The Creative Odyssey Podcast

He spent two decades in banking and oil and gas before walking away at 47 to figure out what he actually wanted.📥 Grab the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioFarhaz Farouk grew up between Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Bahrain before spending 15 years in banking and later becoming CFO of an oil and gas holding company. At 47, he quit to finish an MBA — and never went back to corporate life. He returned to Sri Lanka at 48 and rebuilt himself as a coach, trainer, and consultant, now serving as Country Director of Morphosis Coaching.This conversation covers:- Why "one-size-fits-all" coaching and training fails clients- The difference between managing and leading, and the ego mistake behind most bad leadership- How business cards without job titles changed the way Farhaz saw hierarchy- Why he intentionally keeps his coaching fees flexible to make the profession more accessible- The Ikigai framework, and how to apply it to your own lifeFarhaz's story isn't about a dramatic reinvention — it's about slowly giving himself permission to build a life around what he's actually good at and drawn to, instead of what looked responsible on paper.CREDITS:Hosted by Sheran RanasingheProduced by Odyssey House MediaGuest: Farhaz Farouk, Morphosis CoachingSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Two failed startups. A biscuit pudding business that lasted until the second COVID wave. A viral hotel video shot on an iPhone 6S with a GoPro. A $15 Fiverr order that became film school. This is how Hashan Hettiarachchi built Three Circles — a creative production and events company now operating across Sri Lanka and the Maldives.📥 Get the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine — free download:https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioIn this episode, Hashan breaks down the whole arc — losing his hospitality job during COVID, the relationship that suppressed his creative ambitions, the moment he sold every collectible he owned to stay financially alive, and the inner child he says is still running the whole operation at 35.Topics covered:- Why two failed startups were the education no course could give him- Walking shop to shop with 25 cups of biscuit pudding and getting rejected everywhere- The viral hotel video that proved equipment doesn't determine outcome- Learning Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and camera settings from YouTube and Fiverr- How a $15 editing order became the foundation of a media company- The partner who held him back and the wife who didn't- Selling his entire collectibles collection during the hardest stretch- Why he still calls Three Circles a prototype at 35- His honest take on AI in the creative industry- Why motivation is old-fashioned and discipline is the only thing that worksHashan Hettiarachchi is a Sri Lanka-based entrepreneur, filmmaker, concept developer, and event planner. He is co-founder of Three Circles, a creative production and events company handling prestige events across Sri Lanka and the Maldives.Connect with Hashan:Instagram: instagram.com/hashan__hettiarachchiYouTube: youtube.com/c/HashanVlogsConnect with the show:Instagram: instagram.com/thecreativeodysseypodcastSheran: instagram.com/sheranstoriesEmail: [email protected] everywhere:Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXXApple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317Buzzsprout: thecreativeodysseypodcast.buzzsprout.comSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

For 25 years, Lizzie Ranasinghe insisted she wasn't creative. She drew constantly. She did calligraphy. She built her own greeting card business on the side. And she still believed the myth that creativity belongs to a certain kind of person.This is the first episode of Producer Talks — a new series where Sheran sits down with his producer (and wife) Lizzie to take apart eight myths about creativity that quietly convince capable people they don't qualify.They get into why creativity isn't innate talent but a rewireable skill, why the "creative and organized" dichotomy is false, why waiting for inspiration is backwards, why originality is mostly myth, and why perfectionism might actually be proof you're doing the work right, not evidence you're doing it wrong.Topics covered:Creativity as a trainable skill, not a fixed traitWhy creative people need systems and habits, not chaosThe role of action in creating inspiration, not the other way aroundCreative versus logical thinking as a false choiceWhen to follow the rules of your craft and when to break themWhy nothing is fully original, and why that's fineConsistency versus perfectionism in creative workIf you've ever doubted whether you count as a creative person, this conversation is for you.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Feeling like you're losing a race no one told you about is one of the loneliest experiences a creative person can have — and Grace Abigail Devaprasath spent years running it.