In this short, slightly, scrappy, 10-minute bonus episode, the strategist’s strategist Julian Cole joins me again - this time for a real-time riff on how to devise a usable strategy brief… when you don’t actually have one.

Julian has worked with Uber, Apple, Facebook, Disney and more, and is known for demystifying strategy and making it accessible. In our previous full-length episode, we got so deep into strategy chat that my producer gently told me off for going way over time. So here’s the fun bit we couldn’t bear to delete.

Where to start when no usable brief exists

• Julian shares his “brief audit” approach — the mandatories, the nice-to-knows, and how to avoid reinventing the wheel.

Live strategy development: The Dog Teeth Whitening Brief

• Yes, really. We take a fictional vet chain launching a dog teeth-whitening service and unpack:
• The business problem vs the consumer problem
• How to explore audience motivations, goals and fears
• Why aesthetics is never really about aesthetics
• How social connection, status and even loneliness show up in strategic thinking

Inside Julian’s strategic process

• We walk through:
• Defining goals and problems
• Using goal/fear dynamics to find emotional territory
• Spotting potential insights
• Building three “strategy napkins” — quick, rough territories you can test with clients or creatives

Why messy thinking is part of the process

• Strategy rarely arrives fully formed. This episode shows the real-world expansion phase — the part most people never see.

If you ever need to develop a strategy without a proper brief (which, let’s be honest… is more often than we may like), this episode gives you a practical, human, and transparent look at how a top strategist begins to approach the problem.

About Claire Bridges

Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.

Claire worked as Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 40,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.

Join our weekly email for free resources and worksheets to go with the podcast.

Connect with Claire:

Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14

About Julian Cole:

Julian Cole is a strategy consultant to leading brands including Uber,...

What does it take to turn an idea into a brand new industry? In this lively episode of Now Go Create, host Claire Bridges sits down with Daisy Amodio, creative dynamo, founder of The Proposers, a royal wedding planner, and visionary behind 5,000 unforgettable marriage proposals.

Claire and Daisy dig into how an impromptu treasure hunt for her brother kickstarted Daisy’s journey from advertising account manager to “queen of proposals,” defying doubters, inventing her own playbook, and genuinely creating a category from scratch. If you’ve ever been told your ideas are ‘rubbish’ Daisy’s story will inspire you to trust your gut, experiment, and persist despite the naysayers.

Listen in for Daisy’s take on creating bespoke experiences for an audience of one, and turning Pinterest boards into live events, including dressing up cats and negotiating to have your face on the Eiffel Tower!

Here are the highlights:

• Daisy turned her brother’s proposal into a creative business idea and, despite scepticism, pioneered the proposal planning industry
• Even after surveying 500 men who dismissed her idea as “rubbish,” Daisy trusted her gut and pushed forward
• How to get personal for an audience of one - Daisy and her team dive deep into clients’ lives, stalking Pinterest boards, social media, and more
• Spectacular proposals: From a fake drug arrest in Barcelona to 50 cats dressed as waiters
• Daisy and Claire discuss the unique challenges of balancing spectacular creative ideas with seamless execution
• Daisy often says yes first taking on wild requests and figuring out solutions later
• Dealing with burnout and Daisy’s journey to a more sustainable work-life balance.
• Daisy urges aspiring entrepreneurs to be determined, trust themselves, and “fake it till you make it”

Try this week:

• Got a “rubbish” idea you can’t shake? Take a small action toward it research, pitch, or share it with someone you trust.
• Explore your creative niche: What’s your unique story, and how could you double down on it, even in the face of scepticism?

About Claire Bridges:

Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.

Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 50,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.

Connect with Claire:

Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14

About Daisy Amodio:

Daisy Amodio is the trail-blazing Founder & CEO of The Proposers, the first-ever marriage proposal planning...

Are you feeling flat, uninspired, or stuck in a rut with your creative work? You’re not alone and you don’t have to go it alone either. Following on from last week’s episode of Now Go Create Claire Bridges chats to improv specialist and storytelling coach Maria Peters for a lively, practical deep-dive into getting yourself out of a creative slump (and why it’s actually normal to have one!)

