What happens to creativity when we have more to consume than ever before?
In this episode of Think in Cursive, Brandon sits down with longtime friend Russ McLaughlin for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, music, parenting, attention, technology, and the art of staying curious in a world that never seems to slow down.
They talk about what happens when we spend more time consuming than creating, and how smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence are changing the way we listen, think, make music, and experience the world around us.
The conversation gets personal as they talk about artistic identity, the fear of failure, learning to listen, raising kids in a distracted world, and finding ways to keep creativity and play alive when life starts feeling more like work.
This Week’s Guest: Russ McLaughlin
Russ is an Atlanta-based music producer, musician, songwriter, teacher, and studio owner. He is the founder of Galaxy Music and Arts Academy, where he teaches private music lessons and group classes while helping students develop their skills and find their own creative voice.
His experience spans live performance, songwriting, music production, teaching, and the business of making a living as a working musician. You can learn more about Russ and his creative work at itsruss.com.
About Think in Cursive Podcast
We spend so much of our lives working, achieving, building, and chasing the next thing. But somewhere along the way, we can forget how to slow down, stay curious, and actually enjoy the life we're building.
Think in Cursive explores the role of play in daily life and what it can teach us about how we work, lead, create, connect, and live.
Through honest conversations with thinkers and doers, we go deeper than the usual success stories and explore the questions underneath them:
What makes a meaningful life? How do we stay curious? Who are we when our work is no longer our identity? And why does play matter more as we get older?