always thank you for listening - Anna

Nov 30, 202338:28
Niall Conroy; singer songwriter, poet and music teacher talks with creative coach Anna B. Sexton about creative flow, everyday inspiration & playful poetry...

Niall Conroy; singer songwriter, poet and music teacher talks with creative coach Anna B. Sexton about creative flow, everyday inspiration & playful poetry...

In this episode Anna B. Sexton connects with Niall Conroy BA;

a singer-songwriter, poet and music teacher husband and father of two boys who lives in Galway. He is currently caring for his mum as her carer Monday to Friday so juggling a lot but making the most of his time in between duties. Actual Juggling ability is basic but as with all things you keep at it to get better.

They talk about how creativity keeps flowing, especially around caring duties. How travel is an inspiration to keep and stay in flow. and being part of creative communities aids new ways of thinking, making and co-creating.

Plus get involved with an impromptu playful creative '272' game; co-created when the podcast was recorded, involving your bookcase and some concrete poetry techniques.

So grab a cuppa, or listen whilst out for a walk and enjoy!


Any 272 poems - please post them to Instagram or any socials and use hashtag #272poemABSNC #beopentocreate #everydaycreativity


More information about Niall

He is actively playing Irish ballads and American folk music on guitar vocals and bouzouki with his buddy Bernard Macnamara and they have a weekly residency in Murty Rabbits bar on Forster Street.  

He also has a Silver Moon Jazz Duo with Peter Cunningham and they play monthly at Daingean House Cafe wine night. It can become a Trio and they also have a full 7-piece Dixie band called Strictly Dixie that gets together every year to play Strictly Dixie music.  

Lately, he has focused on developing a solo piano set to play in castles such as the magnificent Claregalway Castle and it is a new rewarding challenge of immense joy. 

Niall likes to write poems and songs constantly and recently decided to start a YouTube channel which will allow him to showcase his poetry and also his teaching style with an eye to developing online courses. 

Clare Galway Castle HERE

YouTube HERE

Instagram HERE

Facebook HERE


References Niall makes to books

  • Art of conscious conversations - Chuck Weisner
  • Psycho cybernetics - Dr Maxwell Maltz
  • 16 laws of communication - John C. Maxwell
  • Mr Sneeze - Roger Hargreaves


Anna B. Sexton socials

Fancy having a chat on the podcast about your unique creative take on life - email anna@opentocreate.com


Thanks for listening - Anna

Nov 22, 202352:47
Kaye Winwood; sensory visual artist, enhancer of dining, learning, community & co-curation experiences talks to Anna B. Sexton about

Kaye Winwood; sensory visual artist, enhancer of dining, learning, community & co-curation experiences talks to Anna B. Sexton about

Delight in the deliciously yummy conversation with Kaye Winwood, sensory visual artist, & enhancer of dining, learning, community & co-curation experiences.

Our conversation got cooking in the run-up to the launch of Taste * Touch * Smell; a celebration of the durational creative collaborative project work with the Monday Night Club members 18th November 2023 at the Museum of Royal Worcester, UK.

The ongoing, permanent sensory installation and tour at the Museum of the work made by The Monday Night Club members, Kaye, her creative team, Museum staff, volunteers and the Board is open to the public on 23rd November 2023.

The collaborative project at the Museum of Royal Worcester with Kaye Winwood has been made possible by the New Stories, New Audiences fund managed by the Association of Independent Museums funded via The National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund

Grab a cuppa, or listen whilst out for a walk and enjoy!


More about Kaye Kaye Winwood is an Arts Professional with 25 years of experience specialising in visual art, food, moving images and performance.

She has an innovative creative practice, inviting audiences to engage with unique sensory environments and objects and in Autumn 2021 she launched GULP. The first UK space based in Birmingham, UK is dedicated to exploring food art histories and showcasing innovation within food and sensory design through a programme of sensory dining experiences and activities. She runs a creative co-working space from GULP to enable other creatives to come together, connect and grow a community together.

Her work fuses sensory design with visual arts and gastronomy to create new and meaningful eating experiences to enthral diners. In 2016 she applied the term 'Expanded Dining' to reflect a 'beyond the plate' approach which reconsiders the dining experience as a sensory playground using food as an art material.