Claire and Maria open up about the telltale signs of a slump, the difference between external and internal validation, why creative flow is so elusive, and how helpful constraints, a dash of play, and some improv magic can get you unstuck fast. Plus, they explore tools including the ‘artist date’ and an eye-opening exercise they call the ‘jealousy map’, a fresh way of using envy as a creative compass.

If you’ve ever compared yourself to others, felt your creativity wane, or simply wondered how to nudge yourself back toward inspiration, this episode is packed with stories, and practical micro-actions you can try right away.

Here are the highlights:

• Spotting a slump: Why comparison and self-doubt are classic signals
• Internal vs. external validation and how to recentre on your own creative compass
• The magic (and science) of flow
• How limits can jumpstart your ideas (and why improv isn’t as wild as you think)
• “Yes, and”: Using the improv mindset with your own ideas
• Morning pages, artist dates, and creative ‘micro-doses’
• The jealousy map, playful exercise to use envy or jealousy as a signpost for your own creative desires
• Refilling your creative well, why pleasure, play, and tiny nudges matter as much as big breakthroughs
• How to shake yourself out of autopilot (and what to try if you’re in a rut today!).

Try this week:

Schedule an ‘artist date’ with yourself - two hours (or whatever you can manage) doing something just for fun, no output required.

Do your own jealousy/creative envy check: Whose work, life, or output do you wish was yours? What is it specifically you want? Let that guide your next small creative move.

Do you have a creative challenge or dilemma for a future episode? Email claire@nowgocreate.co.uk or join our weekly email for free creativity resources and worksheets at nowgocreate.co.uk

About Claire Bridges:

Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.

Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 40,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.

Connect with Claire:

Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/

Facebook:

What do you do when the creative ideas stop flowing? In this episode of Now Go Create, host Claire Bridges gets real about a topic we don’t talk about enough: the creative slump. She shares her own recent experience, and explores why slumps might happen, how they differ from creative burnout or “block,” and why we shouldn’t panic when the creative tide is out. Introducing her practical “Creative CAT Scan” self-check-in, designed to help listeners get curious about their own moods, take micro-actions, and approach themselves with genuine tenacity and compassion. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a blank page feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just plain flat even though creativity is part of your job, this is the episode for you.

Here are the highlights:

• Why creative slumps are different from burnout or creative block
• What’s really happening in our brains during a slump and why rest helps
• Claire’s go-to tactics for an immediate energy boost (walks, smoothies, noodling, and more)
• The “Creative CAT Scan”, a self-diagnosis exercise for Curiosity, Action, and Tenacity
• Expert insights: practical suggestions from Claire’s creative network
• Why self-compassion (not criticism) can help you out of a hole
• Inspiration from past guests and listeners on resilience under creative pressure

Do you have a creative challenge or dilemma for a future episode? Email claire@nowgocreate.co.uk or join our weekly email for free creativity resources and worksheets at nowgocreate.co.uk

About Claire Bridges:

Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.

Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 40,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.

Connect with Claire:

Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

In this episode, Claire Bridges sits down with Jody Orsborn Medina, experiential creative director and founder of Recess, a global creative community and incredible resource hub. Jody shares her journey from in-house and agency life to freelancing, and how the need for authentic connections inspired her to start Recess. What began as monthly internal inspiration sessions has blossomed into a worldwide network and the must-have Creative Playbook, championing collaboration and open access to creative resources.

Jody and Claire discuss the realities of creative life: battling “inspiration overload,” embracing your nontraditional path, and how everyone from producers to designers to strategists can lay claim to creativity. They dive into global creative trends from the Playbook, practical hacks for working smarter, battling imposter syndrome, and the importance of breaking down gatekeeping in the creative industries. This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone looking to stay inspired and build a creative community, whatever your job title.

Here are the highlights:

• Introduction: Why Jody started Recess
• Anatomy of a Recess session and what makes them work
• The Creative Playbook: How it came about, what’s inside & who it’s for
• Favourite creative hacks, daily tools & tips from the Playbook
• How Jody curates the playbook, and why diversity of resource matters
• How freelancers can beat isolation & build community
• The creative power of producers and challenging creative ‘gatekeeping’
• Nonlinear creative careers: permission to claim creativity
• Imposter syndrome: lessons from creative leaders
• What Jody’s experimenting with next, making space for personal creative work
• Quickfire: Jody’s two top suggestions to spark creativity right now.

