This is the transcript of the introductory talk I gave at the 2019 Oxford Humanities Innovation Challenge. I want to start by telling one of my favourite stories about innovation. Aaron Swartz committed suicide at the age of 26 while facing 30 years in jail for downloading too many journal articles because he believed that … Continue reading “Wait Till You’re Ready”
Where do Brilliant New Ideas Come From?
This is a talk I gave for the Being Human Festival in 2018 at the Maths Institute of Oxford University. Thanks to The Oxford Research Centre for the Humanities for hosting, and recording, the event. I've left in my powerpoint prompts so you can download by clicking here and follow the slides should you wish … Continue reading Where do Brilliant New Ideas Come From?
2019: Jump Down the Creative Rabbit Hole
What I have had the privilege of spending a large part of 2018 running creativity sessions with everyone from software designers in London to children visiting after hours exhibitions at Oxford’s museums. And the result is always the same. I see people get excited. If I have a wish for 2019, it’s simply for more … Continue reading 2019: Jump Down the Creative Rabbit Hole
Creativity and Hope
I wonder if how a person sees creativity has some kind, however imperfect, of inverse relation to the degree of despair they feel as they encounter the world around them. The mid 1990s were about half way through my creative life so far. Creativity was something I enjoyed immensely, and I was beginning to think … Continue reading Creativity and Hope
Free Soloing the Future
Free Soloing the Future: How creativity could save the world (and why it probably won’t) Pdf of talk can be downloaded here Slides can be downloaded here https://youtu.be/7gdMu1-QLZA Transcript of talk (as delivered) at Taylor Institution Main Hall, Oxford University, 23 October 2018 to celebrate the launch of Mycelium. With thanks to The Oxford Research … Continue reading Free Soloing the Future
The Search for My Pale Blue Dot
Starting up Without Breaking Down - Part 3 (Come to the launch in Oxford - event details as per the photo here) I was a young child in the 1970s, and in 1980, when I was 8, my life, like many others was changed forever by a television programme, Cosmos. At the time I would … Continue reading The Search for My Pale Blue Dot
Starting Up and Breaking Down
Becoming an Entrepreneur when you have Poor Mental Health: A Journey in Unknown Parts You are probably here because you know one of three sides to me. As very few people know all three, let me say a paragraphette about each. They will quickly make clear why I am keeping this very public diary. I … Continue reading Starting Up and Breaking Down
Where the Limits Lie
“You don’t know where your limits are until you try to do something you can’t do. That’s where your limit is – right there where you quit” (Lazarus Lake) We all know “you can do anything you put your mind to” is just not true (we do, right, I mean, it’s not even science; it’s … Continue reading Where the Limits Lie
How You See Me, How You Don’t – Aaron Swartz Day
Please comment on the latest iteration in the comments or by replying on twitter to @agnieszkasshoes I would like to hear from all #actuallyautistic voices as well as any and all employers willing to consider this project You can download a pdf of the project as it stands here. Background "You ought always to be … Continue reading How You See Me, How You Don’t – Aaron Swartz Day
Unlock Everything: Mycelium Hackathon One – Unlock Employment
The Mycelium project is now well underway. You can learn all about Mycelium, the creative thinking training tool that mixes mediaeval alchemy and neuroscience, on this website. A key part of the project is empowering people to innovate and tackle the challenges facing the world. And a key part of that is innovating through hackathons … Continue reading Unlock Everything: Mycelium Hackathon One – Unlock Employment
