SEEKING PLAY

Some people see a city as streets, buildings, and infrastructure. Troy Innocent sees it as a playground.A BMX-riding, LEGO-city-building, world-maker from childhood, Troy never stopped playing. But instead of keeping it to himself, he turned his playful instinct into The Future Play Lab.At RMIT, Troy is transforming how people interact with public spaces through speculative design, urban play, Indigenous knowledge and augmented reality experiences like 64 Ways of Being. From risky play in childhood to playful interventions in cityscapes, Troy and The Future Play Lab are proving that play isn't just fun; it's how we reimagine the world. ______________________Hello there!We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We -⁠ ⁠www.howmightwe.design⁠⁠ We're passionate about Serious Play and provide online, in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method worldwide. Please say hello, if you would like to bring the LEGO method to your organisation.We also do in-person training across Ireland and the UK⁠ ⁠www.howmightwe.design/lego-serious-play-ireland⁠⁠ ______________________Troy who? Dr Innocent (he/they) is an urban play scholar, artist, game maker and Director of the future play lab at RMIT University in Narrm Melbourne. The lab develops socially engaged and site-responsive urban play connecting experimental game design, public space, posthuman methods, and creative technologies. Working with the city as a material, their approach to reworlding develops posthuman methods that reimagine, reconfigure and reconnect with the world. This involves transdisciplinary practices across design, sculpture, animation, sound, light and installation using methods of multiplatform storytelling that connect objects with their environment to build speculative worlds that playfully defamiliarise and disrupt urban life.Troy has 25 years of experience in gallery-based exhibitions, symposia and site-specific projects, developing augmented reality games that blend physical objects with digital interfaces to reimagine everyday urban environments in playful ways, situating his work in Aarhus, Melbourne, Bristol, Barcelona, Istanbul, Ogaki, Sydney, Tampere and Hong Kong. They are the creator of 64 Ways of Being, an urban adventure platform combining audio walks and mixed realities to situate players in new experiences of place.Contact DetailsEmailtroy.innocent@rmit.edu.auLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-innocent/ Website http://futureplaylab.io Twitter @playablemelbAdditional Resources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_De_Koven https://direct.mit.edu/books/monograph/2338/Critical-PlayRadical-Game-Design https://www.dukeupress.edu/staying-with-the-trouble https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Briggs https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Making-the-Case-for-Playful-Learning-Ilgaz-Hassinger-Das/142f7fb1e64d444e053eda974860ac7711127de7 Timestamps(0:00) - Dr. Troy Innocent(2:15) - Troy's Childhood and Early Play Experiences(5:03) - Risky Play: How It Shapes Identity(6:58) - Advice to Younger Self: Balancing Playfulness and Seriousness(9:50) - The Role of Intuition in Play and Creativity(13:19) - Striking a Balance Between Seriousness and Playfulness at Work(18:04) - Adult Playfulness: Breaking Clichés and Misconceptions(24:45) - How Urban Play Inspires New Ways of Thinking About the Future(29:25) - Hopeful Play: A Tool for Social and Ecological Change(35:01) - Exploring Melbourne's Hidden Histories Through Play and AR(39:41) - 64 Ways of Being: Augmented Reality and Storytelling(42:10) - Lego Build: How Troy's Work Helps People See the World Differently(47:00) - Playlabs as a Catalyst for Change in Academia(50:34) - Entangling People in Creative Ways of Thinking

Hello there!We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online, in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to teams worldwide. We're also training across Ireland and the UK www.howmightwe.design/lego-serious-play-ireland IntroductionHave you ever visited a museum and felt like you had to tiptoe around, afraid to touch anything? Ever felt like education was about memorising facts rather than genuinely exploring ideas? Ever thought play was something you left behind in childhood when, in reality, it should stay with you into adulthood? Well, you're not alone.Dr. Katrin Heimann joins us to explore play as an act of listening, care, and creative reconstruction. As a researcher and educator, Katrin challenges the sometimes rigid structures of academia and museums, advocating for spaces that foster agency, interaction, and playfulness. From unpacking the emotional layers of learning to reimagining institutions as places of joy and experimentation, Katrin chats about why play is personal and political.___________________LEGO Alert!Around the 42-minute mark, Katrin answers a question using LEGO.Katrin who?Katrin Heimann is trained in philosophy and cognitive neuroscience and has specialised in exploring the richness of humans' subjective experience using qualitative methods. She is one of the leading experts in the interview and analysis technique of micro-phenomenology, with which she has investigated an extensive range of experiences, especially those related to art, creativity, play, and learning. Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Professor at the Center for Educational Development at Aarhus University, where she researches and develops facilitation tools and resources for engaging and inclusive classrooms within academia. Katrin's Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has led her to understand the value of designing neuroinclusive learning environments, and she is working on the project Developing Teacher Education for the Neuroinclusive University.Contact DetailsEmailkatrinheimann@au.dk Researchhttps://www.au.dk/en/katrinheimann@au.dk How Playfulness Motivates: Putative Looping Effects of Autonomy and Surprise Revealed by Micro-Phenomenological Investigationshttps://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/how-playfulness-motivates-putative-looping-effects-of-autonomy-anDeveloping Teacher Education for the Neuroinclusive Universityhttps://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/developing-teacher-education-for-the-neuroinclusive-universityBookPracticing Embodied Thinking in Research and Learninghttps://www.routledge.com/Practicing-Embodied-Thinking-in-Research-and-Learning/Schoeller-Thorgeirsdottir-Walkerden/p/book/9781032498720?srsltid=AfmBOoqkYjiEmlKoBDH8tQwPry_WE5PV6QiVJFPpTeUxqODJg6QH1XaJ Additional Resources https://www.amazon.co.uk/Courage-Teach-Exploring-Landscape-Anniversary/dp/0787996866https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_hooks https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde https://www.guernicamag.com/sara-ahmed-the-personal-is-institutional/ (0:00) - Introduction and Welcome(2:22) - Katherine's Childhood and Early Play Experiences(6:58) - Early Career Reflections and Advice to Younger Self(9:50) - Balancing Seriousness and Playfulness in Work(12:38) - Defining Adult Playfulness and Its Role in Engagement(18:45) - The Interplay Between Humans and Non-Humans in Play(29:38) - Research Study: “Ducks in a Box” - Exploring Playful vs. Non-Playful Conditions(39:02) - The Playful Academic: Introducing a Treasure Box for Researchers(42:14) - Lego Build 1: What Inspires Katherine About Her Work?(46:59) - How Her Work Helps People Think and Feel Differently(48:35) - Final Reflections: Play as the Best Way of Being

