Brackish (formerly Making Design Circular with Katie Treggiden)

In this episode, Katie Treggiden speaks with Amy Wilson. Amy is an artistic and adventurous soul, wielding the epic powers of creativity daily at her studio, Acorn. She is passionate about creating brands, stories, and art in the world that shift paradigms and expand perspectives. Amy advocates for childlike play, the power of the imagination, Mother Earth, and the future - among other things! She is abstract, imperfect, free, and wildly creative.

"I added the word 'broken' to my brand because I needed people to know that there was space for them, however they arrived." – Amy Wilson

 In this episode, Katie Treggiden speaks with Kirsty Tanner, a Scottish multi-disciplinary artist, designer and maker, living in Liverpool. She runs design studio Tom Pigeon alongside her personal practice working across paint, textiles and collage. Kirsty's childhood in rural Scotland meets her love of Modernist design and Brutalist architecture, combining abstract expressions of nature with strong architectural line and negative space. Kirsty has worked on collaborative collections with clients including Tate Modern, The Barbican, V&A and Team GB. When not in the studio Kirsty can usually be found in the garden, at a flea market or in the s...

In this episode, Katie Treggiden speaks with Joanne Lamb, an Irish artist based in London, who creates delicate woven vessels inspired by nature and the Celtic Wheel of the Year.

"I want each of the baskets to tell a story, they are imbued with a sense of time and place for me. The power of telling stories helps us connect with nature, event the earliest humans have done that." – Joanne Lamb

What we cover:

* Joanne's artistic process and how she creates delicate vessels that look "grown rather than made"

* Re...

In this episode of Brackish, Katie speaks with Agnes Becker, artist, science communicator, and creator of We Are Stardust, about bridging the gap between art and science, connecting with nature, and finding freedom in creative expression.

Brackish is a term used to describe water that is a mixture of saltwater and freshwater, for example, where a river meets the sea.

I first encountered it sitting in a boat in just such water and it immediately became one of my favourite words. I am fascinated by intersections, liminal and littoral spaces, overlaps and interconnections, and I...

Brackish is a term used to describe water that is a mixture of saltwater and freshwater, for example, where a river meets the sea.

‘I first encountered it sitting in a boat in just such water and it immediately became one of my favourite words. I am fascinated by intersections, liminal and littoral spaces, overlaps and interconnections, and I want to use this space to explore all of those things – the ideas that don’t fit into neat boxes.

So, I’ll be exploring those things here – the places where craft meets nature, where the rules don’...

In this episode, Katie talks to Elle Bower Johnston. Elle (she/they) is a body witch. Their work is the alchemisation of breathwork, somatic, and rest practices with witchcraft and folk magic. She works with creatives, witches, queers, change-makers, weirdos - folks who might not necessarily feel like they belong in ‘wellness’ or ‘spiritual’ spaces - to help them get into deeper their relationship with their body and connect with their magic.

Her work is queer- and trans-centred, trauma-conscious, and rooted in unravelling colonialism and capitalism from the ways we relate to our bodies. They believe that our perso...

In this episode, Katie talks to Rosie Murphy. Rosie is a consummate communicator and connector.

She is just one of a broad ecosystem of architectural workers uniting for greater social justice and environmental consciousness in all aspects of the built environment. She is an advocate for networks such as Black Females in Architecture, HomeGrown Plus and Architects Climate Action Network. 

Rosie's work is centred on youth engagement, creating creative opportunities and experiences for children and young people to be empowered, informed and activated citizens of the future. Rosie works collaboratively across boundaries of design, education a...

**This episode was originally an Instagram Live, so at the point of going live on the podcast, the rest challenge we talk about has already happened – however, the Making Design Circular Conference is happening on Thursday 05 September 2024 – find out more get your ticket for that HERE >>> **

In this episode, Katie talks to Jo Casey. Jo Casey is an Autistic and ADHD speaker and business coach who helps fellow quirky-brained entrepreneurs align their business strategies with their unique mental wiring. With over 20 years of coaching experience and 15 years of successfully wrangling her own neurodivergent business, Jo has mas...

