The latest instalment of The Creative Condition's Creativity Diary.
Covered in this edition:
Fear over AI ignorance and analog loyalty
Being unafraid of disorder and acknowledging the messy ways of creativity
An old friend returns in a second-hand bookshop
Supported by https://illustrationx.com - the show's founding sponsor
Join the Paradiso Institute and a new wave of creative leaders at https://paradisoinstitute.org/
Music for the show is by Dirty Freud https://www.instagram.com/dirtyfreud/
To coach with Ben, https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
To support the Ukrainian creative community https://ui.org.ua
Ep 294: The Things in Your Control with Abby and Owen's Owen Smith
22.04.2026 | 1 godz. 19 min.
Owen Smith was delighted to see I'd discovered and had begun using Stoicism teachings to improve my mental health and creativity. He told me so, and we hopped on a call to talk about getting active in your own rescue and the exhilarating feeling of being the author of the career you want to live.
We cover:
Responding, not reacting
Recognising what you can impact
Being the author of your next chapters
The upsides of shitty situations life throws our way
https://abbyandowen.com/
Supported by https://illustrationx.com - the show's founding sponsor
Join the Paradiso Institute and a new wave of creative leaders at https://paradisoinstitute.org/
https://www.instagram.com/dirtyfreud/
To coach with Ben, https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
To support the Ukrainian creative community https://ui.org.ua
Ep 293: The Mental Battery
15.04.2026 | 12 min.
Humans have finite mental energy.
Creativity thrives when our battery is well-managed.
But we live in a world drowning in information and data.
Some thoughts on the mental battery.
Hear the full episode of Do Radio on the mental battery now at https://thedoradio.com
Supported by https://illustrationx.com - the show's founding sponsor
Join the Paradiso Institute and a new wave of creative leaders at https://paradisoinstitute.org/
https://www.instagram.com/dirtyfreud/
To coach with Ben, https://thecreativecondition.com/coach
To support the Ukrainian creative community https://ui.org.ua
Ep 292: Self-Awareness in Creativity
08.04.2026 | 22 min.
The creative industry is deep in a damaging obsession with the external. We're terrified of the tools, spending our energy arguing in black and white about artificial intelligence, starting the design process trapped in programmes before we've considered what will serve the idea.
But really, we should be starting with the internal, and that's all grounded in self-awareness. Only then can we truly connect in the wider world.
Supported by https://illustrationx.com - the show's founding sponsor
Welcome to 'The Creative Condition' podcast: an ongoing exploration of human creativity to help you understand and maximise yours. The show is hosted by creativity coach, Founder of The Creative Condition, and The New York Times, Adidas, and Premier League illustrator Ben Tallon. Creativity is an often misunderstood pillar of human happiness, something far bigger than artistic talent and crucial for fulfilling lives and careers. Featuring exclusive interviews with experts and thought leaders, including illustrators, rock stars, artists, sensitivity experts, designers, emergency service workers, Olympic gold medal winners, comedians, microbiologists, photographers, fighters, and many others.Supported by founding sponsor illustrationx.com. Also supported by the Ukrainian Institute https://ui.org.ua
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