Ever count using your fingers as an adult? Ever struggle to articulate an idea until you sketch it out on a whiteboard? Ever discuss 'stakeholder relationships' during lunch by sliding around the table condiments? Ever moved Lego objects around to scenario test project implementation? Ever considered how ‘playing around' with objects helps you ‘play around' with ideas? Maybe we've overlooked that these everyday gestures highlight our fundamental human tendency to think with our body and think with things. If your organisation is making decisions that affect corporate budgets in the multi-millions and multi-billions, wouldn't

LEGO Alert! Around the 50-minute mark, Sunni busts out LEGO to answer some questions. ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Twelve It's often tempting to describe a guest as a "Legend," but this label feels especially fitting for Sunni Brown. And we don't just mean legend in the sense of being "famous"- though Sunni deservingly is. We mean legend as in "a story handed down by our ancestors," as we believe Sunni embodies the stories of our ancestors. As the author of The Doodle Revolution, Sunni embodies our ancestors who used cave paintings to communicate hunting tactics, societal values, and intangible spiritual concepts. This connection is particularly strong with Sunni's new venture, the Centre for Deep Spiritual Design. As the co-author of Gamestorming, Sunni represents our ancestors who used games to teach skills, resolve conflicts, and strengthen bonds. These games were vital for transmitting cultural knowledge and identity across generations, and for Sunni across organisations. So there you have it. Sunni Brown. Legend. Sunni Who?  Sunni Brown is a social entrepreneur, bestselling author, keynote speaker, expert collaboration designer and facilitator, and earnest American Zen practitioner. She's the founder of creative consultancy Sunni Brown Ink and The Centre For Deep Self Design, and was named one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business” and one of the “10 Most Creative People on Twitter” by Fast Company. Her TED talk has drawn over 1.6 million views, and her work on visual thinking has been featured in every major U.S. publication, including The New York Times, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, WIRED, and Entrepreneur. She has also been featured twice on CBS Sunday Morning and The TODAY Show. The former CEO of MURAL recruited her to be their first and only Innovator-in-Residence. Sun's two globally beloved books - Gamestorming and The Doodle Revolution have been translated into over 25 languages. She's one of the educators widely credited with the rise of visual thinking as a tool for deeper inquiry. Contact Details LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnibrown/  Websites www.centerfordeepselfdesign.com www.sunnibrown.com  https://nothingintheway.substack.com/  Email sunni@deepselfdesign.com  Books The Doodle Revolution https://amzn.eu/d/eWjYiKI Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction and Welcome (0:14) - Guest Introduction: Sunni Brown (2:02) - Key Quotes from Sunni Brown (3:28) - Introduction to the Interview (4:04) - Sunni's Childhood and Personality (6:59) - Overcoming Adversity and Resilience (10:00) - Parenting and Play (13:07) - Stories of Vulnerability and Recovery (14:26) - Adult Playfulness and Attributes (17:08) - Primitive Ancestral Wisdom of Play (21:00) - The Value of Being Present (22:26) - Play as a Socializing Function (26:12) - Play in the Workplace (28:21) - The Importance of Play in Preventing Aging (30:00) - Facing the Unexpected (32:21) - Embracing Chaos for Creativity (35:33) - Advice for Young Professionals (39:35) - Explaining Work to a Child (40:54) - Career Evolution and Fuzzy Goals (45:14) - Current Work and Collaboration (48:11) - Doodling and Visual Thinking (49:30) - The Role of Visual Language (50:18) - Using LEGO for Creative Expression (51:00) - What Inspires Your Work (52:00) - Impact of Work on Perception (54:39) - Conceptualizing with LEGO (57:05) - Designing Systems for Collaboration (58:07) - Softening Separation (59:52) - Closing Remarks and Future Collaboration

Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode 11 Many of us experience Tsundoku, the phenomenon of eagerly buying books but letting them pile up around our homes without reading them. But have you heard of Tsunbacku?  No? Well, that's not surprising, as we just made it up! Tsunbacku is the opposite of Tsundoku. It's the phenomenon of returning ‘back' to those pile of books that continue to inspire you.  One such book is Serious Play, so we were delighted to chat with Michael Schrage.  Michael Who? Michael Schrage is a research fellow with the MIT Sloan School of Management's Initiative on the Digital Economy. His research, writing, and advisory work focuses on the behavioural economics of models, prototypes, and metrics as strategic resources for managing innovation risk and opportunity.  Michael is the author of multiple books, including The Innovator's Hypothesis, Who Do You Want Your Customers to Become?, Serious Play, and Recommendation Engines. Michael has run design workshops and executive education programs on innovation, experimentation, and strategic measurement for organisations worldwide and is currently pioneering work in silverware technologies designed to augment productive individuals' aspects, attributes, and talents. He is particularly interested in the co-evolution of expertise, advice, and human agency as technologies become smarter than those using them. Since 2017, Michael has been a guest editor for MIT SMR's Big Ideas initiatives, including Future of Leadership, Future of the Workforce (2019-2020), Performance Management (2018-2019), and Strategic Measurement (2017-2018).  Contact Details LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mschrage/  Email schrage@mit.edu  Research Papers  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Schrage  Big Think https://bigthink.com/people/michaelschrage/  Michael's Books  Serious Play: How the World's Best Companies Simulate to Innovate  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875848141/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3  Recommendations Engines  https://www.amazon.com/Recommendation-Engines-Press-Essential-Knowledge/dp/0262539071  The Innovators Hypothesis How Cheap Experiments Are Worth More Than Good Ideas  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BSZC81Q/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2  Who Do You Want Your Customers to Become?  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008HRM9X4/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1  No More Teams! Mastering the Dynamics of Creative Collaboration https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385476035/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5 Shared Minds: The New Technologies of Collaboration https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394565878/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4  Additional Topics  Robert K Greenleaf - Servant Leadership  https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/  Roger Martin  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Martin_(professor)  Herbert A Simon  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_A._Simon  Edward de Bono  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_de_Bono  Erving Goffman  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erving_Goffman  Kenneth E Boulding  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_E._Boulding  Virginia Satir  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Satir  Peoplemaking by Virginia Satir https://www.amazon.com/Peoplemaking-Condor-Books-Virginia-Satir/dp/0285648721 

LEGO Literacy Alert Nope, we didn't ask Marc to answer any questions using Lego, but he did complete some Madlibs on Mural at 59 mins ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode 10 “Adult playfulness is the same as childhood playfulness.” Yes, you heard that right. THE. SAME. In this episode, we chat with Dr. Marc Anderson about his fascinating research on play through a predictive processing framework. By understanding play in this way, we can revolutionise our approach to integrating play into workplaces and classrooms, fostering more innovative and adaptable environments that are more engaging and fulfilling for everyone involved. Marc who? Dr Marc Malmdorf Andersen is an associate professor at the Department for Culture, Cognition & Computation, Aarhus University Denmark. His research focuses on play, risky play and recreational forms of fear in children and adults.  Mark is the author of Play and has co-authored some really interesting research papers, such as:  1) Play in Predictive Minds 2) Play, Reflection, and the Quest for Uncertainty 3) Getting a Kick out of Film: Aesthetic Pleasure and Play in Prediction Error Minimizing Agents 4) Can playing Dungeons and Dragons be good for you? Tabletop role-playing games to mitigate social anxiety and reduce problematic gaming. Marc's Book - Play  https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/23062/play  Email mana@cas.au.dk  Twitter (or X) https://x.com/marc_m_andersen?lang=en  Academic website https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mana%40cas.au.dk  Play in Predictive Minds: A Cognitive Theory of Play https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/play-in-predictive-minds-a-cognitive-theory-of-play  Play, Reflection, and the Quest for Uncertainty https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/play-reflection-and-the-quest-for-uncertainty  Can playing Dungeons and Dragons be good for you? Tabletop role-playing games to mitigate social anxiety and reduce problematic gaming. https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/can-playing-dungeons-and-dragons-be-good-for-you-tabletop-role-pl Getting a Kick out of Film: Aesthetic Pleasure and Play in Prediction Error Minimizing Agentshttps://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/getting-a-kick-out-of-film-aesthetic-pleasure-and-play-in-predict Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts (4:05) - Dr. Anderson's Childhood and Play (8:03) - The Importance of Risky Play (10:05) - Explanation of Adult Playfulness (16:41) - Addressing the Stigma of Adult Playfulness (18:03) - Misunderstandings About Play (21:12) - The Connection Between Play and Learning (26:03) - Predictive Processing and Play (30:26) - Balancing Work and Play in Academia (34:00) - Simplifying Research for a Young Audience (35:07) - Discussion on Predictive Processing Paper (41:54) - Explaining Cognitive Differences in Children and Adults (45:56) - Practical Applications of Predictive Processing in Organizations (48:41) - Research on Recreational Fear (57:56) - Applying Recreational Fear in Organizations (1:01:03) - Encouraging Risky Play in Children (1:08:10) - Potential Impact of Risky Play on Entrepreneurship

LEGO Literacy Alert Nope, we didn't ask Dara to answer any questions using Lego. ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Nine  George Bernard Shaw once said, “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” By our estimation, Dara Simkin will be making a playful ruckus well beyond the age of 250! We had a wonderful conversation with Dara, who rightly earns the title ‘Play Pioneer' for the playful and innovative work she and her team at Culture Hero have done since 2016. Throughout this time, Dara has collaborated with other Play Pioneers such as Dr. Stuart Brown and Brendan Boyle. We're particularly excited about the research Dara is currently conducting with RMIT, which promises to legitimise the value of play in the workplace. And who knows, maybe Dara will celebrate her 250th birthday in a Barry Manilow t-shirt! (Barry Manilow t-shirt? You have to watch the episode to find out why!) Dara Who? Dara Simkin is a Play Pioneer, the Founder of Culture Hero, and is serious about play at work. As a certified coach and expert in bringing purposeful play to enterprise, Dara has over a decade of experience supporting hundreds of organisations and professionals globally – igniting teams through the unrealised potential of play at work. Working with brands like McKinsey, The LEGO Foundation, PWC, Chevron, Monash University and the Australian Government, she understands the nuances of different industries and how to embed playful interventions that create real impact. Contact Details Linkedin linkedin.com/in/dara-simkin-culture-hero Website www.culturehero.co  www.darasimkin.com  Email dara@culturehero.co Twitter @DaraSimkin Additional Topics  A NEW EARTH Create Your Better Life Today  https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Earth-LIFE-CHANGING-otherworldly-Breakfast/dp/0141039418  The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment  https://www.amazon.com/Power-Practicing-Hardcover-Collection-Eckhart/dp/9123821329  Eckhart Tolle  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle  The Heros Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heros-Journey-Joseph-Campbell-Collected/dp/1608681890  Brene Brown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bren%C3%A9_Brown  Dr Stuart Brown https://nifplay.org/about-us/about-dr-stuart-brown/  Brendan Boyle  https://www.immersive-play.com/  Johan Huizinga  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Huizinga  Amy Edmondson  https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451  IDEO https://www.ideo.com/  Spotlight Effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotlight_effect Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction (2:35) - Dara shares her childhood experiences (8:03) - Defining adult playfulness (13:01) - Dara's interest in play and personal development (18:45) - Importance of intuition and playful mindset (23:26) - Continued challenges in post-COVID work environments (25:05) - Potential for play in a hybrid work model (27:01) - Addressing misconceptions about play in professional settings (29:55) - Description of Culture Hero and its mission (33:45) - Using play to build soft skills in the workplace (38:39) - Collaborations and research partnerships (40:02) - Reflection on significant projects and events (42:35) - Importance of purposeful play in professional development (44:50) - Overcoming resistance to play in leadership (48:25) - Empirical data supporting the importance of play (51:00) - Reflection on personal experiences and play advocacy (52:23) - Incremental changes and realistic expectations in adopting play (54:20) - Final thoughts and advice on embracing play and authenticity

LEGO Literacy Alert Nope, we didn't ask Lynda is answer any questions using Lego. ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Eight It's World Creativity and Innovation Week, but let's not forget that the stress of these often glamourised pursuits can negatively impact our brains and relationships in the workplace (which can have greater repercussions within the home). Taking risks and challenging the norm takes its toll not on ‘organisations' but on people - moms, dads, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, and kids. This is why we are delighted to speak with Dr Lynda Shaw, who holds a Doctorate in Cognitive Neuroscience and helps senior leaders and their teams create habits that increase brain health and emotional well-being. Lynda Who? Dr Lynda Shaw holds a Doctorate in Cognitive Neuroscience, specialising in the unconscious processing of emotion and behavioural change. During her undergraduate studies, Lynda studied psychology and social anthropology. Lynda has written multiple academic papers and authorises two books, Your Brain is Boss and Beat the Bullies: Use Your Brain. As founder of Brain & Behaviour, Lynda has worked with senior leaders and their teams who want better to understand the science of human behaviour and development. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndashaw/?originalSubdomain=uk Website https://drlyndashaw.com/ Lynda's Book - Your Brain Is Boss https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Brain-Boss-creativity-satisfaction/dp/1912300044 Lynda's Book - Beat Bullies: Use Your Brain https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beat-Bullies-Brain-Herman-Homunculus/dp/0957145497 Research Papers https://drlyndashaw.com/published-papers/ The Curious Evidence of the Unlimited Brain. | Dr Lynda Shaw | TEDx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDnYDLERnRE Dr Lynda Shaw - Neuroplasticity at Work https://executivesupportmagazine.com/neuroplasticity-at-work/ Additional Topics Discussion between Lisa Feldman Barrett and Mark Solms on the nature of emotion (Part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yEPHUKyBOM Discussion between Lisa Feldman Barrett and Mark Solms on the nature of emotion (Part 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni3cIhn4xb4 Lisa Feldman Barrett https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Feldman_Barrett How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Emotions-Are-Made-Secret/dp/1509837493 Gary Klein - The Power of Intuition https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Intuition-Feelings-Better-Decisions/dp/0385502893 Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction and welcome (3:21) - Dr. Shaw's childhood play experiences (8:02) - Defining adult playfulness (11:03) - Early career advice and reflection (13:01) - Dr. Shaw's interest in neuroscience (18:45) - Understanding intuition and its workplace relevance (22:43) - Debate and perspectives in neuroscience (25:05) - Intuition and its scientific basis (27:32) - Neuroscience and business leadership (28:54) - Benefits of breaking habitual patterns (30:05) - Neuroscience's role in improving team performance (32:05) - Reverse mentoring and its benefits (34:53) - The impact of unconscious behavior in business (36:15) - Breaking automatic responses in communication (37:29) - Value of tools like LEGO Serious Play (39:08) - Example of breaking patterns (cycling in China) (40:35) - Tips for leaders in the post-COVID world (44:53) - Importance of acknowledging post-COVID changes (45:51) - Student challenges and dropout rates (46:19) - Using reverse mentoring for new graduates (47:06) - Conclusion and final thoughts (47:26) - Closing music and outro

