Best Leila Johnston Podcasts (2024)

1
Jonas Antonsson – emotional video games 1:13:31

3+ y ago1:13:31

1:13:31

Can games be art? We're back from a long hiatus with our first Hack Circus podcast interview about videogames! Introducing Jonas Antonsson, founder of Sweden-based games publisher Raw Fury. Raw Fury turns out games that make you feel, and Jonas believes the quest for emotion is just as important as the quest for knowledge. Find out what makes him a…

1
What does it mean to be motivated? 24:23

4+ y ago24:23

24:23

1
What is Creativity? 23:47

5y ago23:47

23:47

What is creativity? How does it relate to things like problem-solving, risk-taking, impulsiveness and excitement? I talk to some highly creative individuals in this special episode, part of a series of three 'Mastering' documentaries. This little documentary, part of the Mastering Creativity strand of the HC Masterclass series (hcmasterclass.com), …

1
What's the point of empathy? 19:01

5y ago19:01

19:01

Is empathy important in business? Is it possible to have too much empathy to be successful? What's the connection between empathy and power? This little documentary, part of the Mastering Empathy strand of the HC Masterclass series, introduces three successful, creative individuals taking very different paths in life, and tackles these questions – …

1
Alex McLean – creating communities and interference patterns 52:39

5y ago52:39

52:39

Alex McLean is a well-known artist, musician, researcher, and coder based in Sheffield. He is the creator of Tidal Cycles, free software for writing music, and is one of founders of live coding and the algorave phenomenon. Alex actively builds communities in the areas that interest him, and in this episode we talk about some of the events, festival…

1
Creativity Clinic 21: Four ways to keep motivated in an age of freelancing, procrastination and the gig economy 15:03

5y ago15:03

15:03

The world has changed since I last talked about motivation. More than ever, we're addicted to devices, addicted to YouTube, addicted to interrupting and derailing our thoughts – addicted scuppering our plans in favour of a quick hit! For those in a motivational rut, here I lay out four simple ways to get you back on track. 1) Pretend you've got a b…

1
Creativity Clinic 20: One creative branding tip, and how I'm rebranding this podcast! 17:01

5y ago17:01

17:01

I used to think that branding was about coming up with the story we'd like to tell, but now I think it's more about uncovering the story that's already there. In this special extra-long Creativity Clinic, I talk about a practical technique that has helped me to work on the Hack Circus podcast brand in the run-up to the next series of this show, and…

1
Nathan Geering – accessibility innovation through beatboxing and b-boy dancing 44:04

5y ago44:04

44:04

Nathan Geering is a dancer, teacher and innovator known for his work with visually impaired people. He has created dance that's accessible for visually impaired people to both watch and participate in, and has begun to develop a beatbox shorthand system as an alternative form of audio description for movement. Nathan was the Artistic Director for t…

1
Creativity Clinic 19: The value of paying attention in an attention scarce world! 10:23

5y ago10:23

10:23

The world is a rough place at the moment. One easy way we can improve it for ourselves and those around us is by upping the quality of our interactions with people. If we really listen, if we really read emails, if we really look for the meaning in the messages we receive from the people who communicate with us, we will set ourselves apart from mos…

1
Creativity Clinic 18: The waiting game – gambling on the big gigs 11:26

5y ago11:26

11:26

It's the summer... no one's replying to email, everyone's busier – or more on-holiday – than I am. In this episode, I talk about my current situation, which right now is all about waiting. If you've had some success in the past, it's not because you kept gambling on high stakes gigs, it's because you kept producing quality stuff. If you find yourse…

1
Maggie Nolan – 'Applied Improv' for consultancy and corporate workshops 46:16

5y ago46:16

46:16

Maggie Nolan is a consultant and trainer, bringing techniques from improvisation practice into businesses. She launched her agency Start With A Yes over a year ago, combining years of experience of teaching and performing and applying them in a fresh context – to business. In this chat we discuss the improv scene in the UK, how long-form improv wor…

1
Creativity Clinic 17: Prioritising Ideas 12:01

5y ago12:01

12:01

This week I take on a listener's question about prioritising ideas: how do we decide what's most important? Is it better to do dig into one big thing or skim lots of little ones? In this short episode, I suggest it might be all about values, explain why I'm not really an artist, and consider how long-term working can be complimented by 'slight' eph…

1
Sara Green – choreographing science 40:39

5y ago40:39

40:39

Sara Green is a dancer, choreographer, movement director and film-maker. She's collaborated with artists and other performers across theatre, film, fashion and dance. Her recent work includes Richard Ayoade’s vignette for Radiohead, short film The Entertainer starring Toby Jones, and Anita & Me, a world premiere for the Birmingham Rep. In this chat…