Core creative team

  • Sophie Heath, CEO at the Museum of Royal Worcester HERE
  • Helen Gill, CEO of The Monday Night Club HERE
  • The Monday Night Club HERE
  • Nuala Clooney - artist HERE
  • Paul Carroll - musician HERE
  • Molly McDonagh - intern HERE
  • Annabelle Davis - chef HERE

The Museum of Royal Worcester is an independent museum based in Worcester, UK and is a charitable trust, founded in 1946 by Charles Dyson Perrins, to care for and connect people with the largest collection of Worcester porcelain in the world. The museum houses a stunning, unique factory and design archive, in the place where it was made between 1751 to 2008. The museum's small experienced team of staff, volunteers, board and many community partners help to bring to life the historic collections in the most accessible ways for all and connect communities to learn from and make relevant for current and future generations.

Kaye's socials


Anna B. Sexton socials

Interested in becoming a future guest? HERE

More information HERE

Nov 14, 202345:23
Olatorera Dickson-Amusa; TEDx organizer, quality education crusader, young people's advocacy, write is in conversation with Anna B. Sexton - Everyday Creativity podcast series 2 - episode 3 - 10.09.23

Olatorera Dickson-Amusa; TEDx organizer, quality education crusader, young people's advocacy, write is in conversation with Anna B. Sexton - Everyday Creativity podcast series 2 - episode 3 - 10.09.23

Well hello there...

Welcome to another episode of the Everyday Creativity podcast.

Our guest in this episode is Olatorera Dickson-Amusa, a fellow multi-disciplinary creative whether she embed this into her daily routine, in her work across many sectors and project or in her ongoing love for seeing possibilities everywhere, all around.

It is a pleasure to learn more about how Olatorera is inspiring the next generations of children and young people inside and outside of the classroom so they can reach their full creative potential in whatever subjects and interest areas they pursue.

Listening to Olatorera share about her personal practices of mindful, ethical and upcycling in her thinking, being and making really got me thinking about how much more we can create whilst using less...

Thank you so much of chatting with us today Olatorera,

Anna B. Sexton 10th September 2023


Olatorera's biog Founder of The Young People's Advocacy Project, a social enterprise helping organizations create and maintain impactful relationships with schools and other related Education bodies.

TYPAP is a strong bridge for the impact creation and implementation of CSR initiatives. 

Awarded the Global Council For The Promotion Of International Trade (GCPIT) Women in Business and Leadership awards, 2023.

Sole organizer of TEDxyouthGwarinpa, a TEDx event in November 2022 for the Gwarinpa (Abuja, Nigeria) community.

Launched Sustain Recycle club in 2020, present in six schools, 1000+ members. 

Seasoned school Administrator for GIGATT International School, Abuja, responsible for overseeing staff activities, training, social media presence, curriculum adherence, and budgets. 

Olatorera is driven by the awareness that education— both formal and informal — is the key to any form of development. Her goal is to significantly contribute to a world where quality education is available to all children. 

Olatorera is passionate about community, family and books. She holds on to the vision that equality on all grounds is possible. This includes the hope that children in public schools can one day have just as much leverage as those in expensive private schools. 

Olatorera is consistently creating a world where the African child is not portrayed as a sickly creature on television, clinging to survival. 

She is also a brilliant writer, farmer, Weaver and avid lover of every form of history, mythology, Harry Potter and the Big Bang Theory show.

Do follow Olatorera on her socials, and keep an eye out for the exhibition of creative work from the partnership she is working with in Abuja, Nigeria. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/olatorera-dickson-amusa-4b7662111

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/olatoreradicksonamusa

Linktr.ee - https://linktr.ee/olatoreradicksonamusa


Ways to discover more about Anna's creative mojo making work via

Open To Create... website https://www.opentocreate.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/opentocreate_/

Email via anna@opentocreate.com

Anna's LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/open-to-create-anna-b-sexton/⁠

Anna's artist website ⁠https://www.annabsexton.com/⁠

Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/annabsexton/⁠

Your Roots Go Deep Hypnotherapy website http://your-roots-go-deep-hypnotherapy.com/⁠

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/your_roots_go_deep/

#everydaycreativity #burnoutobrilliance #creativemojomaker #creativitycoach #creativethoughtleader #creativewellbeing #creativeconversations #creativeleadership #globalcreatives #unsdgs

Sep 11, 202331:32
Laura Bourgeois, musician, composer, producer, & lawyer; in conversation with Anna B. Sexton -- Everyday Creativity podcast series 2 - episode 2 -- 03.09.23

Laura Bourgeois, musician, composer, producer, & lawyer; in conversation with Anna B. Sexton -- Everyday Creativity podcast series 2 - episode 2 -- 03.09.23

Welcome to another episode of the Everyday Creativity podcast.

Our guest is the versatile creative, Laura Bourgeois. Based in Paris, Laura wears many hats: a musician, composer, and budding producer, currently on the cusp of releasing her debut EP.

She has been making music since her teens, finding the right creative people & communities to uplift her voice, collaborate & perform live.

We crossed paths through a global online community dedicated to amplifying creative voices worldwide, making her the perfect guest to share her insights into her creative process, persistence, planning, and the essence of crafting a truly creative life for herself.

Laura is a professional attorney/lawyer working at Sherpa Associates, and she utilizes her creative thinking to bring uncommon thinking into the legal landscape. Working collaboratively to change paradigms at Sherpa.

Together with the team her work holds corporations to economic accountability and protects the environment, communities, and human rights.

Get ready for an inspiring conversation into Laura's world, where creativity isn't just a spark but a transformative force for good.

Thanks, Laura for an inspirational chat...

Anna B. Sexton 3rd September 2023

Do follow Laura on her socials, and look out for her next gigs in Paris, Marseille, London or in the US...

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/someday.is.today/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYQGIfBlF8X66Dxks87EjyA

Laura's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bourgeoislaura/

Sherpa https://www.asso-sherpa.org/


Ways to discover more about Anna's creative work via

Open To Create... website https://www.opentocreate.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/opentocreate_/

Email via

anna@opentocreate.com

Your Roots Go Deep Hypnotherapy website http://your-roots-go-deep-hypnotherapy.com/⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/your_roots_go_deep/


Anna's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/open-to-create-anna-b-sexton/

Anna's artist website https://www.annabsexton.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annabsexton/


Sep 03, 202325:44
Ansal Trafford, creative entrepreneur in conversation with Anna B. Sexton -- Everyday Creativity podcast series 2 - episode 1 -- 21.04.23

Ansal Trafford, creative entrepreneur in conversation with Anna B. Sexton -- Everyday Creativity podcast series 2 - episode 1 -- 21.04.23

Ansal Trafford is a creative entrepreneur very used to pivoting the ways he offers his creative skills, experiences and insights, especially in times of change and transition.

His creative ideas have been used to launch shopping centres and to increase their footfall. They have also helped to raise awareness for national charities and to achieve record-breaking donations for local fundraising campaigns.

His creative mentoring has helped to launch creative careers and to open the doors to higher education. Many of his former students are now established graphic designers, illustrators and website designers.

During the conversation, we talk about tips and tools to aid better mental health, focus and staying power when life throws curve balls. Ansal shares about his personal inspirations growing up including his Grandma - Lillian Minard. 

We really hope you take some inspiration from this conversation and feel your own everyday creativity rekindled through the wealth of creative insights Ansal shares. This is a great episode to re-start creating podcasts again, I certainly am buzzing to be back!


Ways to discover more about Ansal via;

Ways to discover more about Anna's portfolio career via

Email via anna@opentocreate.com

Apr 20, 202333:44
Episode 5 - Catherine Rogers @ Cut Out Collage in conversation by Anna B. Sexton
Jun 07, 202145:30
Everyday Creativity episode #4 - Michelle Peterkin-Walker & Anna B. Sexton April 2021
Apr 12, 202126:03
Everyday Creativity episode #3 - Naomi Woddis & Anna B. Sexton Feb 2021

Everyday Creativity episode #3 - Naomi Woddis & Anna B. Sexton Feb 2021

Feb 08, 202138:04
Everyday Creativity episode #2 - Winsome Duncan & Anna B. Sexton Jan 2021

Everyday Creativity episode #2 - Winsome Duncan & Anna B. Sexton Jan 2021

Episode 2 - Winsome Duncan interviewed by Anna B. Sexton

Winsome Duncan is a multi-talented publisher, author, poet, spoken word performer, business woman and social entrepreneur based in London, UK.

In this episode, we discuss how Winsome gains and sustains her creative inspiration, drive and determination to uplift not just her own creative talent but those of her many writers within her growing Peaches Publications network.

We talk about the UK campaign The Look Like Me Book Challenge Winsome founded in 2019 to increase representation for black, brown and minority authors especially children and young people. Aiming to change the narrative to help children and young people see themselves and read stories written for and by themselves. 

During the lockdowns in 2020 in the UK Winsome led a team of young authors, supported by their parents and a team of volunteers to co-design, write, illustrate and publish The Popcorn House.


Find out more about Winsome Duncan, via;

Peaches Publication peachespublications.co.uk

Donate to the Look Like Me Book Challenge http://www.peachespublications.co.uk/go-fund-me.html

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winsome-duncan-84622137/


Get in touch with your host Anna B. Sexton via;

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annabsexton/

LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/open-to-create-anna-b-sexton/


Jan 27, 202118:26
Everyday Creativity episode #1 - Ali Kakande & Anna B. Sexton Jan 2021
Jan 17, 202138:12