LEGO Literacy Alert! Around the 41-minute mark, Susan busts out LEGO to answer some questions. ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Seven Physical space, sensation, and movement affects learning??? Nonsense! Powerpoint does! Plus, slides are even more amazing since AI can automatically input images of people with bizarre facial expressions and eight fingers! As nonsensical as that last line is, how ridiculous is it that learning (for whatever age) has lost ‘touch' (pun intended!) with the fact that physical space, sensation, and movement affect learning? This is why Dr Susan Hrach's book Minding Bodies: How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning grabbed our attention. And while talking about attention, here's a quote from Susan's book we loved. “The goal of increasing one's IA (Interoceptive Awareness) isn't to become more accurate but rather to gain more control over our attention to internal signals and to better regulate our responses to them.” As the hype train for AI in learning continues to gather pace, we should also listen to the marginal (playful renegade) voices advocating for IA. So go listen Susan Who? Dr. Susan Hrach is the author of the 2022 Silver Nautilus Award-winning book Minding Bodies: how physical space, sensation, and movement affect learning (WVU Press, 2021). She is also the Director of the Faculty Center and a professor of English at Columbus State University in Georgia. The University System of Georgia has recognized her with a statewide Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award; she has also served as a scholar for the USG's Executive Leadership Institute. LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/dr-susan-hrach/ Minding Bodies. How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning https://wvupressonline.com/minding-bodies Website www.susanhrach.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/susanhrach?lang=en Additional Topics Antonio Damasio - Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain https://www.amazon.com/Descartes-Error-Emotion-Reason-Human/dp/014303622X Antonio Damasio - Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Knowing-Making-Minds-Conscious/dp/1524747556 Lisa Feldman Barrett https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Feldman_Barrett How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Emotions-Are-Made-Secret/dp/1509837493 Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction and welcome (2:32) - Susan's childhood experiences and independence (8:54) - Adult playfulness and its importance (11:45) - Balancing serious work with playfulness (14:04) - Advice to younger self about playfulness and seriousness (17:46) - Importance of embodied cognition in learning (19:54) - Impact of environment on learning (21:22) - Role of the body in the learning process (24:15) - The importance of physical classroom environment (27:10) - Experiencing learning outside the classroom (30:09) - Tips for effective outdoor learning activities (32:30) - Silver lining of COVID-19 for education (33:10) - Importance of interoceptive awareness in learning (34:20) - Classroom practices to enhance embodied learning (36:12) - Recommendations for teachers to integrate embodied learning (39:20) - Overcoming resistance to active learning (41:50) - Transition to Lego builds (42:07) - Lego build 1: What inspires you about your work? (43:50) - Lego build 2: How do you think your work helps people think and feel differently about the world? (45:26) - Lego build 3: What curiosity or conundrum do you want to conceptualize with Lego? (46:50) - Reflection on resistance to change in education

