What's gut churn? At the 99U Conference, Radiolab creator and host Jad Abumrad describes it as the radical uncertainty that's a core part of any creative process that really pushes the envelope. You're entering unknown territory, and working without a map.
Using examples from Radiolab's own evolution, Jad shares the benefits of negative feedback and how we can look out for "pointing arrows" that can help guide our work (even when it hurts).
0:40 - How did Radio lab happen?
2:04 - Gut Churn and creativity
3:00 - "Someday, someone was gonna ask us what our long term plan was."
4:12 - Surviving creativity "At the beginning it always felt like life or death"
5:00 - How crummy it can feel to make something new
5:55 - Being in a blind panic 20 minutes before a Radiolab episode
6:35 - The idea that your creation can be anything can be hard to grasp
7:55 - "It was like we were lost and an arrow appeared"
11:01 - Change can't be planned. Only recognized after the fact *HEADLINE?*
11:25 - The creative process at RadioLab (complete with PostIt Notes)
11:43 - No Plexi-glass. No distance between you, your audience, and your creation.
13:03 - Creativity is an inductive process. But know who to listen to.
13:57 - A sampling of negative feedback received about Radiolab
15:12 - "The fact that people are hating on you right now, means you're doing your job and headed in the right direction"
15:53 - How to keep your creativity from being repetitive
17:02 - "Where's the science?" Exploring your craft to keep things fresh.
17:44 - Radiolab's first live show (and how it went horribly wrong)
19:10 - "At that moment I never felt such crippling fear"
19:53 - What do you make of your worst moments that test you?
About Jad Abumrad
Jad Abumrad is the host and creator of Radiolab, which reaches roughly 2 million people per month. He's been called a "master of the radio craft" for his unique ability to combine cutting edge sound-design, cinematic storytelling and a personal approach to explaining complex topics, from the stochasticity of tumor cells to the mathematics of morality. Jad studied creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College in Ohio. He composes much of the music for Radiolab, and in the past has composed music for film, theater and dance.
In 2011, Radiolab received a Peabody Award, the highest honor in broadcasting, and Jad received the prestigious MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship.
About 99U
The 99U delivers the action-oriented education that you didn’t get in school, highlighting real-world best practices for making ideas happen.
What's gut churn? At the 99U Conference, Radiolab creator and host Jad Abumrad describes it as the radical uncertainty that's a core part of any creative process that really pushes the envelope. You're entering unknown territory, and working without a map.
Using examples from Radiolab's own evolution, Jad shares the benefits of negative feedback and how we can look out for "pointing arrows" that can help guide our work (even when it hurts).
Jad Abumrad is the host and creator of Radiolab, which reaches roughly 2 million people per month. He's been called a "master of the radio craft" for his unique ability to combine cutting edge sound-design, cinematic storytelling and a personal approach to explaining complex topics, from the stochasticity of tumor cells to musical languages to the mathematics of morality. Jad studied creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College in Ohio. He composes much of the music for Radiolab, and in the past has composed music for film, theater and dance.
In 2011, Radiolab received a Peabody Award, the highest honor in broadcasting, and Jad received the prestigious MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship.