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Daily Creative
Daily Creative
Formerly known as The Accidental Creative, Daily Creative is your source for becoming brave, focused, and brilliant. Being a creative professional should be the greatest job in the world. You get to solve problems, express yourself, bring something new into the world and you get paid to do it. What's not to love, right? Yet every day, creative pros face, tremendous pressure and uncertainty. The temptation is to just play it safe, surrender to distraction and settle for less than your best. Daily Creative is about making sure that's not your story. Each episode focuses on a topic relevant to creative pros, like how to come up with ideas under pressure, how the collaborate when you're overwhelmed, or how to lead your team and help them discover motivation. Host Todd Henry (author of The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Herding Tigers, and other best-selling books) and featured guests such as Seth Godin, Cal Newport, Kim Scott, and other brilliant authors, practitioners, and experts guide our journey through practical topics to help you be brave, focused, and brilliant in your work and leadership. It's time to fall back in love with your work. Listen to Daily Creative wherever you get your podcasts, or subscribe for free to Daily Creative+ to get bonus episodes, full interviews, and more delivered each week.
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Latest Episode

Autopilot (How I did everything right, and still almost missed my flight...)

In this episode, we explore the subtle dangers of drifting through our routines on autopilot—even when we feel present and focused. After an immersive experience inside a maximum-security prison where distractions were stripped away, we reflect on the moments in life and leadership when attention is our most valuable currency. A near miss at the airport—ironically due to being unplugged and undistracted—sparks a deeper look at how easily critical details slip through the cracks when we trust our

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Recent Episodes

123
Aug. 29, 2026

Autopilot (How I did everything right, and still almost missed my flight...)

In this episode, we explore the subtle dangers of drifting through our routines on autopilot—even when we feel present and focused. After an immersive experience inside a maximum-security prison where distractions were stripped away, we reflect on the moments in life and leadership when attention is our most valuable currency. A near miss at the airport—ironically due to being unplugged and undistracted—sparks a deeper look at how easily critical details slip through the cracks when we trust our
122
Aug. 19, 2026

Own Your Six Square Feet

In this episode, we unpack the story of Teruo Yabe and his remarkable turnaround of the Tokyo bullet train cleaning teams—transforming a low-morale, high-turnover environment into the global gold standard for operational excellence. We explore how a simple shift in ownership and agency can unlock creativity, engagement, and even industry-changing outcomes. We challenge the notion that we have to wait for the perfect job, brief, or title to make an impact. Instead, we discuss the concept of "y
121
Aug. 11, 2026

The Octopus and the Mountain

This episode pulls back the curtain on how creativity gets stifled—both in our early lives and inside our organizations—and explores practical ways to reclaim it. We start with the extraordinary journey of Ruth Asawa, whose education as an artist began in the unlikely setting of an internment camp, not a prestigious institution. Her story dismantles the widespread myth that creativity is a resource problem and reframes creativity as a function of permission and ownership. We then talk with An
120
Aug. 4, 2026

The Long Moment

In this episode of Daily Creative, we reflect on the story of mathematician Andrew Wiles, whose years-long journey to solve Fermat's Last Theorem becomes a metaphor for creative perseverance. We examine how our attention is constantly siphoned away in small increments—a phenomenon dubbed "human fracking"—leaving us with little space for deep, transformative thought. We challenge listeners to resist the lure of constant stimulation and instead carve out “the long moment”: uninterrupted stretches
119
July 21, 2026

The Price of Becoming

In 1852, a mid-level postal surveyor named Anthony Trollope gave Britain its iconic red pillar mailbox. He also wrote 47 novels, most of them before breakfast, 250 words every 15 minutes with a pocket watch on his desk. When he told the truth about his method in his autobiography, critics wrote him off for decades. People wanted genius to descend like weather. Trollope knew it was assembled, a small daily task at a time. My guest today wrote his newest book exactly the same way: 100 words eve
118
July 14, 2026

Of No Importance Whatsoever

In this episode, we explore the creative paradox that sometimes the best work begins when we stop trying to produce our "best work." We revisit the story of Richard Feynman, who rediscovered his passion for physics by indulging in what seemed like trivial curiosity—with world-changing consequences. We’re joined first by Ian Bogost, author of The Small Stuff, professor, writer, and game designer, who unpacks the idea of “gratification”—the sensory enchantment of everyday life—and why chasing o

About the Host

Todd Henry Profile Photo
Todd Henry

Author, International Speaker, Advisor

For nearly 20 years, Todd Henry has equipped leaders and creative pros to become the most valuable person in any room.

He is the author of seven books (including The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, and Herding Tigers) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks internationally on creativity, productivity, passion for work, and generating brilliant ideas.

Todd’s podcast Daily Creative has been downloaded more than 20 million times since 2005. Over the years, Todd has developed a comprehensive framework (The Brilliance Engine™) that empowers leaders and creative pros to produce brilliant work in healthy teams that make a meaningful difference in the world.

Through his keynotes and workshops, he shares practical strategies to help people and teams to be brave, focused, and brilliant every day.

Reviews

Helpful, Insightful and Thought Provoking

"On Days when I am feeling untethered, when resistance really has a hold on me. I say a prayer to the muses 9 and put on a few episodes of The Daily Creative and get to work. These episodes help me re…"

Rachel Stevenson | Aug. 21, 2026

Helps me to get creative - daily.

"I love the new format of this show. I especially appreciate the summary at the end of the episode and the thorough written summary. I was an occasional listener to the old format and I’m becoming a r…"

MoJoReut | Jan. 8, 2024

New Inspiration for a Longtime Listener

"I love the new format of the podcast. From the top-notch editing to the story to the practical tips and insights the podcast delivers. I am refreshed and inspired listening to the clips of the guests…"

b_johnson75 | Jan. 14, 2024

Creative Compass

"I’ve been listening to and reading Todd’s books for over a decade. Initially I thought he was ending his podcast for a brief second, felt really sad. Then quickly realized he was just evolving his ap…"

Benitezc82 | Jan. 16, 2024

Awesome new format

"It’s kind of amazing when someone actually walks the talk. Todd Henry has done a terrific job rebooting the show by exploring the themes, issues and ideas we encounter in everyday life. Whenever I l…"

Rowiki | Feb. 17, 2024

My fave!!

"I consider myself a bit of a podcast junky. I love all kinds of podcasts. I don’t recall how I stumbled across this one, but it is my absolute favorite! The quality of the content, the sound quality,…"

Ann L. - Spokane, WA | June 6, 2024