📥 Get the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioGrace is 23, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and she will tell you straight — she never called herself creative. Bad O Level results. Bad A Level results. Always behind, always doing more just to escape the thought of not doing enough. Then she walked into a classroom of special needs children and everything she believed about creativity fell apart. Today she is head of projects at an NGO, co-founder of a sustainable clothing brand built for bodies the fashion industry ignores, and a collaborator to multiple creative businesses in Colombo — none of it from a degree, all of it from curiosity and a willingness to fail in public.This episode is about what happens when you stop waiting for permission to call yourself creative.In this conversation you will learn:Why spending years feeling creatively behind is not a sign you missed your window — it is the windowHow teaching special needs children rewired Grace's entire understanding of what creativity actually meansWhy she built a sustainable clothing brand specifically for mothers whose bodies the fashion market had forgottenHow she manages multiple creative ventures simultaneously while keeping her Sri Lankan parents' peace of mindWhy she would rather fail at something than spend her life wondering if she could have done itWhat she did the exact month she got fired from the job that was her heart and soulHow to use curiosity as a daily practice even when you don't see yourself as a creative personHost: Sheran Ranasinghe Guest: Grace Abigail Devaprasath — head of projects, NGO sector; co-founder, sustainable clothing brand; Colombo, Sri Lanka Recorded at: Hatch.lk Startup Hub, Sri Lanka Produced by: Odyssey House Media Episode theme: A 23-year-old who never called herself creative builds three ventures from curiosity and a refusal to play it safe.🎧 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX 🎧 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317 📧 [email protected]🎙️ The Creative Odyssey Podcast explores the inner lives of creative people — why they create, what it costs, and why creativity might be the most important thing any of us can do. Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe. Produced by Odyssey House Media. Recorded at Hatch.lk Startup Hub, Sri Lanka.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

At the peak of an award-winning acting career — theatre in Sydney, agents in London and Australia — Biman Wimalaratne made a decision most people never do. He walked away. Not because he failed. Because he wanted to stop narrating other people's stories and start living his own.Now he's Chief Growth Officer at Kainovation Technologies, an InsureTech startup building AI-powered insurance intelligence tools and recognised as a Top 7 Startup in Sri Lanka. He also helps run N Chandraratne Decorators, a 45-year-old family construction business that took a serious hit during the Sri Lankan economic crisis — and came back.In this conversation, Sheran and Biman go deep on what it actually looks like to follow your curiosity across multiple careers, industries, and versions of yourself.WHAT YOU'LL HEAR:- Walking away from an acting peak — and why it was the right call- Why creative people need both analytical and creative modes to function at their best- Career cycles: how Biman learned to read industries the way a musician reads time signatures- The "jack of all trades" argument — and the part of that quote most people have never heard- What the Sri Lankan economic crisis did to a family business built over 45 years- Door-to-door sales in Sydney, drama school, and proving something to yourself- Facing racism as a brown guy navigating Australia and London- The moment he said "forget what everyone thinks" — and what happened next- Why versions of you have to die for new ones to emerge- The inner child underneath all the ambition — and why no one else can do that work for youRecorded at Hatch Sri Lanka — a startup hub where creativity and technology meet to solve real problems.CONNECT WITH BIMAN:Instagram: @bimankwLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/biman-wimalaratne-bb3804b7LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE:🎙️ Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX🍎 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317📖 Get the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine📩 Contact: [email protected] entrepreneur, Sri Lanka podcast, actor turned entrepreneur, career pivot, following your curiosity, InsureTech Sri Lanka, Hatch Sri Lanka, Kainovation Technologies, creative entrepreneurship, entrepreneur motivation, self love, inner child, career advice, Sri Lankan startup, multi-passionate entrepreneurSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Sachith Perera is an IT project manager who built a photography and video studio in his parents' backyard during COVID — not because he was a creative, but because he was curious.In this episode, Sachith breaks down how he applied the IT concept of minimal viable product to launching Creator Space Studios, survived Sri Lanka's economic crisis, and grew a 15x15 foot backyard space into a fully booked commercial studio working with some of Sri Lanka's biggest brands.But the deeper story is about what made risk-taking possible — losing his father at 15, a mother who held everything together, and the support systems that taught him the worst thing that can happen is rarely as bad as the fear of it.He also mentors young professionals, offers free studio time to emerging creators, and believes you should want the people you help to become better than you.This is what creativity looks like when it lives inside a curious mind — not a paintbrush.——📍 Recorded at Hatch.lk | Sri Lanka Series💌 Get inside the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine:https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine📲 Follow Sachith: @sachithperera | linkedin.com/in/sachithap/📩 [email protected] Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Engineering without creativity shows up in the product. Every time. Himashi Naurunna has been inside enough products to know — and in this episode she explains exactly what that means.