Beyond the Template
Welcome Beyond the Template- the more than “just-talk” podcast.
Here you will find the untold stories of everyday creatives facing fear, reinvention, and the unknown… with practical tools, reflection questions, and soulful storytelling for people stepping out of hiding to finally follow through with their dream project or goal.
Creativity isn’t limited to art. It’s anything someone wants to bring to life... be that a course, an event, a product, a piece of music, a first draft of a script or book, a relationship, or an evolved version of themselves.
You will be offered ways to bring bring your creative vision into existence through weekly lessons, actionable items and accountablity within a community of change with:
- Structure- Because sometimes its hard to prioritize our dreams
- Consistency- Because a little push each week makes a huge impact
- Inspiration- Because we all need to feel seen in those we aspire to be
- Fun- Because learning can be entertaining, engaging and relieve us from today’s non-stop quest for quickness and quantity over quality
No matter what, at the end of each season (and every single episode) you will be so much farther along than you were!
You’re doing great. Keep it up. Keep it creative.
Episodes
27 episodes
What happens now? Creative Ends and Beginnings
Season 1 of Beyond the Template in on the books! With one final story of expansion and resilience, we finish up our last week of traveling in the southern hemisphere and culminate our creative work together. Ke...
What happens now? The truth of creative success.
From a reflective week in Kiama navigating endings, beginnings, and the discomfort of growth, this episode explores what success really feels like. We will hear about Warwick Thornton, internationally acclaimed director who made a career ...
Jennifer Kent: Telling the Emotional Truth of Difficult Stories
Summary: From a grounded week of work and connection before heading to Kiama, Australia, this episode explores transition and creative momentum while tracing how Jennifer Kent turned a deeply personal short film into one of th...
Margot Robbie: Controlling the “Attractive Blond” Narrative
Summary: This week finds me in a quieter place back in Lane Cove and stepping into the unfamiliar world of voice over recording, this episode reflects on creative expansion before tracing how Margot Robbie moved from rural Australia...
Chris Hemsworth: Extending Self from Australia to Hollywood
In a quieter week tucked into Sydney’s western suburbs, this episode reflects on identity, home, and creative stamina before tracing how Chris Hemsworth moved from Australian television to global stardom, expanding the cinematic road George Mil...
Architecture of Action Through the Eyes of George Miller
From ferry rides across Sydney Harbour to standing inside the real world that inspired Finding Nemo, this episode traces the emotional contrast between freedom and captivity while exploring how George Miller rose from a small-town doctor to the...
Catherine Martin: Builder of Cinematic Worlds
An exploration of Catherine Martin’s rise from Australian theatre student to four-time Academy Award winning production and costume designer, and how vision, discipline, and design shaped some of the most iconic cinematic worlds of the pa...
The Man who put Opera on Screen - Baz Luhrmann
Checking in from Sydney Australia, we will talk about travel surprises, the ease of companionship and we will hear the story of Baz Luhrmann, someone who rearranged cinema from the edge of the world.Welcome to Beyond the Template.
Suzie Moncrieff: Containing the World of WearableArt
Today’s episode explores creative success through partnership, told through Suzie Moncrieff’s journey of building World of WearableArt and the often-invisible cost of being the one who creates the container. Welcome to Beyond the Te...
Tania Rodger: Feminine Authorship in Film Collaboration
An honest reflection on creative partnership, visibility, and shared authorship through the lens of Tania Rodger’s role in building Wētā Workshop and why sustainable creative success is never a solo act. Welcome to Beyo...
Taika Waititi- From Boy to Thor
In this episode, we will hear an honest update from life in Wellington, NZ before exploring Taika Waititi’s journey from a messy, underfunded beginning to global success through long-term collaboration. Welcome to Beyond the Templat...
Richard Taylor- Architect of Creative Collaboration
Preparing for a “Take 2” of the renowned Wētā Workshop from the Auckland to Wellington tour, we will hear the story of Richard Taylor, co-founder and Co-CEO of a company that has built some of the most powerful worlds in cinemat...
Time, Trust, Talent and Peter Jackson
Happy New Year from a new place in the world… Auckland, New Zealand. This week is the first of transitioning away from the research, preparation, and deep thinking of the past several months into actual creation. We will hear the st...
Genius vs. Audience: Finding Your Creative Balance
This week we will reflect on a BIG issue for creatives: how to balance work and media. We have all felt the emotional strain social media places upon us. I will share three ways I have learned for better self-care as a creative onli...
Design Phase of Creativity- Introduction
Today we are talking about designing our creative work to align with everything we have researched so far and prepare us for the work to be done in 2026. I will also tell you the story of Isamu Noguchi.Reflection Quest...
Recap of Episodes 1-11: Analysis Phase of Creative Work
It’s our 12th episode as we head into the last month of the year. December is an excellent time to check in on progress started in the earlier months, so this episode will serve as a reminder of what this podcast is all about, who i...
Sequencing For the Creative and Their Audience
Let’s dive into the deep of “sequencing” as both a creative tool and an audience experience strategy, framed through life’s chaotic realities. We will explore how intentional ordering transforms your process and your final product and the story...
Creating Nintendo: The Story of Hiroshi Yamauchi
This week, as with the 5th episode, this episode is a special one! It will be more storytelling focused, connecting the concept of creating a space for your creative “voice” to make a positive change in the world…with the story of ...
Finding your Voice: Why pivoting is crucial for the success of any creative work
This week, we will consider the power of voice and how calling out into the world might change everything. And we’re taking inspiration from the incomparable Eartha Kitt, a woman who never stopped speaking truth, no matter the c...
Creativity and Strategy- Objectives (Pt. 2)
News, moon and goals! I’ll share personal wins and pivots in creative work and objectives, and tell the story of George Washington Carver. Welcome Beyond the Template- the more than “just-talk” podcast. ...
Creativity and Strategy- Objectives
This week, I’m sharing good news, unpacking our evolving relationship with AI and how human insight and technology can actually work together to build creative communities. We will define why creative objectives matter… Plus, the story of Es...
Creativity and Strategy- Task Analysis (Part 2)
Under the full moon and a mountain of to-dos, let’s find light in good news, the story of surrealist Remedios Varo, and the creative process of turning ideas into something real… even when the world feels heavy. Welc...
Creativity and Strategy- Task Analysis
Welcome Beyond the Template- the more than “just-talk” podcast. Slow and steady meets the GOAL this week as we start moving out of our initial assessment of purpose for our projects and move into analys...
Analyzing the Context of Your Creative Work
This week I will share what’s winning in education right now, we will check in on how our projects are going, I’ll discuss how to narrow down the characteristics and traits for our audience through considering context, and we’ll hear the story ...
Analyzing Your Audience: Characteristics and Traits
Welcome Beyond the Template- the more than “just-talk” podcast. It’s week 3! And it might already be time to reassess where we are heading (Already? Sigh.). We will hear some good news (so needed), design takeaways fr...