Alphabet® podcast
Flipping Over Rocks
Ask Tony Lyons to share a fond memory of growing up in Ireland, and he might tell you about the mudflats. About how, as a kid, he’d watch shorebirds turn over stones to get at the worms beneath – an image that stuck.
Like those Turnstone birds (albeit less stocky), Tony’s been flipping over rocks for more than 30 years. As a leader in brand communications, he’s passionate about uncovering the mystery of creativity and solving some of its most common challenges.
Now, Tony’s bringing the same wonder that’s propelled his career to guide conversations with scientists, educators, and psychologists alike. How are we hardwired to respond to creativity? How can we shape our creative work to resonate?
For Tony, there’s always a stone to be upturned.
Welcome to Flipping Over Rocks Podcast. It’s time to get curious.
Episode 8: Why Playtime is Critical for Creative Thinking
If fear of failure is the enemy of creativity, then play is its BFF. In Episode 8, Tony joins corporate play facilitator and mindset architect Shinjini Sur to examine the power of play on our brain’s ability to think divergently. How does play create a safe space for you to crush your inner critic? How does it empower you to take risks? And what happens when you take 20 times the recommended dosage of lion’s mane? All this and more on Episode 8.
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Episode 7: The global nuances of brand personality.
What’s a national brand molecule? What’s xenocentrism? And what can wine teach us about buyer perceptions? In Episode 7, Tony joins researcher and Carleton University professor Dr. José Rojas-Méndez to explore the nuanced relationship between place brand personality and consumer behaviour.
Episode 6: A poetic perspective
In Episode 6, Tony invites award-winning poet, performer, and arts educator Jamaal Jackson Rogers, aka JustJamaal, into the studio to share his thoughts on art, life, and the human experience. Listen as Jamaal and Tony explore the power of words, the importance of self-mastery, the commercialization of creativity, and more.
Episode 5: How our memories make us creative
In Episode 5, Tony joins Liane Gabora, an artist, creator, and psychology professor at the University of British Columbia. The topic of the hour? Memory – or maybe not. Learn how the brain invents or reshapes memories by drawing on disparate experiences and associations, a fascinating process that can help power new ideas.
Episode 4: How creative messaging can elicit an emotional response
In Episode 4, Tony has a casual conversation with Dr. Alfonso Abizaid, neuroscientist and recipient of the Governor General Medal for his PhD work. What factors influence our behaviours? How do marketers leverage these factors? Tony digs in.
Episode 3: Can you lose your ability to be creative?
In Episode 3, Tony and Dr. Hymie Anisman, neuroscientist and psychology professor, explore an occurence we’re all prone to: creative block. Learn how stress can affect our ability to be creative – both negatively and positively.
Episode 2: How does the brain process creative feedback?
In Episode 2, Tony speaks with child and family therapist Brogan Van to learn how, as creative professionals, we can develop resilience, understanding, and confidence in sharing our creative opinions and rationales.
Episode 1: Emotional connections in the emotional brain
In our inaugural episode, Tony joins Dr. Zul Merali, neuroscientist and founding director of the Brain and Mind Institute at the Aga Khan University, to explore high-level brain concepts and how they affect our decision-making