Seeing Senses with Sarah Hyndman
Where there’s more than meets the eye.
What if your senses were the secret to creating unforgettable stories?
Uncover the magic and science behind what makes us feel, starting at first sight.
From the colour of sound to shapes that taste sweet. I’ll take you behind the scenes with perfumers, scientists, writers, chefs, artists, musicians, makers, designers and athletes, to reveal how they connect what we see to what we sense. Because the real alchemy happens when we talk to people across different disciplines.
Are you a creator, small business or simply curious? If you want to know how the senses shape your audience’s emotions, memories and choices, and how you can use this to tell stories people want to talk about, then this podcast is for you.
Links:
More Seeing Senses content & info.
Book Sarah Hyndman to speak at your event.
Sarah’s the founder of Type Tasting and the curator of The Sensologists briefings .
Find Sarah on LinkedIn and on Instagram.
Seeing Senses with Sarah Hyndman
Composing perfumes with Sarah McCartney
Why is making a fragrance like composing music?
“I hear smells as sounds. Mint’s really pointy, whereas oakmoss is more like 🎶…”
Artisan perfumer Sarah McCartney takes us through the connections between scent, perception, and creativity. She talks about working with the Courtauld Gallery London, the queen of modern burlesque Tempest Rose and Chocolat author Joanne Harris.
Discover how shutting your eyes can enhance your sense of smell, the unique ways in which individuals perceive fragrances, and the challenges of conveying scent through words. The conversation delves into McCartney’s journey as a perfumer, her innovative projects that connect scent with art and culture, and the emotional power of smell in memory. The episode highlights the importance of cross-modal experiences and the potential for scent to evoke deep emotional responses.
Guest
Sarah McCartney is the founder of artisan fragrance house 4160 Tuesdays. She taught herself to make perfume after careers in copywriting, marketing, and teaching, including head writer for Lush Cosmetics. Since 2011, she has challenged the secrecy of the perfume industry by running workshops, launching Scenthusiasm.School for beginners, and representing artisan perfumers on the IFRA UK Executive Committee. She co-wrote The Perfume Companion, speaks internationally, and her fragrances have been shortlisted for major awards including the Fragrance Foundation and Art & Olfaction. Her projects span operas, galleries, and gardens. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio, answering questions about the fragrance industry.
“If you shut your eyes, you can smell better … because the brain will give priority to sight.”
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Head to Seeing Senses on Substack for updates and extras.
You’ll find sense-hacking experiments and book recommendations from the guests. Become a paid subscriber to support the making of this podcast (with extra episodes and content).
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Key takeaways
• We perceive scents differently based on personal experiences.
• Creativity involves connecting different sensory experiences.
• Scent can evoke strong memories and emotions.
• The language of scent is often limited and subjective.
• Art can be enhanced by incorporating scent into the experience.
• Creating scents for exhibitions involves collaboration and creativity.
• Scent can influence how we perceive other sensory experiences.
• Olfactory habituation can affect our perception of familiar scents.
• Scent can be a powerful tool for storytelling and memory recall.
Outline
The Connection Between Sight and Scent.
Cross-Modal Connections.
Creating Scents for Art and Exhibitions.
The Burlesque Perfume Project.
Crowdfunding Fragrances: A New Approach.
Creating a Fragrance Inspired by Chocolat.
The Complexity of Scent Perception.
Childhood Memories and Scent Associations.
The Power of Smell in Memory and Emotion.
The objects that makes Sarah both shudder and feel happy at first sight.
Noise cancelling headphones.
Host
Sarah Hyndman is a designer/researcher, author and speaker. You can book her to speak or bring her activity lab to your event or organisation here via Type Tasting. Sarah is the founder of Type Tasting and curator of The Sensologists.
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Seeing Senses. Where there’s more than meets the eye.
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Theme music by AudioKraken.