Do you have a creative challenge or dilemma for a future episode? Email claire@nowgocreate.co.uk or join our weekly email for free creativity resources and worksheets at nowgocreate.co.uk

About Claire Bridges:

Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.

Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 40,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.

Connect with Claire:

Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate

LinkedIn:

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end of Summer School! In this special wrap-up episode, host Claire Bridges recaps the five creative nudges you experimented with over the summer, and brings them together into a practical, personalised toolkit to help you approach September (and beyond!) with confidence and curiosity.

As you say goodbye to summer, Claire shares the three most powerful coaching questions she uses with clients and in her own life, designed to unlock possibility, shift your thinking, and build creative momentum, whatever challenges you’re facing next.

Highlights:

• Claire recaps all five Creative Nudge tools covered this summer
• How to treat your everyday environment as a “creative safari” and source fresh inspiration without traveling far
• Insights from previous podcast guests Tom Oldham (perspective shifts) and James Mallinson (managing your self-talk and inner critic)
• Why recognising and addressing your internal dialogue is crucial for creative growth and what to do if self-doubt is holding you back
• The ultimate Creative Toolkit: Five approaches to use whenever you’re stuck, plus three game-changing coaching questions:

1. What creative habit will you commit to keeping?
2. Wouldn’t it be amazing if...?
3. What if the opposite were true?

• Practical examples and tips for applying these questions to real work and life challenges.
• Encouragement to use curiosity not perfection as your guiding star.
• How to download all the Creative Nudge tools, worksheets, and prompts in one handy Creative Nudge Toolkit.

Your Creative Challenge:

As summer ends, reflect on the creative habits or tools that felt most energising. Which will you keep up as you head into September? Try using the three coaching questions to reframe your next problem or project, journal your answers, and notice what new possibilities arise. Invite your teammates or friends to play along!

Bonus:

Want all the tools and exercises in one place? Download your Creative Nudge Toolkit here: [Need Link]

About Claire Bridges

Claire Bridges is the founder of Now Go Create. She’s helped over 50,000 people across the globe unlock their creative potential, and her mission is to show that creativity genuinely is for everyone. Claire’s background includes leading creative strategies for big-name brands and authoring the best-selling “In Your Creative Element.” She holds an MSc in Creativity, Leadership, and Innovation, and thrives on equipping individuals and teams with tools to tackle challenges and grow creative confidence.

Get more creativity resources, worksheets, and podcast updates by joining the Now Go Create mailing list.

Get in touch with Claire: claire@nowgocreate.co.uk

Connect with Claire:

Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14

How loud is the voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough, or worries you’re about to mess things up? Welcome to week five of Now Go Create’s Summer School with Claire Bridges. This week’s creative nudge is all about noticing your self-talk and learning how to shift that critical inner voice into something much kinder (and more helpful for your creativity).

The short voice note podcast this week is from hypnotherapist James Mallinson. Whether you’re poolside or taking a break from work, this nudge is designed to help you identify negative self-talk and transform it into something that better serves you.

Highlights:

• Claire introduces summer’s fifth “Creative Nudge” and explains the value of tuning into your internal dialogue
• Special guest James Mallinson shares why your inner critic is often “dripping poison in your head” and what to do about it
• Step-by-step guidance on recognising negative self-talk (including not just the words, but the harsh tone and speed)
• Tips for crafting your own punchy, positive alternative
• Smart ideas to reinforce your new voice
• Why research supports this approach: shifting your internal voice boosts resilience and creativity
• Bonus encouragement to practice this nudge all week, and share your experience with Claire.

Your Creative Challenge:

Next time you catch yourself ‘talking down’ to yourself, pause. Write down what you said, note how and when it showed up, then fight fire with fire. Create a new phrase that’s as punchy and personal as your negativity, but positive and constructive. Repeat it until it sticks! As James says: “Start talking in your head with that new voice. Say it again and again and again.”

Bonus:

Interested in going deeper? Listen back to the full Inner Critic episode 18 with James Mallinson.

