We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Taryn Southern a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Taryn, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand what creativity is, how it works, and what keeps us from accessing it.
In schools, we’re taught “convergent thinking” – a process of arriving at one logical answer to a question. As we grow up, we then pile on additional judgements, fears, and evaluations that reduce our creative thinking even further.
To be creative, you actually have to “unlearn” convergent brain tendencies and expand non-linear thinking. One way to do this is by collaborating with others. Through collaborations, you expand the realm of expertise, inspiration, and motivation thrown at a creative exercise.
I began using AI in 2016 as a collaboration tool. I’ve sinced used AI now in a variety of creative exercises, to brainstorm, make music, play with tone, edit, model images and ideas, and more. It has not just kept my creativity alive but sparked hundreds of new ideas.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As an anthropology major, I was always fascinated by the impact of emerging tools on human culture.
My career really began as an on-camera host. It was the early days of internet video, and Dick Clark Productions needed a last minute host to fill in for the first ever livestream of the Golden Globe Awards red carpet. I got the job. At the time, most “serious” hosts didn’t want to work for internet companies – television was seen as far superior. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have any qualms about who hired me. So I became a de factor host for many of the early sites with video – Facebook, MySpace, MSN, Yahoo, YouTube and more.
From there, I built a YouTube channel and dabbled in film and television, but as I approached 30, I found myself wanting to do more meaningful work. I found myself exploring VR, AI, and neurotech, and ultimately made the leap into telling high impact stories with these tools.
The past few years, much of my time has been dedicated to Blackrock Neurotech, an implantable brain-computer interface company, where I’ve overseen our broader storytelling efforts to the public and investors. I’ve continued my AI art and music projects, and speak at companies and conferences about how to harness AI to transform your life — in big and small ways!
If I had to sum up my career in a nutshell, I’m always looking to the future. What’s next? How can we use science and AI to build happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives for ourselves and communities?
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Creativity – stay open to novel ideas and synthesize disparate concepts as much as you can. Not only is it incredibly fun, but you’ll find yourself pursuing all kinds of exciting new paths.
2. Resilience – who knew “failing fast” would become such an important skill? I’ve failed too many times to count. You just learn to accept that for every 5 failures, you’ll get a win.
3. Resourcefulness – when you’re just starting, try to learn how to do a little bit of everything tangential involved in your dream job. If you want to be a film director, for instance, you should be spending a portion of your time editing, lighting, and working a film camera. Learning those skills will inevitably prepare you to be a better leader.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Work is hard, and working with people can be even harder. I have, like many people, been a people pleaser for most of my life. Learning how to stand up for myself and set clear expectations and boundaries has been a critical lesson for me — but it’s one that will benefit you both personally and professionally.
Also – understanding the things that trigger anxiety or impatience, and how you can best regulate these emotions, will absolutely make you a better leader. It should be taught in all MBA programs!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tarynsouthern.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tarynsouthern
- Facebook: facebook.co/tarynsouthern
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/tarynsouthern
- Twitter: twitter.com/tarynsouthern
- Youtube: youtube.com/tarynsouthern
Image Credits
Screenshot – Leigh Manacher Three studio shots – Nick Rasmussen