1
Creativity Clinic 16: Time and Art 10:53

5y ago10:53

10:53

This week's question was about how artists deal with time: do we let the available time decide how 'big' a project is; is that a valid constraint? How do we understand the value we place on time, outside of the monetary value our society attaches to it? And what about our lifespan, health-span and energy-span? How do these incredibly persuasive inf…

1
Ben Moor – clever and funny storytelling in one-man shows 43:52

5y ago43:52

43:52

Ben Moor is a seasoned and innovative storyteller with multiple Edinburgh shows under his belt – mostly one-man shows. Ben's work is sensitive and often surreal, as he challenges the audience to follow him on journeys through worlds peppered with delightful ideas. We chat about Ben's shows, the benefits of doing Edinburgh runs, how the Fringe has c…

1
Creativity Clinic 15: Wellbeing and Making 12:06

5y ago12:06

12:06

Making and wellbeing are linked. While it's known that making things improves your mood, I argue here (entirely unscientifically) that you can't make yourself make stuff until you feel like you have some energy to spend. So: getting creative can improve an already OK mood, but it's hard to get off that first block, especially if you've been battlin…

1
Sophie Rochester – digital storytelling and the welldoing movement 38:54

5y ago38:54

38:54

Sophie Rochester is a creative entrepreneur of significant standing, appearing on numerous lists of top business people in her industry. She is known for always being one step ahead of industry trends, and taking her ideas in bold and ambitious directions. Sophie has a background in publishing, and founded The Literary Platform: a consultancy and o…

1
Katie Day – Making innovative theatre 44:09

5y ago44:09

44:09

Katie Day is the Director of Birmingham-based theatre company, The Other Way Works. She creates exciting and innovative experiences for small, highly-engaged audiences, and often deploys technology in interesting ways. Her work often uses the real world as the set, with productions set in hotel rooms, car parks and even the audience member's home. …

1
Creativity Clinic 14 – Inspiring books 11:21

5y ago11:21

11:21

What kinds of books give us ideas? Do we even get much emotional inspiration from books at all? This first Creativity Clinic of the new series is a personal reflection on some of the things I've read that I've have influenced my work, and which, sometimes many years after reading, I still draw strength and inspiration from today. Please send in you…

1
Adam Tandy – making TV: the Detectorists; Inside Number 9; the League of Gentlemen 36:55

5y ago36:55

36:55

Adam Tandy is a TV producer, director, writer and much more, working on some of the best shows and with some of the top stars of our era. We discuss some of the joys and challenges of making the hugely successful Reece Sheersmith/Steve Pemberton series Inside Number 9, as well as The Detectorists and the League of Gentlemen anniversary episodes. We…

1
Luke Jennings – Killing Eve author, dance critic, former dancer 51:12

5y ago51:12

51:12

Luke Jennings is the creator of the hit TV series Killing Eve, about the mutual obsession between an MI6 agent and a female assassin. He was also, until recently, the dance critic for The Observer newspaper, and worked as a professional dancer in his youth. We discuss the process of writing Killing Eve, sexism and bias in the dance world, and how s…

1
Hazel Findlay – elite rock climber and coach 54:51

5y ago54:51

54:51

Hazel Findlay is a top professional climber, constantly touring the world in search of new adventures and breaking records. In recent years she has been working as a coach, helping climbers of all abilities to overcome their fears and progress to the next level. Some of the subjects covered in this chat include idea of mastery (as opposed to compet…

1
Tom Tobia – consulting creatively 58:26

5y ago58:26

58:26

The Hack Circus podcast is back with a bang after an enormous break of two years! The star guest this episode is Tom Tobia – a creative entrepreneur based in Sheffield. We cover the origins of an organisation he helped to found, Makerversity, his principled drive, and the way he approaches consulting with the range of businesses he works with. We a…

1
Singing Drones, Ancient Clickbait, The CES Tech Expo in 39 seconds, Smartphone life choices 19:09

5+ y ago19:09

19:09

Welcome to This Week: The Musical - #ThisWeekTM - the topical tech and social media news show enhanced with songs and comedy sketches. Let us help you get 2019 sorted! You’ll be up to speed in less than a minute with our consumer tech roundup from Las Vegas’ giant tech conference CES. And for those of us too tired to make New Years resolutions, we’…

1
Christmas Special: Oversharing, Real Life Phasers, Songs and a talking Reindeer 22:43

5+ y ago22:43

22:43

Welcome to This Week: The Musical, the topical show where The 2 LJs musically enhance tech news and social media stories. We've a feast of festive songs to tuck into, whether you're stuck behind a screen, shopping for high-tech gifts, or remembering departed science-fiction heroes. Includes lighthearted analysis, Santa's answering machine, and agai…