📥 Get the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine — free download:https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioHimashi Naurunna is an Associate Tech Lead in AI/ML at Gapstars, a former game developer at Rivertune Games, and a First Class Honours graduate in Computer Software Engineering. She's based in Nugegoda, Sri Lanka, and she has one of the clearest creative philosophies of any guest this show has had — she just doesn't frame it that way, because she doesn't need to.In this episode, recorded at Hatch.lk startup hub in Sri Lanka, Himashi and Sheran cover:- The game that sparked everything — Ori and the Blind Forest — and the moment she thought "if they can do it, I can do it too"- How gaming became the gateway from finger painting into coding and eventually into machine learning- What creativity actually means inside a world of logic, code, and algorithms- Why AI is built from human creativity — and why that makes it a creative tool rather than a threat- Building Yokai L — the mobile game where every micro-decision from jump height to damage buffers was a creative act- The line that landed hardest: when you engineer without creativity you can see it in the product- Engineers and burnout — why they're married to each other, and what gets you through the 3AM bug spiral- The blob tracking algorithm she posted on Instagram that inspired people she never expected- AGI — what it is, what it isn't, and why the dream isn't just intelligence but creative intelligence- Why humans are, structurally, already a form of AI — and what that reframe does to how you think about what we're building- How Sri Lankans respond to AI engineers — and what Himashi says back- Why Hatch.lk is the Silicon Valley of Sri Lanka and why building around builders is the only proper way to do itThis episode is part of The Creative Odyssey Podcast Sri Lanka Series, recorded live at Hatch.lk startup hub, Colombo, Sri Lanka.─────────────────────────────GUEST─────────────────────────────Himashi NaurunnaAssociate Tech Lead, AI/ML — GapstarsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansa-naurunna-013324197Instagram: @lia.likescookies─────────────────────────────FIND THE SHOW─────────────────────────────🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317🌐 Buzzsprout: https://thecreativeodysseypodcast.buzzsprout.com📩 Email: [email protected]📥 Sri Lanka Magazine: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio─────────────────────────────PRODUCED BY─────────────────────────────Odyssey House MediaRecorded at Hatch.lk startup hub, Sri LankaSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

He didn't walk away from aircraft engineering because something better came along. He walked away because nothing he built ever reached anyone — and that was the only thing that mattered to him.Tharaka Hettihamu is a product manager and builder working at the intersection of agritech, AI, and startup product development in Sri Lanka. In this conversation, he breaks down what product management actually demands, why he pivoted from aircraft engineering into tech, and how his team at Spectrify AI is digitising data across Sri Lanka's tea industry to turn a supply chain into a value chain.📥 Download the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine — free: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioWhat we get into:Why Tharaka left aircraft engineering and what he found on the other sideWhat product management actually is — and why emotional intelligence is the core skillHow Spectrify AI is using infrared spectroscopy to digitise agricultural data in Sri Lanka's tea industryWhat it means to convert a supply chain into a value chainThe Govi Lab program — one of 10 startups selected, backed by the Bill Gates FoundationAI agents, digital workers, and the Vector projectWhy creativity in tech has nothing to do with artistic talentHow AI access in rural Sri Lanka is an infrastructure problem, not a readiness problemHow to get into product management from any background — including the free resources Tharaka usedCONNECT WITH THARAKA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hetti.tech/ Website: https://hetti.tech🎙️ The Creative Odyssey Podcast Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe | Produced by Odyssey House Media Recorded at Hatch.lk, Sri Lanka🎧 Listen and subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317 Buzzsprout: https://thecreativeodysseypodcast.buzzsprout.com 📩 [email protected] Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What if every job you've ever had was building toward something you can't see yet?Ammar Ahamed didn't plan to become a growth marketer, a startup founder, or a skill development entrepreneur. He planned to be a journalist. Then HR felt safer. Then PR felt right. Then employer branding took him across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Jordan. Then growth marketing found him. Now he's running two companies while heading growth at an AI firm in Singapore — and he commutes three hours a day by public transport from Mawenella to Colombo.None of it was a detour. All of it was the portfolio.In this conversation recorded at Hatch.lk in Colombo as part of the Sri Lanka Series, Ammar makes the case that your job title is a corporate categorization tool — not your identity. Your skills compound across every role you take. And the skills you most need might be ones you don't even know you have yet.What we get into:- Why Ammar calls his career a portfolio instead of a path- How he went from newspaper clippings to key account manager in 3 months- The hidden skills you