In this episode, Katie continues last week’s conversation with Tamu Thomas a renowned transformational life coach, dedicated to guiding women towards achieving work-life harmony by embracing holistic well-being practices that align with their nervous system. 

Katie & Tamu explore:

You can connect with Tamu here

Website: https://www.livethreesixty.com/ and https://www.womenwhoworktoomuch.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamu.thomas/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/livethreesixty/

Lear...

In this episode, Katie talks to Tamu Thomas a renowned transformational life coach and the author of "Women Who Work Too Much: Break Free from Toxic Productivity and Find Your Joy." She is dedicated to guiding women towards achieving work-life harmony by embracing holistic well-being practices that align with their nervous system. 

Tamu's groundbreaking book sheds light on the systemic pressures that force women into a cycle of over-functioning, often leading to significant workplace stress and an imbalanced share of emotional and domestic responsibilities. Drawing on her extensive background in social work, she has a profound understanding o...

In this episode, Katie explores “Grow” – the third and final pillar of the Making Design Circular framework which is all about:

Katie also shares her super-juicy 5-stage Path to Sustainability in which you will find out whether you are an Acorn...

In this episode, Katie dives into “Plant” – the second pillar of the Making Design Circular framework which is all about:

You will start to identify the work only you can contribute to the environmentalism movement, which plays to your s...

In this episode, Katie explores “Release” – the first pillar of the Making Design Circular framework which is all about:

This episode will help you define your values and learn how to apply them to day-to-day sustainability decisions, and articulate those decisions with confidence.

You Can find the workbook here: Shake off the Sho...

In this episode, Katie talks to Lucy Hawthorne. Lucy is a campaigner at heart and Founder of Climate Play. Through play-based training and facilitation for adults, she helps make it safe, light and fun for people to face climate change. 

Combining a lot of LEGO with climate psychology, she creates conversation on the topic that teams actually want to have, rather than only feel like they should. Her serious play approach helps people to engage more honestly, deeply and creatively, identifying ways to build alignment and shared action within their organisations, whether they are getting started or h...

In this episode, Katie talks to Ella Wiles and Andres Roberts from The Bio-Leadership Project. The Bio-Leadership Project’s mission is to change the story of leadership by working with nature. A movement of people and organisations, changing human systems to be more resilient, regenerative, and designed to protect our planet.

Bio-Leadership is about challenging an outdated story of progress, about building organisations and communities that protect and replenish our world. Most importantly, it is about reconnecting human progress back into our planet’s web of life. Working at this deep paradigm level, growing a culture of inte...

In this episode, Katie digs into one part of her Making Design Circular framework, the methodology that underpins everything she does. She talks about walk, and walk is short for walk, don't run. It is this idea that you don't have to do everything all at once you can take things step by step. And to support you doing that she has developed a path to sustainability, taking of all the things you could possibly do and put them into an order. By the end of this episode, you will be able to work out whether you are an...

In this episode, Katie talks to Tom Curran, a World Leading Expert on Perfectionism. With an eye on politics, economics, and society, he takes a cultural lens to the study of perfectionism. His work is groundbreaking and has uncovered a frightening trend of young people breaking under the strain of perfectionistic pressures. Tom brings perfectionism to life and makes it relevant and understandable to the widest audiences. He is a TED speaker and Thought Leader, a regular contributor to high-profile podcasts and has been featured in the national and international mainstream media. With the objective to put perfectionism on t...

This week Katie is doing something a little different.

As you may have heard her mentioned in the previous episode, her latest book, Broken: Mending and repair in a throwaway world came out in April of this year, and she will be reading you the wonderfully. Thought-provoking  introduction to give you a flavour of the book. 

Here are some highlights:

Making a statement

“Although any form of mending or repair could be seen as a form of activism in today's single use culture, many of today's artists, menders and remakers are choo...

In this episode, Katie talks to Minnie Moll, Chief Executive at the Design Council. Minnie spent years in innovation, design, advertising and brand consultancy. She was Managing Partner of HHCL, the ‘Advertising Agency of the decade’ and then Global Marketing Director of Innovation company? What If!, which won Great Place to Work Institute’s ‘Best Place to Work in the UK’ two years running.  Minnie was voted Vistage UK Business Leader of the Year in 2020. Always a purpose driven business leader, she has proved you can do well and do good. While Joint Chief Executive of the East of England Co...

