The Occupational Philosophers - A not-so-serious business podcast to spark Creativity, Imagination and Curiosity

In Episode 116,The Occupational Philosophers chat with Tim Simpson, creative director of Plunge Creations, a company probably best known for being the imaginative powerhouse in designing and making the costumes for ‘The Masked Singer UK’. In this episode they explore a wide range of topic including: Why pencil and paper beats working on a laptop How imagination focuses on what’s important to you Where to scribble your most creative ideas…clue, it’s not the front of an envelope Whether a 10m cat is ever a good idea The creative process which brings the magic of Plunge Creations to life How problem solving is a key skill which underpins the creative process How to tap into everyone’s bright ideas Is it ever possible to ‘price in the love’ on a creative project for a client? How might the education system better prioritise creativity? What might teams do to innovate and generate new ideas? Would the London Marathon be improved if everyone were dressed up? And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiment …this time it’s: Who’s that behind the mask? About Tim Simpson As well as creating bold & crazy designs for the Masked Singer, which is one of the UK's biggest family entertainment shows and a show which has global fame, Tim and his team at Plunge also craft jaw-dropping props for cinema and TV, including for ‘The Traitors’; again another global phenomenon. For the latest Wicked movie, they created a stunning sculpture in St Pancras International station in London, which drew you in to an adventure into the enchanting world of Wicked, bringing the Emerald City to life, with immersive details, and magical surprises - this takes your breath away when you first see it! He is a creative all rounder, equally at home behind the computer, designing and visualising a project, or in the workshop, working alongside the team. He is the Willy Wonka of design, creativity, magic, who lives in a world of pure imagination! Learn more about Tim https://www.plungecreations.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/plunge-productions/posts/?feedView=all References David Bowie - https://lightroom.uk/ Leatherwork - https://www.wolframlohr.com/ Masked Singer UK - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Masked_Singer_(British_TV_series)_series_7 Playtime movie - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062136/ People’s Pyramid - https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/gallery/new-bricks-laid-people-build-32930136.amp John and Simon hope you enjoy the show as much as they enjoyed making it. It's the reason they started this show - interesting, cool and creative people who have taken the path less travelled and kicked arse! Say Hello to the OP www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs JOHN www.bowlandconsulting.comSIMON www.simonbanks.com.au

In Episode 112, The Occupational Philosophers chat with the artists, Catherine Borowski and Lee Baker, two exceptionally talented guests who show the true power of creative collaboration and imagination. Together they have brought to life the SKIP Gallery; an international, collaborative, multi-disciplinary public art project dedicated to creating much-needed space, opportunities, funding and advocacy for emerging artists. The original idea was to forge opportunities for artistic interventions in unexpected places by repurposing rubbish skips. In addition, they are also the founders of Graphic Rewilding, another large-scale public art project/s creating vast, flower inspired, attention grabbing, positivity inducing artworks and immersive environments in often-overlooked and under-appreciated urban spaces And finally, PRODUCE UK provides a wide range of services for experiential event and placemaking clients; they have amassed an impressive portfolio of experience, working with such clients as Lumiere Light Festival, London Festival of Architecture, Cartoon Network, London Festival Week, Hem, Vanity Fair, Nike, Adidas and Discovery Channel. In this episode, they explore: Public art, everyday objects and filling a skip Bringing nature into urban landscapes How jarring your thinking can lead to greater levels of creativity Madonna’s spiritual practice as a source of success Enjoying the process of making art Why being bored could be the greatest gift to curiosity and creativity How distraction is the thief of creativity What good collaboration looks like - it’s not all smooth sailing… The beauty and psychological benefits of graphic rewilding How communities are enhanced through public art And as ever, enjoy the Thought Experiment …this time it’s: Skip or Big Bin? Learn more about Catherine and Lee https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-borowski-7b531b8/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-baker-ba2815145/ https://www.graphicrewilding.com/ https://www.produceuk.com/ https://www.instagram.com/catherine.borowski/ https://www.tiktok.com/@graphic_rewilding/video/7507316102276517142 References https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielpink_this-one-image-can-make-you-more-creative-activity-7385767635411718144-Njqb/ https://veganfta.com/articles/2025/10/23/the-milking-herd-parades-through-london-to-protest-against-dairy/ https://www.michaeljohansson.com/ https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-324/ https://www.merlinsheldrake.com/entangled-life https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/madonna-jay-shetty-podcast-spiritualism-kabbalah-b2835518.html https://hbr.org/2025/08/you-need-to-be-bored-heres-why John and Simon hope you enjoy the show as much as they enjoyed making it. Its the reason they started this show - interesting, cool and creative people who have taken the path less travelled and kicked arse! Say Hello to the OP www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs JOHN Bowland ConsultingSIMON www.simonbanks.com.auSIMON SHOWREEL