carry that experimentation unlocks- The fake podcast that revealed his real ability- What the Hatch startup community taught him about creative courage- Why coding, farming, and engineering are all forms of creativity- The 60/40 rule: why soft skills matter more than technical ones- How to upskill, reskill, and reinvent yourself — starting nowDownload the free Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine:https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine🎙️ Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe🎬 Produced by Odyssey House Media📍 Recorded at Hatch.lk, Colombo, Sri Lanka🌐 thecreativeodysseypodcast.com📧 [email protected]🎵 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX🍎 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317Find Ammar: ammarahamed.life | @ammar.ahdSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

He wanted to make music. The instruments he needed didn't exist in Sri Lanka — too expensive to import, taxed at 50% on every component, impossible to hear or touch before buying. So Arunoda Susiripala built one from scratch. No electronics engineering background. Just the internet, AI, and a decision to stop waiting.📥 Get the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine — inside stories from every guest on the tour:https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioIn this episode:- Why Arunoda got into modular synthesizers and what made existing tools feel wrong to him- How he taught himself electronics with no formal engineering background- What it actually takes to build and ship a hardware product from Sri Lanka — the logistics, the import tax, the manufacturing realities- Why he open sources everything: designs, components, manuals — all of it- The "fail fast" system he uses to move quickly and know when to stop- His take on the "no opportunity in Sri Lanka" conversation — and why he thinks it's the wrong frame entirely- How community finds you when you build something worth finding- His advice for anyone who keeps waiting for the right time to startArunoda Susiripala is a game developer, researcher, and founder of Bread Modular — an open source modular synthesizer built for affordability and accessibility. He's based in Sri Lanka and currently builds tools for 3D artists and game developers through his company GDi4K.Find Arunoda:Instagram: instagram.com/arunodaLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arunodaSubstack: storiesfromsrilanka.substack.comBread Modular:Instagram: instagram.com/breadmodularWebsite: breadmodular.com📻 Listen & Subscribe:Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXXApple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317Buzzsprout: thecreativeodysseypodcast.buzzsprout.com✉️ Email: [email protected] by Sheran Ranasinghe. Produced by Odyssey House Media. Recorded at Hatch.lk, Colombo, Sri Lanka.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Burned out and building anyway.Kenath Nicholas walked into Hatch — Sri Lanka's leading startup hub — broke, exhausted, and sat down next to an 18-year-old school dropout running a six-person agency. That moment didn't just inspire him. It broke something open.Now he's the Founder and CEO of LuminaSphere Media, a Colombo-based digital marketing agency helping startups and SMEs grow their online presence through end-to-end creative and strategic solutions.But this conversation isn't about the metrics. It's about what actually keeps a founder standing.In this episode, Kenath and Sheran go deep on:- Going from burned out to building — with one client and a specific dream- Why time is the real reason startups don't invest in marketing- What creatives get wrong about entrepreneurship and what actually has to change- Growing up in 11 schools in 11 years and delivering food — and the dream that survived all of it- Building a team culture on appreciation instead of authority- The daily self-talk ritual that keeps burnout from winning- The Snoop Dogg speech that rewired how Kenath sees himself- Why "I got nothing to lose" is the most powerful place to start from- Finding your community before anything else — and why Hatch changed everythingThis episode is for anyone building something real from nothing. Whether you're a creative trying to figure out if you can be an entrepreneur, a founder wondering how to lead your team without running them into the ground, or someone who just needs proof that where you started doesn't determine where you land — Kenath's story is the answer.Recorded at Hatch / hatchworks.lk, Sri Lanka.Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe. Produced by Odyssey House Media.📩 [email protected]🎧 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX🍎 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317🌐 luminaspheremedia.com | @kenathnicholas | @luminaspheremediaSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Walking away from a guaranteed career for life takes a specific kind of math. Dr. Sithira Ambepitiya did that math — and decided that treating thousands of patients across a lifetime couldn't compete with building AI that reaches millions.Recorded at Hatch.lk startup hub in Sri Lanka, this episode follows the full arc of Dr. Sithira's story: trained medical doctor, returned to Sri Lanka, got caught in a gap between licensing exams and strikes, fell into clinical audits and data analytics, discovered he liked building things, and never fully stopped. When a health tech startup offered him a role with five months of funding left, he took it. Less than two years later he is leading two AI teams — one building AI agents for back office operations, one building healthcare companions for patients across Southeast Asia.