What is the Creative Nudge Summer School:

• A free, six-week email series dropping into your in-box each week, get a simple creative tool or tip from Claire
• A partner podcast episode to help you go deeper and learn on the move
• A practical worksheet or prompt to instantly apply the nudge to real work or life projects
• An optional “buddy system” to check in and share learnings boosting accountability and connection
• A short, snappy WhatsApp-style audio note from Claire with bonus stories and inspiration
• All the resources and worksheets are yours to download for your own use or for running creative sessions with your team.

Claire’s approach is all about building creative agility and confidence through small, consistent habits so you finish the summer with a toolkit you can actually use. At the end, you’ll receive a creative habit map to guide your next steps.

Interested? The first email drops July 16th, and you can join any time for the full six-week journey.

Sign up for the weekly email nudges and workbook: https://mailchi.mp/nowgocreate.co.uk/creative-nudge

About Claire Bridges

Claire Bridges is the founder of Now Go Create. She’s helped over 50,000 people across the globe unlock their creative potential, and her mission is to show that creativity genuinely is for everyone. Claire’s background includes leading creative strategies for big-name brands and authoring the best-selling “In Your Creative Element.” She holds an MSc in Creativity, Leadership, and Innovation, and thrives on equipping individuals and teams with tools to tackle challenges and grow creative confidence.

Get more creativity resources, worksheets, and podcast updates by joining the Now Go Create mailing list.

Get in touch with Claire:...

Have you ever changed your perspective and unlocked your creativity? Today Claire Bridges brings you a quick but powerful creative nudge packed with inspiration.

She draws from her conversation with multi award-winning photographer Tom Oldham, best known for his bold and soul-baring portraits of icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and Rick Rubin. Claire shares Tom’s top creative nudge: look at the world through a different lens. Whether you’re snapping a family photo or tackling a tricky problem at work, there’s incredible value in experimenting with new angles, zooming in for the details, or stepping back to see the bigger picture.

Highlights:

• Claire revisits her behind-the-lens conversation with Tom Oldham
• Tom’s summer creativity tip: experiment with perspective!
• Claire shares her own experience taking Tom’s advice, resulting in a “freakishly good” photo
• Try reframing something that feels stuck.
• Zoom out for the bigger picture - what context are you missing?
• Zoom in - what small detail could reveal something new?
• Change your angle - how would a customer, a competitor, or an outsider see it?
• Swap roles and look at things from the “other side of the lens.”
• Remember: There’s no right answer, just keep experimenting with frames and angles until something fresh emerges.

Your Creative Challenge:

Grab your camera (or phone) and deliberately change up your approach whether it’s a holiday photo, a project at work, or a life decision. What new possibilities can you see?

Bonus:

Check out episode 12 with Tom Oldham, packed with creative insights for anyone pursuing a creative career.

What is the Creative Nudge Summer School:

• A free, six-week email series dropping into your in-box each week, get a simple creative tool or tip from Claire
• A partner podcast episode to help you go deeper and learn on the move
• A practical worksheet or prompt to instantly apply the nudge to real work or life projects
• An optional “buddy system” to check in and share learnings boosting accountability and connection
• A short, snappy WhatsApp-style audio note from Claire with bonus stories and inspiration
• All the resources and worksheets are yours to download for your own use or for running creative sessions with your team.

Claire’s approach is all about building creative agility and confidence through small, consistent habits so you finish the summer with a toolkit you can actually use. At the end, you’ll receive a creative habit map to guide your next steps.

Interested? The first email drops July 16th, and you can join any time for the full six-week journey.

Sign up for the weekly email nudges and workbook https://mailchi.mp/nowgocreate.co.uk/creative-nudge

About Claire Bridges

Claire Bridges is the founder of Now Go Create. She’s helped over 50,000 people across the globe unlock their creative potential, and her mission is to show that creativity genuinely is for everyone. Claire’s background includes leading creative strategies for big-name brands and authoring the best-selling “In Your Creative Element.” She holds an MSc in Creativity, Leadership, and Innovation, and thrives on equipping individuals and teams with tools to tackle challenges and grow creative confidence.

Get in touch with Claire: claire@nowgocreate.co.uk

Connect with Claire:

Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/

Instagram: