Wonder-Making: Cultivating the Power of Imagination & Playful Aliveness
05/10/24 • 56 min
💓The Story
Barbara Groth, founder of Nomadic School of Wonder, emphasizes wonder, nature, and co-creation in designing experiences, with her school's mission of creating more wonder through play, collaboration, and tapping into sense memories and imagination to access awe, curiosity, and expanded perception; she highlights the role of culture, respecting diverse communities, building relationships through story circles, balancing emerging technologies with nature connection, and engaging in daily practices like sensory wonder walks and creative expression to stay connected to one's playful aliveness.
🎯Story Takeaways
Takeaways
🔹Remember our connection to the natural world and design with all ecosystems in mind
🔹Tap into our senses memories and imagination to access a state of wonder
🔹Respect and learn from diverse cultures in the co-creation process
🔹Building relationships and fostering a sense of wonder through community story circles is a powerful way to connect with others and learn from their experiences.
🔹Emerging technologies have the potential to support creativity and imagination, but it is important to maintain a connection to nature and design for the well-being of all life.
🔹Play and creativity are essential for maintaining a sense of wonder and finding joy in everyday life.
🍀Conversation Outline
00:00 Introduction to Barbara Groth and the Nomadic School of Wonder
06:48 Defining Wonder and Its Expansive Perception
13:14 Wonder making
16:39 Difference between childlike wonder and adult wonder?
24:19 Culture and wonder making
27:20 Building Relationships and Fostering Wonder
42:19 Barbara's MAGIC
☕ Connect with Our Guest Here
Founder and Creative Director of the Nomadic School of Wonder, a traveling troupe of artists who create "adventures in awe" rooted in nature, art, community and play.I've been a creative entrepreneur for over thirty years — guiding teams through creative invention, design and production of highly participatory, immersive experiences for Walt Disney Imagineering, Google, X, Meow Wolf and others. In between crafting wonder retreats for individuals, groups and organizations, I teach The Art of Wondermaking — How to design experiences that bring people into a felt experience of awe.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-groth-a47291/
📚Read the research article:
Shiota, M.N. (2021). Awe, wonder, and the human mind. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1501.
Hlava, P., Elfers, J., McGregor, D.C., Arreguin, S., & Sharpe, F. (2023). From Wonder to Transformation: The Lived Experience of Profound Awe. Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
🚗Listen on
https://open.spotify.com/show/2RhE7OM74C3J8uzUBPazcw?si=3db238fb021f4172
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magicademy/id1721440260
Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open exploration of ideas, not an endorsement of any particular statement. Our podcast is independently produced with no involvement from employers or clients. We offer research-based resources to support further learning, but the quest for knowledge is its reward. Thank you for joining us on this journey of curiosity and discovery!
Imagine leadership not as a reserved seat at the table, but as a spark that ignites the childlike wonder, a heartfelt flame to explore and transcend perception, skill, and culture. Paired with evidence-based research, MAGICademy podcast co-explores how advancements in neuroarts, learning science, and technology are converging to empower creative, adaptable, and wonder-making leaders who transcend the limitations of the past toward collective flourishing. You can check out past and future episodes here: https://www.jianiwu.com/magicademy.
💓The Story
Barbara Groth, founder of Nomadic School of Wonder, emphasizes wonder, nature, and co-creation in designing experiences, with her school's mission of creating more wonder through play, collaboration, and tapping into sense memories and imagination to access awe, curiosity, and expanded perception; she highlights the role of culture, respecting diverse communities, building relationships through story circles, balancing emerging technologies with nature connection, and engaging in daily practices like sensory wonder walks and creative expression to stay connected to one's playful aliveness.
🎯Story Takeaways
Takeaways
🔹Remember our connection to the natural world and design with all ecosystems in mind
🔹Tap into our senses memories and imagination to access a state of wonder
🔹Respect and learn from diverse cultures in the co-creation process
🔹Building relationships and fostering a sense of wonder through community story circles is a powerful way to connect with others and learn from their experiences.
🔹Emerging technologies have the potential to support creativity and imagination, but it is important to maintain a connection to nature and design for the well-being of all life.
🔹Play and creativity are essential for maintaining a sense of wonder and finding joy in everyday life.
🍀Conversation Outline
00:00 Introduction to Barbara Groth and the Nomadic School of Wonder
06:48 Defining Wonder and Its Expansive Perception
13:14 Wonder making
16:39 Difference between childlike wonder and adult wonder?
24:19 Culture and wonder making
27:20 Building Relationships and Fostering Wonder
42:19 Barbara's MAGIC
☕ Connect with Our Guest Here
Founder and Creative Director of the Nomadic School of Wonder, a traveling troupe of artists who create "adventures in awe" rooted in nature, art, community and play.I've been a creative entrepreneur for over thirty years — guiding teams through creative invention, design and production of highly participatory, immersive experiences for Walt Disney Imagineering, Google, X, Meow Wolf and others. In between crafting wonder retreats for individuals, groups and organizations, I teach The Art of Wondermaking — How to design experiences that bring people into a felt experience of awe.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-groth-a47291/
📚Read the research article:
Shiota, M.N. (2021). Awe, wonder, and the human mind. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1501.
Hlava, P., Elfers, J., McGregor, D.C., Arreguin, S., & Sharpe, F. (2023). From Wonder to Transformation: The Lived Experience of Profound Awe. Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
🚗Listen on
https://open.spotify.com/show/2RhE7OM74C3J8uzUBPazcw?si=3db238fb021f4172
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magicademy/id1721440260
Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open exploration of ideas, not an endorsement of any particular statement. Our podcast is independently produced with no involvement from employers or clients. We offer research-based resources to support further learning, but the quest for knowledge is its reward. Thank you for joining us on this journey of curiosity and discovery!
Imagine leadership not as a reserved seat at the table, but as a spark that ignites the childlike wonder, a heartfelt flame to explore and transcend perception, skill, and culture. Paired with evidence-based research, MAGICademy podcast co-explores how advancements in neuroarts, learning science, and technology are converging to empower creative, adaptable, and wonder-making leaders who transcend the limitations of the past toward collective flourishing. You can check out past and future episodes here: https://www.jianiwu.com/magicademy.
Previous Episode
Wonder Power: Cultivating Resilience & Empathy for Meaningful Connection
💓The Story
Caitlin Krause of MindWise discusses her work cultivating resilience, empathy, and meaningful connection through integrated learning experiences blending mindfulness, design, and storytelling. She explores concepts like wonder and flow state, designing immersive experiences like VR military training to foster qualities like empathy and resilience. Emphasizing play, collaboration, curiosity, and mindful AI partnership in skill and culture development.
🎯Story Takeaways
- Play, collaboration, and curiosity are essential in approaching technology and leadership.
- Cultivating resilience and empathy is essential for meaningful human connection.
- Wonder has five facets: curiosity, empathy, surfing wonder, the overview effect, and the wonder of the gestalt.
- Flow is a state of complete immersion and intrinsic joy.
- A mindful partnership with AI can lead to better learning experiences.
- Caitlin’s MAGIC
Toast to your curiosity, tune into the poetry reading towards the end: Digital Satori. You will love it~
#digitalwellbeing, #XR, #wonder, #awe, #imagination, #MindWise, #futureofwellbeing, #MAGICademy
🍀Conversation Outline
00:00 Introduce yourself to Aliens
07:33 Explore the five pillars of wonder
14:57 Explore the state of flow
19:08 How to design for flow
27:01 Bring resilience and empathy to Air Force
31:21 The role of play curiosity and collaboration in technology
36:27 Caitlin’s MAGIC
44:33 Digital Satori poem reading
☕ Learn About Our Guest Here
Caitlin Krause, founder of MindWise, combines technology, innovation and wellbeing as an educator, XR designer, author and speaker. She teaches digital wellness at Stanford and has authored related books. Krause advises organizations like Google, Meta, Oracle, and the U.S. State Department. Recently, she led workshops on resilience, leadership, mindfulness and creativity. Krause creates collaborative social XR experiences fusing presence, storytelling, meditation and emotional intelligence. She works on digital therapeutics incorporating haptics and biofeedback. With over 20 years of experience, Krause helps navigate the future of work, prioritizing empathy, design and imagination.