📥 Download the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine → https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bioWHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS:- Why a guaranteed medical career wasn't enough — the local vs. global impact question- How skills built in a medical ward transfer directly to startup leadership- The family conversations that happen when you leave a career everyone understands- What AI agents actually do and why they matter for everyday workers- The "see one do one teach one" model for dealing with imposter syndrome- How Sri Lanka can compete with Silicon Valley on AI without a massive budget- Teaching 1,000 rural Sri Lankan schoolkids to code on a Zoom call- Why the tools to learn AI are free — and what is actually holding people back- The difference between "I have to do this today" and "I get to do this today"GUEST: Dr. Sithira A.Current role: Head of AI — AIGP HealthAlso: AI Agent Lead — Vector AILinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sithiraaRecorded at: Hatch.lk startup hub, Sri LankaHOST: Sheran Ranasinghe | @sheranstoriesSHOW: The Creative Odyssey Podcast | @thecreativeodysseypodcastPRODUCED BY: Odyssey House MediaCONTACT: [email protected]🎙️ Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX🎙️ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

There's a version of Ryan Rodrigo that ended up behind a desk at a bank. He knows exactly who that version is — because he watched it happen to someone else.Ryan is 25. He's the Head of Brand & Marketing at Pepper Street, one of Sri Lanka's fastest-growing fashion labels, with its own manufacturing operation and a brand identity built on local story, local models, and a campaign shot outside Independence Square. He joined and helped scale the brand significantly within his first six months. Before Pepper Street, he founded CapitalReach — a startup development agency he built during COVID, ran with a team of three, and lost to financial mismanagement. Not to bad work. The work was good. The structure wasn't.In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, recorded at Hatch — Sri Lanka's startup and creative technology hub — Sheran and Ryan talk through what it actually costs to build something real as a creative person. And what the systems around you will do to stop you from finding out you were capable in the first place.What they cover:- Why products are more or less the same — and why brand story is the only thing that actually differentiates- How the Freedom Drop campaign (shot outside Independence Square with one and a half weeks of permission negotiations) became Pepper Street's early growth catalyst- What 13 years of the Sri Lankan school system does to a creative kid who wins best singer 12 times and still gets told they're failing- The mentor who said four words that changed the direction of Ryan's life — and why Ryan only started because he trusted that person on faith alone- Why CapitalReach really closed — and what creative people need to understand about money, working capital, and the pace of creative output- What authenticity actually requires — owning every flaw, out loud, on camera, without flinching- Why every mediocre company copied someone, and what separates the ones that didn't- How Ryan manages creative teams without killing their ideas — and why letting the first draft come in is non-negotiable- Why a creative is not supposed to be constantly creating — and what happens to the ones that are forced to be- A suicide note written in Sinhala about workplace pressure — and what it means for everyone listening to this podcastThis episode is for anyone who was told their creativity wasn't a career. And for anyone who believed it for longer than they should have.Keywords: brand strategy Sri Lanka, authenticity in branding, creative entrepreneurship, startup lessons, building a brand story, creative burnout, healthy creative, managing creative teams, Pepper Street Sri Lanka, Hatch Sri Lanka, Ryan Rodrigo, Sheran Ranasinghe, The Creative Odyssey Podcast, Odyssey House Media, creativity podcast, Sri Lankan podcast, brand growth consultant, creative identity, school system creativityThe Creative Odyssey Podcast explores the inner lives of creative people — why they create, what it costs, and why creativity might be the most important thing any of us can do. Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe. Produced by Odyssey House Media. Recorded at Hatch, Sri Lanka.📩 [email protected]🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317📸 Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast📸 Follow Sheran: @sheranstories📸 Follow Ryan: @jryanrodrigoSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Nobody told you what you were actually built for. They handed you a list. You picked something. And then spent years wondering why it never quite fit.Yusuf Hussain nearly quit university in Florida because the way he studied — the only way he had ever been taught — was the worst possible method for how his brain actually works. A campus psychologist identified him as a kinesthetic learner. That one conversation gave him two degrees instead of zero, sent him back to Sri Lanka, and eventually led him to build a practice whose entire purpose is making sure no one else has to wait until 19 — or 40 — to find out who they are.He is the Country Head of Brain Checker Sri Lanka, a certified counselor, and a Human Potential Strategist working within a framework built by over 40 PhD-level psychologists — and calibrated specifically to South Asian cultural