A NEW LEAF, DAY 3: GROW

I always think it interesting that if a houseplant doesn't flourish, we never blame the plant – we always look at the soil, the light, the water and the air and make sure it had everything it needs – why don't we do the same for ourselves?

So the third part of the workshop was all about creating the compost that would allow the seeds we planted on Day 2 to grow. (If you don't like worms, you might want to skip this page of the workbook!)

Here are some more journa...

A NEW LEAF, DAY 2: PLANT

On the second day of the A New Leaf workshop, I shared one of my favourite Arundhati Roy quotes:
 

“Another world is not only possible,

she is on her way.

On a quiet day,

I can hear her breathing.”

With that quote in mind, here are some more journalling prompts for you...

A NEW LEAF, DAY 1: RELEASE

If you're feeling like the year is running away with you and you want to get back on track so you can make some genuine and positive progress, the first step is to release whatever is not serving you – so spend a little time journalling on these questions...

In this episode, Katie is joined by Laura Eigel PhD, the founder of The Catch Group, a leadership coaching firm accelerating women into the C-suite, and the host of the You Belong in the C-Suite podcast. Known for her direct feedback and her passion for living a life guided by her values, she has been an HR executive at Fortune 50 companies, joined the C-suite as a Chief Learning Officer, and now coaches high-achieving women to build fulfilling lives inside and outside of the boardroom. She's also a mom, wife, and true-crime podcast fan who loves indoor rowing.

...

In this episode, Katie talks about Define, another element of the Making Design Circular framework, this is all about working out your niche, your unique contribution to environmentalism, and letting go of the idea that you have to save the planet single-handedly. 

Here are some highlights:

The Starfish Story

“…this particular story is about a little girl who is walking on the beach, and there's been a big storm. And lots and lots of starfish have been thrown up onto the beach after this storm, and they're starting to dry out in the...

In this episode, Katie talks to Ray Dodd a Money Coach who helps those who have traditionally been excluded from making money, to make life-changing amounts of money. All without compromising who they are. 

If you’re hearing the term ‘money coach’ and wincing a little – imagining fluffy talk of manifesting millions in your sleep, – prepare to have your fears soothed – because you’re in for a treat.  Ray is a money coach with a difference. You won’t hear ‘think good thoughts and watch the money come rolling in’ from her. Ray believes that money, business and intersectional fem...

In this episode, Katie explores another of the pillars of the making design circular framework – Believe. The idea that we need to bring about change and that we need to believe that it's possible, but as ever it’s easier said than done. Maintaining hope, and believing that we can sort all this out, is the work. It’s one of the hardest things we have to do as environmentalists so Katie is diving into how to maintain that stubborn optimism, how to cultivate hope in the face of the climate crisis through feeling, naming and acknowledging your feelings, rebuild...

In this episode, Katie speaks with Jay Blades, a modern furniture restorer, upcycler and eco designer who is passionate about sustainability and community. We discuss his history with furniture restoration, the importance of investing in the next generation of creators, why helping people you may never meet truly matters and lots more. 

Jay Blades is now best known for presenting the BBC’s Money for Nothing, The Repair Shop and most recently Jay and Dom's Home Fix.  I’ve known Jay for a long time, so it was lovely to catch up with him for a proper conver...

In this episode, Katie talks about perfectionism, about:

[Trigger Warning: Matt mentions female genital mutilation (FMG) in this episode, so listener discretion is advised.] 

In this episode, Katie talks with Matt Hocking from Leap.eco, an award-winning design studio who has proven it’s possible to create inspiring work which delivers positive outcomes for people, planet and profit.

He has been passionate about working sustainably since long before it was cool. Every project he’s delivered doesn’t just meet a client’s business goals, it helps make the planet a better place – either directly or by changing the way a business thinks and works.

In this episode, Katie talks about the idea of absolving yourself from guilt. The climate crisis is not your fault, but it is your responsibility, and you have an incredible opportunity to bring about change. 