1
Trailer: a funny festive parody song about late capitalism's retail crisis and online shopping binges at Christmas 2:00

5+ y ago2:00

2:00

At this time of year, many of us turn our backs on local shopkeepers, and opt for online retail giants instead. But no crime goes unpunished, and without a heavy basket weighing us down and wielding money that may as well be pretend, it's all too easy to get carried away. Welcome to our online shopping late capitalism retail crisis song. For this a…

1
Robot Spice Girl Apocalypse and AI Revolution 18:40

5+ y ago18:40

18:40

Welcome to the first ever episode of This Week: The Musical, a new show where The 2 LJs musically enhance the week’s tech news and social media stories in song. Ever wonder how the Spice Girls would sound if Victoria Beckham was replaced by an android? Or what Pikachu *really* sounds like, when no one’s listening? Plus lighthearted analysis and aga…

1
Creativity Clinic 13 – How to make things frequently 8:20

7+ y ago8:20

8:20

If you want to get stuff made regularly, get your duty on and work out who you're doing it for. In this episode, Leila addresses the common misconception that creative work always has to follow on from an urge, or desire. She explains why you can never put your hopes in motivation – it won't stick around. Get a routine, and do it for someone else, …

1
Creativity Clinic 12 – How can you be creative on the road? 10:59

7+ y ago10:59

10:59

How do you get inspired in the least inspiring circumstances? I answer a listener's question about staying creative even when exhausted and miles from home, this week – bringing in a mixture of my own experience and reading, as ever. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episo…

1
Emma Bearman – The Willy Wonka of Leeds 45:36

7+ y ago45:36

45:36

Emma Bearman founded Playful Leeds – now Playful Anywhere, and is the proud proprietor of the Playbox, a shipping container full of surprises, entertainment and imaginative potential that turns up in public spaces all over Yorkshire. Emma also founded The Culture Vulture, the very successful magazine site rounding up the best of the Leeds arts scen…

1
Creativity Clinic 11 – Why you should create experiences, not just have them 11:17

7+ y ago11:17

11:17

A short but packed episode where I explain why you should create, rather than simply drink up experiences; why you may not be using your community to the full (but feel like you are) and why our constraints really do set us free. To discuss any of these ideas and more, get in touch via editor@hackcircus.com, or on social media (@hackcircus and hack…

1
National Fairground and Circus Archive – meeting the showmen 47:46

7+ y ago47:46

47:46

This week I meet showmen and fairground archivists at the National Fairground & Circus Archive in Sheffield, and learn about the fascinating and community-minded history of travelling show people of the UK. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/nfca Lionel Bathe's photos of fairgrounds https://patcollinsfunfairs.co.uk/ Anthony Harris (Youngest wall of death …

1
Creativity Clinic 10 whats worth protecting 6:43

7+ y ago6:43

6:43

We need to look closely at what we're trying to protect, about ourselves, whenever we feel fearful of making big steps in our creative lives. When we really examine the anxiety, it often turns out to be a case of building a wall around a part of us that is in fact, totally dispensable. There's plenty more of us where that came from! We can take a f…

1
Neil Mullarkey – Improv for everyday life 40:36

7+ y ago40:36

40:36

Neil Mullarkey is known as one of the Comedy Store Players – the famous long-running improv troupe with their own theatre in central London. He also works with brands and businesses, helping the corporate environment to benefit from the agility of improvisational thought. In this fun chat we discuss (among other things) Neil's creative background, …

1
Creativity Clinic 9 – Why you cant care and share 7:47

7+ y ago7:47

7:47

To share your work and reach a wider audience, you have to be prepared to relinquish some of it. Leila explains the problem and suggests some ways to do this more effectively, in this short episode. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just tell a friend about it! In between episodes (uploaded every Thursday) you c…

1
Mike Kewley: Mindfulness and Reality 57:37

7+ y ago57:37

57:37

Mike is a mindfulness teacher based on the Isle of Man. Mindfulness and meditation are portrayed as serene but it can also be a serious confrontation with the self which brings a raw, often brutal, truth to the surface. We discuss the reality of mindfulness – processing negative emotions that rise up, the positive breaking down of the self, how to …

1
Valentina Fois – creative in business 50:43

7+ y ago50:43

50:43

We all have our dreams – run a gallery, open a cafe, do a Masters degree, learn a language... Most of us are lazy and distracted and never quite seem to get off the blocks, but serial entrepreneur, curator and marketing guru Valentina Fois has made all these dreams come true, and more. Valentina's new cafe, Lele's (in Clapton, East London) is open …

1
Creativity Clinic 8 – too many ideas and notebooks 14:12

7+ y ago14:12

14:12

Sometimes it seems like we have the wrong number of ideas: too many or not enough, and the flow is totally beyond our control. This week Leila has some tips for keeping your neverending stream of brain gunk in check, and answers a listener question about notebooks and sketchbooks. How do you use yours? If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate…