LEGO Literacy Alert! Around the 38-minute mark, Emer and Lisha use LEGO to answer some questions. ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Six A global conference about ‘Revolutionising Education Through Play' Nonsense! We need more STEM! Play has done nothing for society! ‘Revolutionising Education Through Play' may seem like a grandiose statement, but having spoken with our wonderful guests, we think it's entirely appropriate. Professor Emer Ring and Dr Lisha O'Sullivan should give us hope that the education system many of us struggled in is now being ‘revolutionised' for young learners globally. While we're at it, let's get grandiose and ancestral and consider ‘Revolutionising Society Through Play'. Look back through human history. Play has always been a fundamental aspect of society. From ancient civilisations using games to teach important skills and values to Indigenous cultures integrating play into rituals and ceremonies, the role of play in shaping societal norms, values, and behaviours cannot be overstated. Therefore, ‘Revolutionising Education Through Play' inevitably leads to revolutionising society through play, as it influences how children and adults interact and contribute meaningfully to their communities and local ecology. Conference https://www.mic.ul.ie/faculty-of-education/conference/play2024 Emer who? Professor Emer Ring is the Dean of Education at Mary Immaculate College (MIC). Emer has been the principal investigator on various national research projects covering early childhood, primary and post-primary education, inclusion, child/student voice, pedagogy and autism. She has published widely in the area of education. Contact Details https://www.mic.ul.ie/staff/669-emer-ring  Emer's Research https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emer-Ring  Dr Lisha O'Sullivan is the Head of the Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick. Lisha lectures across early childhood and teacher education programmes at MIC and supervises research in early childhood education at undergraduate, Master's and PhD levels.  Contact Details https://www.mic.ul.ie/staff/171-lisha-osullivan Lisha's Research https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Lisha-OSullivan-2139633477  Topics Covered Paul Ramchandani https://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/people/staff/ramchandani/  Tim Gill https://rethinkingchildhood.com/about/  Minding Bodies: How Physical Space, Sensation, and Movement Affect Learning https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minding-Bodies-Physical-Sensation-Education/dp/1949199991  Jean Piaget - Four Development Stages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaget%27s_theory_of_cognitive_development  Lev Vygotsky - Theory Of Cognitive Development https://www.structural-learning.com/post/vygotskys-theory  Reggio Emilia Approach https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/   Loris Malaguzzi https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/loris-malaguzzi/  Robert Root-Bernstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Root-Bernstein Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction and welcome (3:09) - Guests sharing their childhood play experiences (18:45) - Benefits of play for young children in the early years (24:01) - Creating play spaces for children (27:45) - Integrating play-based pedagogy in the classroom (29:01) - Child and teacher agency in education (30:29) - Adult playfulness and creativity in the workplace and personal lives (34:55) - Role of play in leadership and organizational effectiveness (38:29) - LEGO build 1: What inspires you about your work?

Mural Madlibs Alert! At 37.15, Savannah playfully answers some questions using Mural and some SEEKING PLAY mad-libs ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the Irish design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode 5 Hear ye! Hear ye! All hail the Jester Queen, Savannah Vize! Playful and benevolent ruler of Season One! Well, if you haven't watched our introduction, those opening lines must be very confusing :) Even before we met Savannah, we were impressed with the creativity and playful intelligence of her Master's Thesis, ‘The Eco-Citizen's Playbook'. And those attributes certainly shone through when we spoke with Savannah. We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as we did. Savannah Who? Savannah Vize is a regenerative designer-researcher based in Helsinki. She has a background in graphic design and place-based community engagement and a master's degree in Creative Sustainability. Savannah uses collaborative and visual approaches to explore and communicate complex topics in accessible and digestible ways. Touching on artistic, academic and activist modes, her work centres on the importance of playfulness, joy and emotionally supportive creative practice in our engagement with eco-social sustainability. Her multidisciplinary toolbox includes imagination practices, future thinking, participatory research methods, co-design workshops, information architecture and service design approaches. LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/savannahvize/ The Eco-Citizen's Playbook - linktr.ee/ecoplaybook Living Directory for the The Eco-Citizen's Playbook www.instagram.com/eco.playbook Website - www.savannahvize.com Portfolio and CV - https://campsite.bio/savannahvize Referenced Play Matters - Miguel Sicart www.dubraybooks.ie/product/play-matters-9780262534512 Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction and welcome (0:08) - Host introductions and podcast reminder (0:33) - Guest introduction: Savannah Visce's background (1:15) - Savannah's interview highlights (1:27) - Quotes from Savannah's interview (2:04) - Recognition of Savannah's impact (3:23) - Savannah joins the podcast (3:29) - Savannah's childhood and early interests (4:45) - Childhood play experiences (6:10) - Adult playfulness and its importance (7:15) - Chosen quotes and their significance (10:14) - Balancing seriousness and playfulness (11:30) - Savannah's career start and advice to her younger self (12:55) - Career evolution and current work (16:04) - Explanation of the Eco Playbook (19:04) - Importance of the distinction between play and playfulness (22:46) - Contributions of play and playfulness to environmental action (27:26) - Situated play design vs. gamification (30:42) - Artifacts created for the Eco Playbook (33:39) - Most impactful artifact (35:08) - Ideal users of the Eco Playbook (36:04) - Engagement with the Eco Playbook and future collaborations (37:16) - Mad Libs activity and insights (40:48) - Closing remarks and appreciation

