A Waking Dream for an Audience of One

Today’s episode is a loooong one, but a magical one. My guest is Tiu de Haan - a ritual designer, creative facilitator, and idea doula who has worked with an incredible range of clients over the past 20 years - from Google and the UN to L’Oréal and the Ministry of Justice. Her work involves creating transformative rituals and experiences that help people play, get creative, and shift their perspectives in profound ways.But today, we’re diving into a story that even Tiu, someone who lives and breathes magic, wonder and transformation, describes as one of the most extraordinary, life-changing experience she’s ever had…On the 24th May 2024, Tiu was immersed in a 36 hour transformational experience that had been created by 15 strangers who had spent months studying her, interviewing her, her friends and family so that they could create a unique and transformational experience solely for her - an experience so personal that no one else, not even the creators, witnessed it in its entirety. When Tiu first told me about it, I was amazed and baffled in equal measure. How incredible for fifteen strangers to dedicate so much time to creating a one day transformative experience for someone they didn’t even know, when they weren’t even getting paid for it. But why did they do it? And most important of all, what happened during those 36 hours, because Tiu really did come back profoundly changed by the experience. And so she suggested we hit record and she share every detail of this remarkable journey. And so that is what we did.In this episode we explore:* What Odyssey Works is all about and why they go around getting strangers to spend months creating a one-off experience for an audience of one. Free of charge.* How Tiu got picked to be that audience of one and why she wanted to do it.* How the experience unfolded step by step—and how it utterly transformed Tiu’s life.This is the longest episode I have ever put out into the world, but I didn’t want to cut it down because every moment of this story needed to be told. Plus I figured, as we ease ourselves gently into a new year, why not immerse ourselves into a long juicy conversation about the power of collaboration, creativity, play, transformation, wonder and giving? So, without further ado, here’s my conversation with the extraordinary Tiu de Haan. Enjoy - and don’t forget to check the show notes for links to everything we discuss, including The Odyssey, Tiu’s work, and the powerful track by VLMV.Let’s dive in!x SelinaP.S. YES, this does mean that the Another Way podcast is coming back!!! It’s kicking off properly in February, so watch this space…and in the meantime, make sure you are subscribed!Show notesYou can find out more about Odyssey Works hereDiscover the world of Tiu de Haan and all the magic she has to offerBooks about Odyssey Works and Experience DesignArticle in the New York Times about the Odyssey Tiu worked onHere is the track ‘There Are Mountains Underneath Us’ by VLMVAnd here are some photos from the day itself, as well as the the planning sessions in the months beforehand.Photo credits: Ayden LeRoux, Anna Nalpatidis, Casey Selden, This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anotherwaywithselinabarker.substack.com/subscribe