Katie talks about:

In this episode, Katie talks with Sarah Fox a coach and mentor helping organisations and individuals who are motivated to do good and do well, being drivers of positive social change. Sarah’s mission is to help people who care about the world to live a life of fulfilment, a life that is truly well lived, meaningful, purposeful and creative.

We discuss:

We’re kicking off with Katie guiding us through her Making Design Circular Framework, all based around the goal to “rewild your creative practice, so that you, your business, and the planet can thrive”, and you can find the image Katie promised HERE. (It turns out you can’t add images directly to show-notes!) 

We discuss:

Do we always need to mend? How can mending help to nudge us towards significant behaviour shifts? What are the materials innovations that might help? Are there self-healing materials – or even self-destructing materials?

In this bonus episode, I’m leading a panel discussion with TOAST, including amazing insights from Seetal Solanki, Tom van Deijnen, Celia Pym and Bonnie Kemske. 

We discuss:

- The art of kintsugi and what it means within Japanese culture.

- The fine line between repairing invented holes and using repair techniques as embellishment.

- The stori...

Is there a trade-off between affordability and disposability? Can we go back to a mindset of mending and repair, without pricing ourselves out? How do we overcome the objections of time, money and skillset to get more people involved in this movement? 

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Tom van Deijnen – a self-taught textiles practitioner, founder of The Visible Mending Programme, and a volunteer at the Brighton Repair Café. He says that he likes ‘doing things that take forever’ because that slow pace gives him a deeper understanding of material qualities and traditional techniques.

We discuss...

How does conservation differ from repair? How is it similar? How have the tenets and ideas of best practice with conservation changed over time?

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Lauren Chang,  a textile specialist, who spins, dyes, weaves, and writes about textiles on her website interstitial-spaces.com. She holds a B.A. in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University and an MA in Textile Conservation from the Textile Conservation Centre in the United Kingdom. Lauren worked as a textile conservator at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, the Los Angeles County Museu...

Can mending and repair be used as self care? How can the traditions we’ve studied impact our current actions towards sustainability? Are we too disconnected from our past? What drives the culture of mending? 

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Ekta Kaul, an award-winning London based artist. Her artistic practice is focused on creating narrative maps that explore places, history and belonging through stitch. A pared back aesthetic coupled with a considered use of graphic marks and lines form the core elements of her work. These are underpinned by a thoughtful approach to making with me...

Do we only repair the things that we cherish? Is there a place for visible mending in our built environment as well as our clothes? Can a repair add value to the object that is mended? And do we always need to intervene with repair – or is 'curated decay' sometimes a better option? 

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Caitlin DeSilvey, a geographer whose research explores the cultural significance of material change and transformation, with a particular focus on heritage contexts. She has worked with artists, archaeologists, environmental scientists and heritage practitioners on a range of inte...

Is repair and restoration limited to the things we own? Can it be applied to other facets of our life? How is repair correlated to poverty, and can that change for the betterment of our planet? How is community related to all of this?

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Justin South, a 32-year-old bisexual fashion student. Four years ago, Justin went into rehab for drug and alcohol addiction and has been in recovery ever since. During that time, he has worked with several charities that support recovering addicts and discovered the power of repair – as bot...

Do we really have the right to repair the things we own? How can broken items be given new value? Is repair only to be used when an object is spoiled or broken? Can repair be aspirational, playful and creative? 

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Janet Gunter, the co-founder and outreach lead at The Restart Project and a leading Right to Repair campaigner. The Restart Project is a social enterprise that aims to fix our broken relationship with electronics. 

We discuss:

- How attitudes to repair differ in the various places...

How can broken items be given new value? Is repair only to be used when an object is spoiled or broken? Can repair be aspirational? 

On today’s episode, I’m talking to Hans Tan, Tiffany Loy and Hunn Wai from the R for Repair exhibition, which ran from 13 January until 6 February 2021 at the National Design Centre, Singapore. The exhibition, curated by Tan, shone a timely spotlight on global waste by showing how broken or discarded items can be given new value.

We discuss:

- R for Repair, the exhibition and their approach to re...