LEGO Literacy Alert! Around the 1.20 mark, Pat uses LEGO to answer some questions. It's definitely worth watching! ___________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Four Before you settle into this episode, pop on your leg warmers, shoulder pads, and acid-washed denim as you need to rock out to our guest's 80s anthem! Hue & Cry - Labour Of Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CYZ6q7Wr9c Ain't gonna work, for you NO MORE!!! I can't stand it, I said I just don't.....Oh, hello. You're back :) Not only is Pat Kane a pop legend (as is his bandmate and brother, Greg), but he is also a futurist, curator, consultant, activist, father, and partner. He is the author of The Play Ethic and its forthcoming sequel, SUPERPLAY. With a long and varied career in media and arts, Pat consults and speaks globally. Pat was - and is - a lead campaigner for Scottish independence, and co-initiated the political lab Alternative Global Pat who?  Book www.theplayethic.com/thebook.html LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/patkane Email playethical@gmail.com Twitter @theplayethic Main website www.patkane.global Blog www.theplayethic.typepad.com Pat's Creative Consultancy www.theplayethic.com Pat's Organisational Consultancy www.newintegrity.org Alternative Global https://www.thealternative.org.uk Topics Covered Capitalist Realism - Mark Fisher https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalist_Realism Capitalism On Edge - Albena Azmanova https://cup.columbia.edu/book/capitalism-on-edge/9780231195379 Finite and Infinite Games A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility - James P. Carse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_and_Infinite_Games The Culture Series - Iain M.Banks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_series The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture - Manuel Castells https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Information_Age:_Economy,_Society_and_Culture At Home In The Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organisation and Complexity - Stuart Kauffman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Kauffman DAVID BOWIE: Internet is the new rock n' roll www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiK7s_0tGsg Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction (4:08) - Pat's childhood experiences and imagination (10:19) - Adult playfulness and structured play in adulthood (12:33) - The playful dimension of gender and identity (14:45) - The cultural shift towards play and self-determination (16:02) - Balancing seriousness and playfulness in work (19:04) - The importance of a Play Zone for creativity and innovation (21:47) - The balance of risk and security in developmental play (23:35) - The role of fundamental human nature in play science (25:41) - The necessity of play for adaptability and innovation (28:33) - Pat's earlier career and the influence of post-punk music (33:03) - Developing a mentality of well-becoming (38:02) - The societal implications of playful software development (44:53) - Pat's book "The Play Ethic" and its impact (47:17) - The balance of work and life, and the importance of play (58:06) - The impact of game theory on understanding play (59:18) - Exploring the societal playground and the need for play space and time (1:03:31) - The role of complexity theory in understanding play (1:13:23) - The interplay of care and creativity in work (1:14:12) - The role of the gaming industry in legitimizing play (1:16:23) - The need for a foundational approach to play and game studies (1:18:23) - Pat's perspective on human creativity and its darker aspects (1:23:35) - The role of paradox and adaptability in human creativity (1:27:02) - Writing the book "Super Play" and addressing dark creativity

LEGO Literacy Alert! Around the 1.23 mark, Di uses LEGO to answer some questions! ______________________ Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Three Digital Transformations and Systemic Change firmly reside in the parlance of organisational design, but since 2018, we've wondered if there's space for 'Playful Awakenings.'  Di Gammage, a Buddhist Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, and Child Psychotherapist, authored the book "Playful Awakenings", and we're delighted to feature her as our second guest. This was a wonderful conversation; we're confident you will enjoy it too. Guest Details  "Playful Awakenings" Book ⁠https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playful-Awakening-Releasing-Gift-Play/dp/184905150X⁠ Di's LinkedIn Page linkedin.com/in/dianne-gammage-4846bb42 Website  https://playful-awakening.org/  Email  di@playful-awakening.org  Topics Covered A Playful Awakening in SouthWest Airlines - The best and funniest Safety Demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbNy5Cc7GL8  Book Recommendation - "I Wonder” by Annaka Harris  https://www.amazon.com/I-Wonder-Annaka-Harris/dp/1940051045  Robert Landy - Mind-Body Healing Through the Arts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMLTJtMonVgn  Peter Levine - What is 'Titration' in Trauma Therapy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjNk3ns1MKY  'Falling Asleep' and how it links to Gabor Maté's work on addiction  Gabor Maté – Authenticity Leads To Freedom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1esGZE7whN0  Gabor Maté - How Play Can Heal Your Relationships https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L4V1cY5Pvs  Sharon Salzberg - Loving Kindness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQSWsOORBFY Introduction to Voice Movement Therapy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Z_dxCYV40  Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction (2:32) - Discussion on Play and Playfulness in Organizations (4:12) - Serious Workplace vs. Playful Interactions (7:03) - D Gamage's Background and Early Life (10:02) - Impactful Childhood Experience (14:37) - Transition to Adult Playfulness (17:23) - Balancing Seriousness and Play in Therapy (20:02) - Breath and Its Importance in Therapy (22:56) - Playfulness and Systems Thinking (24:25) - Advice to Younger Self (26:02) - Evolution of Di's Career (29:55) - Impact of Working with Vulnerable Youth (31:54) - The Role of Play Therapy (35:26) - Playfulness in Serious Environments (38:07) - Excerpt from Di's Book: Playful Awakening (39:25) - Connecting Play to Something Bigger (44:19) - Play and Confidence in Career (47:45) - Shadow Side of Play and Abuse (50:38) - Importance of Play in the Workplace (52:02) - Mindfulness and Playfulness (56:25) - Concept of the Cloak (1:00:55) - Elaborating on the Cloak (1:06:05) - Play in Overwhelming Situations (1:12:38) - Presence as an Act of Love (1:15:10) - Falling Asleep Metaphor (1:20:14) - Attention as a Moral Act (1:23:29) - First Lego Build: What Inspires Di's Work (1:30:27) - Final Advice on Play and Playfulness in the Workplace

Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators Episode Two Christian had to be our first guest, considering he worked closely with the late Jaak Panksepp. Christian's work has also been a great inspiration to us, such as his book 'Animal Emotions: How They Drive Human Behaviour' plus his research papers: 1) How the six primary emotional systems are linked to the Big Five personality traits 2) Linking primary emotional traits to ideological attitudes and personal value types 3) The relationship between parenting behaviour and the personality of Kindergarten children We highly advise you to: 1) read the short (and free!) book 'Animal Emotions: How They Drive Human Behaviour' 2) take the ANPS test to see how you score on Primary Emotions (plus your answers will help contribute to the data set) Professor Christian Montag Christian Montag is interested in the molecular genetics of personality and emotions. He combines molecular genetics with brain imaging techniques such as structural/functional MRI to better understand individual differences in human nature. Since September 2014, he has been a Professor of Molecular Psychology at Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. Free Book (definitely worth a read!) https://punctumbooks.com/titles/animal-emotions-how-they-drive-human-behavior/  Free test (definitely worth 10 minutes!) https://affective-neuroscience-personality-scales.jimdosite.com/take-the-test/  How the six primary emotional systems are linked to the Big Five personality traits https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84366-8  Linking primary emotional traits to ideological attitudes and personal value types https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0279885  More of Christian's Research ⁠https://www.uni-ulm.de/en/in/psy-mp/team/christian-montag/⁠ Christian's Contact Information  Linkedin linkedin.com/in/christian-montag-961732b7  Website  christianmontag.de  Email  christian.montag@uni-ulm.de  Twitter  @ChrisMontag77  Timestamps (0:00) - Introduction and podcast overview(0:27) - Introduction to Jaak Panksepp's work(1:07) - Seven primary emotions and seeking system(1:39) - Origin of the podcast name "Seeking Play"(2:03) - Guest introduction: Dr. Christian Montag(3:00) - Reference to "Animal Emotions" book(3:20) - Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale (ANPS)(4:29) - Interview with Dr. Christian Montag begins(5:01) - Introduction and Dr. Montag's background(7:01) - Influence of childhood and upbringing(9:00) - Importance of social connections(12:01) - Balancing playfulness and seriousness in work(15:04) - Path to becoming a psychologist(16:18) - Early career and mentorship(18:01) - Evolution of Dr. Montag's career(20:10) - Explaining work to a younger audience(20:48) - First meeting with Yak Panksepp(23:02) - Collaborative research with Yak Panksepp(25:03) - Yak Panksepp's impact on understanding human personality(25:46) - Advancements in understanding play(27:43) - Screen time and digital society(29:45) - Importance of human relationships(30:01) - Discussion on the seeking system(31:19) - Personal stories illustrating primary emotional systems(34:32) - Connection between curiosity and seeking system(35:45) - Overview of Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale (ANPS)(38:22) - High seeking and play scores explained(39:59) - Cross-cultural study suggestion(40:53) - Linking flow and seeking systems(43:37) - Serious play in sports and workplace(47:41) - Importance of choosing work wisely(50:21) - Conclusion and closing remarks

Hello there! We're Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We're a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design We're passionate about Play and provide online and in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to: 1) Third-level Educators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Ed_Innovators 2) Organisational Innovators - https://bit.ly/LSP_Org_Innovators We're delighted to have you as a listener. Please get in touch with us if you would like to be a guest or have a guest suggestion. Episode One In 2015, we hoped to become parents and did what every expecting parent does. Buy ten books on parenting…read one, skim one....and leave the others to gather dust! Coincidentally, at the same time, we were trying to figure out if the LEGO® Serious Play® method had any merit as a service design and systems thinking tool. Trying to understand the LEGO® method led us back to the parenting books we had abandoned, which then took us down a rabbit hole of trying to understand two questions, What is Play? and Why do we Play? Since starting our "Play Odessey", we've come to understand that to answer these questions, we're actually trying to understand: 1) What is cognition? 2) What is perception? 3) What is human physiology? 4) What is it to be a human being? 5) What is the centre of Human-centred design? (if that's not too grandiose a question) Before starting this podcast, we wanted to ensure that “cute” or “fluffy” conversations about play and playfulness didn't happen. We know the workplace is serious. We're not naive to that fact. Since 2015, we've taken a serious look at play, and it's taken us to rich and varied disciplines such as: 1) Pragmatism 2) Ecological Psychology 3) Affective Neuroscience 4) Material Engagement Theory 5) The Enactivist Approach and 4E cognition 6) Play Therapy, Psychology and Psychotherapy The people we've interviewed have written books and research papers and dedicated much of their working lives to these topics. Because of that, our podcast is unapologetically long form. We want to know the person behind the research. The name SEEKING PLAY is a homage to the work of Jaak Panksepp, which we cover in our video. We're delighted to have you as a listener and hope you enjoy this episode.