baselines, because the tools most of the world uses were never built for us.In this conversation, Yusuf and Sheran go deep on:- Why traditional education was never designed to find your talent- The three learning styles — visual, auditory, and kinesthetic — and how to identify yours- Why Myers-Briggs and standard career aptitude tests are insufficient on their own- Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences and what parents actually need to do with that framework- Why there are over 4,000 career choices and most people were shown five- How psychometric assessments work for children from age three- The Tycoon Entrepreneurial Assessment and what it tells business owners about themselves- Why investing in your strength produces multiples compared to fixing your weakness- Emotional intelligence — what it actually measures, and why it consistently predicts success- What it takes for someone stuck in a victim narrative to finally move forward- The construction business legacy story — a father, a son, and the assessment that saved bothThis episode is for the person who always suspected the path they were put on wasn't the path they were built for. It is also for every parent who wants to stop guessing.🎙️ Host: Sheran Ranasinghe🎨 Guest: Yusuf Hussain | Human Potential Strategist | Country Head, Brain Checker Sri Lanka📍 Recorded at: SpaceHub Studios, Malabe, Sri Lanka🌐 Brain Checker Sri Lanka: linkedin.com/in/yhussain📩 Contact: [email protected]📸 Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast | @sheranstoriesProduced by Odyssey House MediaThe Creative Odyssey Podcast explores the inner lives of creative people — why they create, what it costs, and why creativity might be the most important thing any of us can do. Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe. Produced by Odyssey House Media. Recorded in Cleveland, Ohio.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Art was beaten out of her as a kid. At 30 — after a bad breakup, no roadmap, no plan — she sat in front of a teak almirah door and started painting. A month later there was a phoenix on it. Someone bought the almirah a month after that. She didn't even know she could paint until the moment she picked up the brush.That's who Michelle Therese Alles is. And this conversation is about what it actually costs to become who you were supposed to be.Michelle is a journalist at the Daily FT in Colombo, Sri Lanka — a radio presenter, communications specialist, brand voice developer, and model who walked into Roxanne Dias's class to get enrollment information for a friend and signed up herself. She left an eight-year airline career one promotion away from security because something told her it was time. It took three years to know she was right. She doesn't regret a single day of it.In this episode:Why creativity gets suppressed in childhood — and how it finds its way backLeaving a stable job when everyone says you're crazyHow she built a writing voice so distinct that editors identify her work without a bylineWhy your inner child doesn't always need comforting — sometimes she calls you outThe difference between being and doing — and why high-output creatives lose themselves in the doingVictim mode as a creative block — and what it takes to climb outWhy metrics can bury you and authenticity is the only strategy that compoundsWhat curiosity looks like when you're in your 40s and still goingThis is one of the most honest conversations we've had on The Creative Odyssey Podcast. Recorded at Hatch Works in Sri Lanka as part of Sheran's 20-episode Sri Lanka recording series.🎙️ Host: Sheran Ranasinghe 🎨 Guest: Michelle Therese Alles — Journalist, Radio Presenter, Communications Specialist | Daily FT, Colombo, Sri Lanka 📍 Recorded at: Hatch Works, Sri Lanka 🌐 https://medium.com/@michelletheresealles 📩 @myrunwayrecords Contact: [email protected] 📸 Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast | @sheranstories | @thisluckymichelle Produced by Odyssey House MediaSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

How to think like an innovator starts with one shift most people never make: stop building the solution you love and start falling in love with the problem in front of you. This episode is a masterclass in exactly that — from a quantum computing founder who has been doing it since he was 14 years old.Adhisha Gammanpila is the founder of Feynman, a quantum computing AI platform making advanced science accessible to researchers worldwide. He is one of Sri Lanka's earliest published quantum computing researchers, a former assistant lecturer at Jadavpur University's Computer Science department, and a serial entrepreneur whose platforms have served over one million users and processed 700 million rupees in revenue. He built his first app at 14 — a mobile encryption tool called TED (Text Encrypt and Decrypt) — to hide messages from his parents after getting caught with a crush. It spread to 50,000 downloads across Sri Lanka and India and won second place at Oracle Silicon Valley. He has a self-reported success rate of 1.1% — one success out of roughly two hundred attempts. He is still building.This conversation is not about quantum computing. It is about what happens when a deeply creative person decides to treat every problem they encounter as an invitation — and never stops asking: can we do it in this way?In this episode, Sheran and Adhisha go deep on:▸ How to think like an innovator — the mindset shift from solution-builder to problem-lover that separates people who build something real from people who keep building the wrong thing beautifully▸ Creative problem solving as a daily practice — how divergence thinking, solitude, and long garden walks generate better ideas than any brainstorm session▸ How to deal with rejection as an entrepreneur — the exact mental reframe that turns a professor saying "I have no value in this" into a product pivot and a new market▸ Inner child and creativity in adults — why keeping your inner child alive is not soft, it is a competitive advantage, and why the most creative leaders Adhisha has met are the ones who never stopped playing▸ Using AI for self-awareness — the 16Personalities method and personal app Adhisha built to predict his own future mistakes before they happen▸ Ego, Carl Jung, and the Sinhalese rice stalk — a proverb from a former CXO of Hemas that reframes humility as the mark of real value, not weakness▸ Where real confidence comes from — and why it is not confidence at all but trust in the inner voice, built by looking back at what actually worked▸ The teacher who said "you somehow made it" — and why that one line still plays in Adhisha's mind every time he hits a wallThis episode is for the creative person who keeps building what they want to build instead of what the problem actually needs. If you have felt the gap between your vision and what the world is telling you — and you are not sure whether to push through or pivot — Adhisha's framework will change how you read that signal. You do not need to know anything about quantum computing to get everything out of this conversation.🎙️ Host: Sheran Ranasinghe🎨 Guest: Adhisha Gammanpila — Founder, Feynman | Quantum Computing Researcher📍 Recorded at: Future Ink Graphics, Cleveland, Ohio📩 Contact: [email protected]📸 Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast | @sheranstoriesProduced by Odyssey House MediaKeywords: Adhisha Gammanpila, Feynman quantum computing, The Creative Odyssey Podcast, Sheran Ranasinghe, Odyssey House Media, how to think like an innovator, creative problem solving, divergence thinking, inner child creativity adults, how to deal with rejection as an entrepreneur, fall in love with the problem not the solution, entrepreneur mindset, imposter syndrome, self-awareness, quantum computing Sri Lanka, personal development podcast, Sri Lankan entrepreneur, creativity and innovationSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Nobody told Haritha Naurunna he was allowed to build a game studio. He just started building.He graduated with a computer science degree in Sri Lanka at a time when the games industry had made big promises and kept almost none of them. The jobs weren't there. The infrastructure wasn't there. Nobody was going to hand him the career he'd been told was possible. So he gave himself a job instead.Four months ago, Rivertune Games was one person. Today it's six — four developers, two artists, a funded game in active development, and a studio that just showed work at Sri Lanka Comic Con and Disrupt Asia. Haritha is twenty-four years old and moving too fast to process any of it.This conversation goes deeper than the startup story. Haritha talks about what actually keeps a creative person going when every reason to stop makes complete sense — and it's not passion or discipline. It's five people who don't have a job if you do. It's a father who kept taking calls for his employees from an ICU bed. It's the specific relief of staying in motion so fast you don't have time to overthink.He burnt out. He almost left game development entirely. What brought him back was his own Goose Game — a dating simulator where you play as a goose, made at nineteen, made for nobody but himself — and the reminder that no one was stopping him from making exactly what he wanted to make.In this episode:How to keep going as a creative entrepreneur when the industry doesn't have a place for youWhat it really means to give yourself a job when no one else willHow Haritha grew Rivertune Games from one person to six in four monthsThe burnout that almost ended his career — and what pulled him backWhat his father's death taught him about responsibility, legacy, and not stoppingWhy good and bad are subjective — and what the real standard for creative work actually isHow to find your passion: the only answer that actually worksBuilding a support system as a young founder who is hard on himselfThis episode is for the creative person who is in the hardest part of their journey right now — the part where quitting makes complete sense. Haritha is twenty-four and he has already figured out something it takes most people decades to learn: nothing is stopping you. That's not a pep talk. It's just the truth.🎙️ Host: Sheran Ranasinghe 🎨 Guest: Haritha Naurunna — Founder, Rivertune Games | @rivertune.games 📍 Recorded at: Hatchworks, Colombo, Sri Lanka 📩 Contact: [email protected] 📸 Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast | @sheranstories Produced by Odyssey House MediaKeywords: Haritha Naurunna, Rivertune Games, The Creative Odyssey Podcast, Sheran Ranasinghe, Odyssey House Media, how to keep going when you want to quit, indie game developer Sri Lanka, creative entrepreneur giving yourself a job, game studio founder, how to start a game studio with no money, burnout recovery, creative entrepreneurship, Sri Lanka startup, finding your passion, self belief, game development podcast, creativity podcastSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Sharon Joseph has been an interior designer for fifteen years. And it took her almost all of them to fully call herself one.This is a conversation about what it really means to stay consistent, stay authentic, and stay on the creative path when the world keeps offering you easier