☕ Connect with Our Guest Here
https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinkrause
https://caitlinkrause.com/
📚Read the research article:
Csikszentmihalyi M (1997). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life (1st ed.). New York: Basic Books. p. 31.
https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Satori-Caitlin-Krause/dp/B0BZF2696H
Designing Wonder: https://caitlinkrause.gumroad.com/l/IxbVJ
🚗Listen on
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2RhE7OM74C3J8uzUBPazcw?si=3db238fb021f4172
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magicademy/id1721440260
Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open exploration of ideas, not an endorsement of any particular statement. Our podcast is independently produced with no involvement from employers or clients. We offer research-based resources to support further learning, but the quest for knowledge is its reward. Thank you for joining us on this journey of curiosity and discovery!
Imagine leadership not as a reserved seat at the table, but as a spark that ignites the childlike wonder, a heartfelt flame to explore and transcend perception, skill, and culture. Paired with evidence...
Next Episode
Collective Flourishing: Design Environments to Inspire Action through Eudaemonia
💓The Story
Eudaemonia design aims to cultivate flourishing and optimal health in built environments by incorporating principles of autonomy, competence, and relatedness from self-determination theory. It focuses on workplace wellness, healthcare environments, and supporting neurodiverse individuals through tailored spaces.
🎯Story Takeaways
- Eudaemonia design aims to cultivate flourishing and optimal health in built environments (digital & physical).
- It incorporates principles from self-determination theory, including autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
- Eudaemonia design can increase motivation & pro-social behaviors.
- Virtual reality and augmented reality can leverage Eudaemonia to enhance experiences and prepare individuals, especially those with neurodiversity or other varying abilities, for the workplace.
- Incorporating elements of nature and biophilia can have a positive impact on well-being.
- Eudaemonia design is about connecting different disciplines, caring for pro-humanity design, embracing curiosity, and nurturing creativity.
🍀Conversation Outline
00:00 Understanding Eudaemonia Design
02:22 Examples of Eudaemonia Design
06:20 The Three Elements of Eudaemonia Design
09:33 Eudaemonia Design and Neurodiversity
18:33 Cultivating Curiosity in Eudaemonic Design
20:15 The Future Impact of Eudaemonia Design
26:34 The Role of Eudaemonia Design in a Technologically Advanced World
30:04 Thought Leaders and Startups in Eudaemonia Design
35:04 Jenna's Journey and Challenges
40:58 Jenna's Magic: Connection, Care, Curiosity, and Creativity
43:20 The Creative Elf!
☕ Connect with Our Guest Here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennamikus/
Dr. Jenna Mikus is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Eudae Group, globally advising clients across commercial, military, government, healthcare, education, and aged care sectors on transformational change in built environments designed for health and well-being, with a focus on the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. As an advocate bridging industry and academia, she holds advisory and fellowship roles at institutions like the University of Melbourne, QUT, Centre for Conscious Design, International WELL Building Institute, and Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program. Leveraging her multidisciplinary education in engineering, architecture, design, strategy, change management, and design thinking, Jenna encourages cross-pollination to create intelligent, sustainable, flourishing environments for all.
📚Read the research article:
Torsi, S., Rebek, C., Giunchiglia, B., & Giunchiglia, F. (2020). Eudaimonia and Behavior Change: Incorporating negative feelings into Game Design elements. Proceedings of the 6th EAI International Conference on Smart Objects and Technologies for Social Good.https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3411170.3411263
Eudaemonic Design as an Approach to Co-creating Health and Well-being in the Built Environment: An Exemplar Case of Older Adults at Home: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/239357/1/Jenna%2BMikus%2BThesis%281%29.pdf
Disclaimer: While we value the unique perspectives shared by our podcast guests, their views do not necessarily reflect our own. We see this as an open exploration of ideas, not an endorsement of any particular statement. Our podcast is independently produced with no involvement from employers or clients. We offer research-based resources to support further learning, but the quest for knowledge is its reward. Thank you for joining us on this journey of curiosity and discovery!
Imagine leadership not as a reserved seat at the table, but as a spark that ignites the childlike wonder, a heartfelt flame to explore and transcend perception, skill, and culture. Paired with evidence-based research, MAGICademy podcast co-explores how advancements in neuroarts, learning science, and technology are converging to empower creative, adaptable, and wonder-making leaders who transcend the limitations of the past toward collective flourishing.
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