Hello and welcome back to 2025! (Noting the irony that is is now April...) The Occupational Philosophers have returned from walking the Earth, exploring the heavens and astral travelling beyond the stratosphere - metaphorically and literally. Feeling refreshed, joyous and 1.27% more wise, they are excited for the new season of the show. This episode combines the loves of both John and Simon: Great questions and raucous dinner parties. As it's a new season, John and Simon explored a bunch of new dinner party questions that move beyond the usual, "What do you do?" (SNORE....) These include: Is there a habit or ritual in your day that feels somewhat sacred and you don’t like to miss? You're putting together a diverse team you would love to work with. Who might they be and why? What’s something you’ve recently started looking at differently? What’s a question you wish people asked you more often? When do you feel most intellectually alive? It's a curious discussion to kick off a most curious new season for a show that's a lot about curiosity. Simon and John hope you enjoy the show. Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

In episode 103, The Occupational Philosophers chat with Creative Director, Brand Strategist and Poly-Disciplinary Creative Chameleon, Rozhia Tabnak. Her work includes interior design, art curation, film production design, and graphic work across the spectrum of media. which unite under the umbrella of spatial design. She believes that the design of a space is holistic yet interpretive and that the experience of the client is inextricable from the intent of the designer. From Manhattan to Miami and several cities in between, Rozhia has designed dozens of restaurants, including the highly acclaimed and award-winning Sofreh in Brooklyn, for which she incorporated a historic and traditional Persian aesthetic into a chic contemporary design. She has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Eater and New York Magazin to name a few and divides her time between New York and Sydney. In this episode, the Occupational Philosophers and Rozhia explore: How does a project have a soul? How curiosity is at the heart of great design Why branding is not just thinking about a logo (and a dirty word) What is steampunk? Exactly, what is a Polydisciplinary creative chameleon? The importance of asking why What’s my personal why? Why does the world need what I am producing? How Curiosity starts with being present Can you create workspaces that can be both productive and creative? Why there is no middle ground And the future hashtag of "Kitch is just past cheesy" As always, there are some great thought experiments. This time it is the design challenge of "Mission Impossible" The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as they enjoyed making it. www.occupationalphilosophers.com About Rozhia Rozhia Website https://rozhiatabnak.com/ Insta https://www.instagram.com/rozhia/ Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/rozhia-tabnak-725b0319/ Show notes & Resources Everything is alive https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/everything-is-alive/id1388419519 London poetry shop cafe https://www.poetrypharmacy.co.uk/oxford-street Book - Wabi Sabi for artists, poets and Designers https://www.amazon.com.au/Wabi-Sabi-Artists-Designers-Poets-Philosophers/dp/0981484603

To Simon’s delight, this week's guest is fellow Tasmanian Toby Wilkin. For over 15 years, Toby has been a noteworthy leader in the entrepreneurial space. Born and raised in Tasmania Toby, thoroughly understands tourism and business in the state and beyond. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family in the construction, business and development industry he has shared this passion and success in his entrepreneurial adventures. Toby has a series of different companies under the groups control including: Wealth Lab - Taking our experience and world-class sales systems to help other businesses thrive, offering sales & marketing coaching, events and digital presence products. Torple Energy - An energy rating consultancy firm focusing on sustainable outcomes for new development across Australia. Zippi Electric Bikes - Focussed on Raising Balanced Kids, this innovative startup was all about fun and kid-focused with Electric eBikes. In this show, John and Simon dive into Change Overnight. Toby and cofounder Sam Haberle conjured up the idea behind Change Overnight in early 2018 while dreaming of ways they could extend their mission to make a positive impact in the world. Outside of being a serial entrepreneur, Toby enjoys technology, making a difference and thinking big! In this episode, The Occupational Philosophers explore: If you’re open, people seem to present themselves at the right time How a little wine can bring about some big ideas How colours and design can make us feel and connect to emotion It’s OK to be a little uncomfortable The importance of allowing serendipity and how it can open up opportunity Why it’s important to put some good energy into the world How 12 months can seem a long time to some people and a short time to others Why a little red wine can be the start of a good idea As always, there is a thought experiment. For this show, it's Trip(advisor) of a lifetime The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as they enjoyed making it. Resources Toby Wilkin website https://tobywilkin.com/ Change Overnight Hotel https://changeovernight.co/ Why Worry Wally Books https://whyworrywally.com/why-worry-wally Derren Brown The Secret of Luck (featuring the unlucky butcher!) https://youtu.be/RuRGzZAk7S4?si=z7x84NeFSZPfKPKR Say Hello to the Occupational Philosophers www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs: JOHN: www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

Everyone's banging on about play at work. But what about the forgotten people? The ones who haven't smiled since 1985, who stare blankly at walls, who genuinely love a spreadsheet. Where's their day? In this Inbetweener, John and Simon make the case for a National Serious Day. An antidote to all the frivolity. A corporate liver cleanse to flush out the fun. A chance to finally celebrate the colleagues who have absolutely no personality, hobbies, or sense of humour, and have been quietly enduring forced smiles for decades. Proposed activities include: Mandatory silence for the first three hours of the day, with pay docked for any facial expression A meeting about meetings, with no outcomes, bring your own sandwich A team-building event where everyone reads the HR handbook out loud, line by line, footnotes included The ISO 9001 Quality Manual, optional second reading No jammy dodgers. None. Halfway through, John realises he actually quite likes the sound of this. The studies, allegedly, back it up. A Romanian corporation has introduced No Laughter Mondays and it's now the most attended day of the week. One middle manager reports staring at her apartment wall, thinking about spreadsheets while her colleagues are out golfing, and she's never felt more efficient. Couples who switched to serious-chat-only marriages are going to bed at 9 pm and have never been happier. Children, fed in silence with no bedtime stories, are thriving. It's basically modern stoicism. Seneca would approve. The Occupational Philosophers think this idea has legs. Listeners are invited to nominate a date, suggest other national days, and join the movement. Just don't enjoy it. Stop playing, don't make stuff, stop having fun for goodness sake. Come back inside, open some spreadsheets, and knuckle down some serious work. Say Hello www.occupationalphilosophers.com Substack https://occupationalphilosophers.substack.com/ Is your company innovative? Take the Scorecard for an instant report https://empoweringinnovation.scoreapp.com/ Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com/ SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg

Have you ever sat in a brainstorm and thought, "Well this is pretty shit." Most of us have and it sucks the energy out of the room like a backwards tornado. John had a great week, read a book and got so excited about it, he wanted to share some of the possible antidotes to those crap house brainstorms. In this short, sharp Inbetweener episode, The Occupational Philosophers discuss: How conventional structures for the way teams meet, problem-solve, and think creatively may be holding them back Why “Liberating Structures’ can help unleash a culture of innovation What happens when you get bats, nans and hippos in the room Some examples of liberating structures; 1-2-4-All, Troika consulting and Min Specs What is the difference between an MVP and a prototype? Why we still need to think about the environment along with structures How to reach out beyond your immediate domain of knowledge to open up minds to possibilities As ever, The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show (and tell your friends) FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a fruity burst of energy to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process. References: https://www.liberatingstructures.com/ https://www.barbaradoran.org/ Say 'Hello'... www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg Get in touch letschat@simonbanks.com.au

In episode 95, whilst exploring the nuances of everyday occurrences and slipping between conscious states of being, The Occupational Philosophers dive into the concept of ambiguity. Why? The reason? So many challenges that need to be solved have a huge amount of ambiguity around them. There may be multiple answers It's a multi-faceted question It's something where there are no comparable, predictable scenarios As such, there is risk What to do? It's hard for organisations to sit in this space as they are hardwired to try and rationally avoid risk and to look after their profits and shareholders. However, innovation is born from that space of uncertainty, experimentation and what often hasn't been done before. Herein lies a conundrum! The Occupational Philosophers go for a swim in the lake of ambiguity, backstroking through curious questions and diving to the bottom to pick up some rocks of enlightenment. Whilst not having all the answers, they did feel slightly smarter at the end of the episode. They also dive into the ambiguous mind puzzle of the Rubix Cube. Mmmm.... The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show! FYI: This is a shorter episode 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process Say 'Hello'... www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg Get in touch letschat@simonbanks.com.au

In this short, sharp inbetweener episode The Occupational Philosophers explore Synesthesia...when senses get their wires crossed... Amongst other things, they discuss: How artists notice the world through multiple senses What happens when different senses blend together How does synesthesia affect how Pharrell Williams composes music? Why we should listen to our 'gut brain' more often What does Billy Joel smell when he plays piano? The Occupational Philosophers hope you enjoy the show! FYI: The Inbetweeners episodes are just that - smaller episodes 'in between' the longer format episodes designed to give a little kickstart to enable you to be the most curious, creative and imaginative cat you can be - and have some fun in the process Say 'Hello'... www.occupationalphilosophers.com Their day jobs JOHN: https://www.bowlandconsulting.com SIMON: www.simonbanks.com.au SIMON SHOWREEL: https://youtu.be/YZQdJI6qGvg Get in touch letschat@simonbanks.com.au