I first came across the writing of Oliver Burkeman in his weekly column for the Guardian newspaper. Each week beneath the gently ironic title of ‘This Column Will Change Your Life’, Oliver would ponder on an idea or technique intended to make modern living just a little easier.  

He’d cut through the worst excesses of the cult of positive thinking with his laser guided wit, and somehow, in so doing, unearth genuinely useful insights, not least about creativity and the way we work.

Now he’s written two books with a third on the way, and I love how he threads together ancient truths from Stoicism and Buddhism, together with discoveries from the latest research into neuroscience and human behaviour. 

Our conversation, recorded remotely, begins with his own writing process, before we go on to explore the evils of procrastination and perfectionism, and the universal curse of self-doubt; Oliver explains why when you’re feeling overwhelmed becoming more efficient is maybe the worst thing you can do; and he shares a brilliant tip on how to navigate those tough calls one has to make in life about whether a job or a relationship or a life change is the right thing to do. Oh, and if you listen very carefully about two thirds of the way through you’ll hear my local ice cream van making his rounds. 

This is a thought provoking conversation with a lovely human being in possession of a very large brain. I hope you enjoy it.

Episode 26 / Oliver Burkeman

It’s rare but every so often a documentary film comes along that transcends the medium, that is in itself a work of art. For me, Garage People by Natalija Yefimkina is such a film. 

It describes the lives of a group of people living in the arctic circle in Russia, all of whom have their own garage space where they pursue all kinds of activities, from salvaging scrap, to carving religious icons, playing death metal, breeding quail, and even digging a never ending hole.

It’s intimate, profound and above all, human. 

So I was delighted to talk to Natalija about her own creative process. Garage People is - remarkably – her first film. 

In our conversation, recorded remotely, we discuss the question of artistic compromise, and fighting for your vision, especially as a first time director and as a woman. Natalija, who has never been to film school describes the value in rejecting the conventions of your chosen medium. She reflects on the role of ego in the artistic process. And there’s an explanation of how she managed to navigate the challenges of a four year project.

If you’re in the UK you can watch Garage People on the BBC iPlayer.

Episode 27 / Natalija Yefimkina

Of all the books I read to my kids when they were growing up, there was one that I loved just as much as they did - ‘The Murderer’s Ape’. An enthralling globe-trotting tale of murder and mystery. And at the heart of the story is a ship’s engineer who just happens to be a gorilla, the one and only Sally Jones. 

In this episode of the Wind Thieved Hat, recorded down the line, the creator of Sally Jones, writer and illustrator Jakob Wegelius, bravely submits himself to questions from me in a language that is not his own. His responses are gentle, humble and wise. 

We talk in depth about Jakob’s process, about how writing is the broccoli he likes to get out of the way before he indulges in the ice cream of drawing. And he tells me about his dream to hitch hike round the world on boats. 

If you’ve not yet read the Sally Jones books, you might want to after listening to this., no matter how old you are …

Episode 28 / Jakob Wegelius

An inspirational podcast about creativity. Richard Holman interviews creators about their process, the highs & the lows

The Wind Thieved Hat