Jonas Antonsson – emotional video games
Hack Circus
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 and his company tick in this long, wide-ranging chat.
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What does it mean to be motivated?
Hack Circus
What does it mean for creative people to be motivated? Is there a secret to getting more motivation, or is the drive too mysterious to neatly unravel? What are the three reasons people aren't motivated, and what happens to highly driven people when they run out of motivation altogether?
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What is Creativity?
Hack Circus
What is creativity? How does it relate to things like problem-solving, risk-taking, impulsiveness and excitement?
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What's the point of empathy?
Hack Circus
Is empathy important in business? Can you have too much empathy to be successful? What's the connection between empathy and power?
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Alex McLean – creating communities and interference patterns
Hack Circus
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.
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Creativity Clinic 21: Four ways to keep motivated in an age of freelancing, procrastination and the gig economy
Hack Circus
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!
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Creativity Clinic 20: One creative branding tip, and how I'm rebranding this podcast!
Hack Circus
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 give some hints of what's in store.
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Nathan Geering – accessibility innovation through beatboxing and b-boy dancing
Hack Circus
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 the Special Olympics in 2017. We discuss how a kung-fu background helps, plus how technology contributes to depression, how he overcomes fears + more.
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Creativity Clinic 19: The value of paying attention in an attention scarce world!
Hack Circus
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 etc, we will set ourselves apart from most others. It creates a global paucity of interactions, with everyone imagining they've got the measure of the next person, and don't need to bother listening anymore. Give quality time and you'll get quality time back.
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Creativity Clinic 18: The waiting game – gambling on the big gigs
Hack Circus
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 yourself waiting back on a load of promises, I recommend putting the things you can't work on yet out of your mind, and using the time to develop yourself positively. It's the tiny changes you make to yourself and your life that will have huge effects down the line.
info_outlineRhodri 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 – but interestingly, doesn't classify himself as 'creative'.
Rhodri knew Chris Sievey the man behind Frank Sidebottom, and played in the band supporting Frank's act. We talk about Rhodri's musical background, his current projects, the importance of just making stuff, and what it's like to be someone who likes an efficient system, yet who seems destined, like an inspirational Midas, to make creativity happen wherever he goes.