The State of Creativity

An exploration of the people and ideas defining creativity today.

The State of Creativity is a society podcast hosted by Rachel Paul, with 13 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Rachel Paul hosts The State of Creativity, a society show with 13 episodes published.

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  Episode #13

  Who Gets to Curate? with América Castillo.

  Aug 28, 20261h 13mS1

  Who gets to call themselves a curator? And what if curating isn't just a job title, but a way of moving through the world? Joining me in today’s episode is America Castillo, a curator and museum professional whose path into the art world has been anything but conventional. Born in Mexico City and raised largely in Puerto Rico, she trained as an architect before unexpectedly finding her way into museums. Her work challenges conventional ideas about who gets to curate, how expertise is defined, and what museums can become when they make room for a wider range of perspectives. Over the past 8 years at SFMOMA, Castillo has worked her way from department assistant to project manager overseeing the museum's acquisitions program, and is now co-curator of her first major exhibition, alongside RM of BTS and SFMOMA’s Hyoeun Kim. RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me is the first museum exhibition featuring artworks from RM's personal collection, and will be on view from October 3 through February 7.

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  Episode #12

  Local by Design with Joel Reske.

  Jul 29, 202644 minS1

  In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and old neighbor, Joel Reske. Joel lived just across the street from me in Lower Haight, our houses sitting along the wiggle, the zig-zagging bike route that runs from Market Street to Golden Gate Park. That location makes his house the perfect spot for Sunday night line dancing, a weekly event Joel and his housemates have hosted in their garage for the past two years, drawing about 70 people each week. He's also the founder of the Lower Haight Local, a neighborhood magazine featuring art, articles, and community content from neighbors. Everything Joel works on is rooted in bringing people together, and he does it with so much joy, energy, and consistent investment in those around him. It's been so cool watching his projects evolve over time, and I hope this conversation inspires you to bring that idea you've had in your head to life. You never know how it might unfold. This conversation was recorded on my back porch in San Francisco, before my move to New York, so if you hear a bird chirp or wind chimes in the background, that's just the sounds of the backyard. Thank you to Descript for helping bring this episode to life! If you make podcasts or videos, this is one of those tools that will absolutely improve your workflow. Try it for yourself: https://get.descript.com/stateofcreativitypod

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  Episode #11

  Doom and Bloom with Marc O'Brien.

  Jun 11, 202646 minS1

  Climate, community, and design are inextricably linked, and are something that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. While it may be obvious (but absolutely blows my mind if I think too hard about it), design literally applies to every facet of life, shaping the spaces we inhabit, the systems we move through, the communities we build, and even what the future of our planet looks like. It’s also a response to the world we’re living in, and so climate is inherently a pretty big part of that conversation. This episode with Marc O’Brien dives into that intersection of design, climate, and community. Marc is an award-winning creative director and strategist and has been a mentor, friend, and neighbor of mine throughout my time in San Francisco. He also spoke at CreativeMornings San Francisco in February. Marc is one of the most thoughtful voices I know advocating for using design to be a powerful force for good in the climate space. From 2016–2022, he co-founded and ran The Determined, a design strategy and creative consulting studio that launched successful sustainability and climate-forward work. In 2019, he co-founded Climate Designers, a now-global community of designers taking climate action, with chapters around the world. He's also senior adjunct faculty at California College of the Arts, where he teaches climate design and social innovation. In this conversation, Marc takes us from his punk rock roots to a nomadic post-grad journey that ultimately landed him here in the Bay Area. Our conversation explores how to design for climate, why today’s climate crisis is intertwined with our connection crisis, and how a prototype mindset can transform the way we approach both work and life.

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  Episode #10

  Perfect Flaw with Branko Lukic.

  May 21, 202654 minS1

  We're living in a moment that rewards speed and scale above almost everything else. And while many argue that AI is finally freeing creatives up to do more of what they love, the pressure to produce more, faster, hasn't gone anywhere. Which is why, as we explore in today's conversation, one of the most radical things we can do with these tools isn't to move faster, but to go deeper. Joining me is Branko Lukic, a cognitive architect, designer, and innovator. Born and raised in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia, Branko's career took him from some of the world's leading design firms, including frog design and ideo, to founding his own award-winning studio, nonobject, which was later acquired by Logitech. Today, Branko is the Vice President of AI Design and Innovation at VF Corporation. Branko was also the speaker at CreativeMornings San Francisco in December 2025, where he explored the theme of INNOVATION and introduced the concept of Perfect Flaws: the idea that our imperfections and idiosyncrasies aren't limitations, but the very thing that makes human creativity irreplaceable. In this conversation, we talk about the first time Branko used AI (an experience that moved him to tears), how decades of meditation and mindfulness have shaped his creative practice, and why our unique imperfections are our most valuable assets.

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  Episode #9

  Glimmer Maxing with Stephanie Cowan.

  Apr 16, 20261h 10mS1

  In a world that can so often feel heavy, choosing joy day in and day out can actually be a pretty radical act. So what does it take to build a life and a community around joy? Joining me in this episode is Stephanie Cowan, a friendship facilitator, community advocate, speaker, and social artist based in San Francisco, who is one of the most joy-centered people I know. Through her connection design studio, Mission Serendipity, and her gathering series, The Drop In, Stephanie has spent years fine-tuning a formula for large-scale human connection, and our conversation explores everything it's taken for her to get here. Stephanie also spoke at CreativeMornings San Francisco in January, where she explored Coorsoo — a Farsi word meaning "faint glimmer of hope" — and coined the term glimmer maxing : the practice of infusing joy, whimsy, and positivity into your everyday life. Please note: this episode discusses topics related to eating disorders and body image.

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