1
Rhodri Marsden – facilitating creativity 47:13

7+ y ago47:13

47:13

Rhodri Marsden has his finger in many creative and media pies. A journalist for publications including The Independent, writer of talks and books, keyboardist in Scritti Politti and Dream Themes, musical saw player, and prolific and entertaining tweeter with a huge following, he's constantly generating new material and surrounded by creative people…

1
Creativity Clinic 7 – Going pro and defining failure 12:22

7+ y ago12:22

12:22

This week we tackle some issues around turning your hobby into a more serious enterprise. How to think about 'turning professional' in a way that will prepare you for the realities of it, plus the most important skill you'll need to learn when trying to get into full time creative work. Plus a note on failure and confidence as applied to your busin…

1
Alexandra Heminsley – The Female George Plimpton 36:55

7+ y ago36:55

36:55

This week we meet Alex Heminsley, or "Hemmo" – author, reviewer, wit and champion of women in sports. We discuss a life of challenges, sportiness, glamour, creativity and humour in this entertaining chat. Alex is incredibly inspiring; she sets herself goals and goes for them. She is the author of the best-selling Running Like A Girl, the true story…

1
Creativity Clinic 6 – Overcoming self-consciousness and self doubt 8:30

7+ y ago8:30

8:30

Self doubt is one of the most common things I get asked about, and it comes in all kinds of disguises. I think anxiety about presenting your work to the public is often about self-consciousness, and getting rid of thoughts of oneself is often the key to overcoming nerves. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, or just t…

1
Simon Munnery – creative comedy 47:06

7+ y ago47:06

47:06

This week we meet Simon Munnery, who you've probably come across on TV, radio or the live circuit doing his characters The League Against Tedium or Alan Parker Urban Warrior, or one of his experimental shows. Simon is a distinguished comic, highly acclaimed for his original wit and outlandish performances. He's also a maker, a fixer and a former co…

1
Creativity Clinic 5 - Positive thinking paradoxes 11:54

7+ y ago11:54

11:54

Leila addresses a couple of positivity paradoxes this week. When it comes to getting on with a creative project, we might have been trained rather unhelpfully to think about our audiences, and think about ourselves. These tips are intended to help you get something done this week. If you enjoy Hack Circus, don’t forget to rate or review on iTunes, …

1
Part 2 Mary Turner Thomson I married a psychopath 32:09

7+ y ago32:09

32:09

This is the second half of a long chat I had with the incredibly inspiring Mary Turner Thomson; check out part 1 first, if you haven't already. Mary’s tale of living with a sociopathic liar is unlike anything you've heard before – but the way she has overcome this appalling experience makes her the true star of the story. Raising children without t…

1
Creativity Clinic 4 - Own your story and your failures 10:08

7+ y ago10:08

10:08

This week's Creativity Clinic looks at the importance of telling your own story and occupying your own space, and explains why failing big is an important rite of passage for any creative. hackcircuspodcast.com Tune in again on Thursday for the interview episode! And remember you can subscribe to the Creativity Clinic newsletter, here: leilajohnsto…

1
Mary Turner Thomson – I married a psychopath 40:44

7+ y ago40:44

40:44

This is the first half of a long chat I had with the incredibly inspiring Mary Turner Thomson; tune in next week for the second episode. Mary’s story of living with a psychopathic con artist is truly extraordinary, but not as extraordinary as the way she has overcome this appalling experience. She emanates positivity and dignity, determined to help…

1
Creativity Clinic 3: The Blame Game 11:18

7+ y ago11:18

11:18

Most of us are experts at blaming things, people or situations for our misfortunes. Sometimes this is justifiable, but just because it sometimes proves true, Leila argues, doesn't mean that we shouldn't suspect every argument against our creative progress for being a potential excuse. Additionally, one of the reasons we are so quick to blame is bec…

1
Creativity Clinic 2: Creativity and Energy 11:26

7+ y ago11:26

11:26

Does making stuff all the time feed your energy or sap it? In this week's Creativity Clinic, Leila takes a question about the Hack Circus project itself, and talks publicly for the first time about some of the joys and drawbacks of taking on something so ambitious over the last three years. If you're enjoying these episodes, please rate or review o…

1
Art and Medicine with Sarah Smizz 40:50

7+ y ago40:50

40:50

Sarah Smizz is an artist, medic and PhD student, based in Sheffield. Sarah was recently awarded Radiography Student of the Year, and has just begun a PhD all about creative practice in medical care. Sarah is a creative across the board, with experience as a writer, rapper, graffiti artist, cartoonist, comedian and poet. She has an amazing work ethi…

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