A Journey Into Creativity - Podcast with Mike Raven.

In this episode, Mike Raven sits down with Simon Dixon, co-founder of the global brand agency Dixon Baxi to discuss the importance of collaboration, chemistry, and understanding the value of creativity in serving clients and their audiences, and the importance of staying adaptable and fulfilling the evolving needs of clients and the creative industry.

Simon also shares insights into what it's like to run a power-house agency, offering a peek behind the blinds, discussing the hiring process, he shares this thoughts on the significance of putting oneself into the work to create the best (and most personal) outcomes and the agency's approach to new tools like AI and what that might mean the future of brands and agencies.

See more of the work from DixonBaxi at www.dixonbaxi.com

In this episode, Mike Raven speaks to Philip Ellis (P.J. Ellis), an author, journalist and editor whose debut novel Love and Other Scams has just been released globally.

Phil's search for a creative outlet during his childhood led him through various avenues before settling on writing. Art and drama were early stepping stones that helped him uncover a sense of freedom. He soon discovered that books offered him an escape, inspiring him to lose himself in novels and ultimately begin writing his own.

Phil believes that imagination is the most beautiful act of creation. In this episode, we delve into the power of creative thinking, the challenge of dealing with feedback when creativity is so personal, and how writing gave Phil an opportunity to find his place in the world.

Follow Philip Ellis @Philip_Ellis, Mike @mikeraven and Self Esteem @slfestm on Instagram, Phil’s debut novel Love and Other Scams is available in on e-book, paperback and hardcover in all good retailers.

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In this episode, Mike Raven speaks to his good friend Ëpha J. Roe - an artist and writer whose expansive work utilises both traditional and alternative photographic techniques to examine the complex relationship between humans, the natural world, cultural heritage, and identity.

The conversation explores Ëpha's photography and writing, his anthropological and highly conceptual approach to image-making, the personal experiences that have shaped his practice, and the immense power that creativity has held for him in discovering and embracing a true sense of self.

Inspired by the growing interest in plant intelligence and the increasing socio-political concern surrounding climate change, Ëpha's artistic practice and PhD studies interrogate how humans conceptualise and relate to the plant kingdom through mythological, scientific and cultural means. His work is also deeply informed by explorations of heritage, identity, gender, perception, presentation and the anthropological nature of creativity itself.

Through our conversation, Ëpha shares insights into finding similarities between nature and personal identity, the importance of creativity as a means of self-expression and empowerment, the role of research and theory in their practice, and the constant evolution of the self.

Follow Ëpha @ephajroe, Mike @mikeraven and Self Esteem @slfestm on Instagram, and see more of Ëpha's work at www.ephajroe.com and www.slfestm.com

If you've enjoyed this episode please leave us a review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts... and share it out, it helps SO much!

Welcome to Self Esteem - A Journey Into Creativity. Throughout the series, we'll be talking to a collection of inspirational artists, makers and thinkers and explore just how much our identities are shaped by our need for creativity and self-expression.