exits. Sharon doesn't design rooms. She designs spaces where people finally feel like themselves — rooted in story, shaped by culture, and built around the truth of whoever is living in them.Recorded in Malabe, Sri Lanka as part of The Creative Odyssey Podcast's first-ever Sri Lanka series, this episode is one of the most honest and grounded conversations we've had on this show.If you've ever doubted whether you've earned the right to call yourself what you actually are — this one is for you.What we cover in this episode:Why every space needs a story and not just an aestheticHow Sharon sources from Sri Lankan artisans to build culturally rooted interiorsThe slow, real process of owning your identity as a creative professionalWhat fifteen years of consistency actually looks like in a creative careerDesigning within tight budgets without compromising quality or visionHow Sri Lanka's color culture and craft traditions shape Sharon's design lensThe difference between working in Dubai's neutral palette world and returning to Sri Lanka's vibrant visual identityWhy the Kandyan Perahera is Sharon's go-to source of color inspirationHow the color of your walls directly affects the way you think and feelCreativity as a path back to yourself when life gets hardWhy the money follows the passion and not the other way aroundThe power of asking a senior creative if you can simply tag alongSharon also talks about singing on stage with an Australian choir of over 160 voices, why perfectionism is a career requirement not a personality flaw, and what she would tell any young creative in Sri Lanka who is still waiting for permission to begin.HOST 🎙 Sheran Ranasinghe Instagram: @sheranstories Email: [email protected] 🎨 Sharon Joseph — Interior Designer, Sri Lanka & Dubai Instagram: @sharonjoseph87RECORDED AT 📍 Space Hub Studios Malabe, Sri Lanka Instagram: @spacehubstudioPRODUCED BY 🎬 Odyssey House Media Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcastLISTEN & SUBSCRIBE 🎧 Buzzsprout: thecreativeodysseypodcast.buzzsprout.com Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What happens when one person's genius needs another person's entire life to exist?Randy Chriz Perera is a self-taught animator and visual artist based in Sri Lanka. His 2.5D animation style is so unorthodox that Adobe engineers requested his files to study how he was using their software in ways it was never designed for. Portia is his wife, co-founder, Chief Operations and Talent Manager, and the person who makes everything Randy creates possible — managing clients, briefs, the business, and their family so that Randy can stay in the creative work that defines him.Together they founded Meraki United, lead a creative collective of over 300 artists across Sri Lanka, and have produced animation work that caught the attention of Interscope Records. But this conversation is not about the accolades. It is about what it actually costs to build a creative life together — and what that kind of partnership looks like from the inside.Host Sheran Ranasinghe sits down with Randy and Portia for one of the most honest conversations The Creative Odyssey Podcast has had about creativity, marriage, and what it means to protect someone's gift. Randy describes how he sees the complete finished image in his mind before he ever starts drawing. Portia explains what she means when she says she chisels the brief before Randy ever sees a client's request. And together they talk about the dreamscape practice they started as teenagers in parks — writing out five-year futures together — that still shapes how they build everything today.This episode is part of The Creative Odyssey Sri Lanka Series.Get the Meraki United Sri Lanka Creative Tour magazine here: [MAGAZINE LINK]Topics covered in this episode: Self-taught animation, Adobe After Effects, 2.5D animation, creative partnership, husband and wife business, Meraki United, Sri Lanka creative industry, imposter syndrome, creative community building, going independent, creative life, Interscope Records, finding your creative style, creative discipline, meraki, creative couples, building a business together, Sri Lanka podcast tourConnect with Randy and Portia: Instagram: @randychriz Meraki United: @merakiunitedThe Creative Odyssey Podcast is hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe and produced by Odyssey House Media. New episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms.Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast Join the community: stan.store/join-the-odysseySend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What does it look like when someone stops performing a version of themselves and fully becomes who they always were?Stephanie Kluk is the founder of Future Ink Graphics (FIG) — a silkscreen printmaking studio, community gallery, and creative incubator based in Cleveland, Ohio. She has spent over 20 years working in the arts, and FIG is her most personal work yet. Built not because the city asked for it, but because she needed it. And then realized everyone else did too.In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, host Sheran Ranasinghe sits down with Stephanie Kluk at Future Ink Graphics for one of the most honest conversations the show has had about what it actually looks like to build a creative life that is completely, unapologetically yours.They talk about:Growing up as the only artist in her family — and what that loneliness taught herFailing a printmaking class in college — and now running a print shopHow Covid revealed what artists were really missing from each otherBuilding FIG as a truly inclusive creative space in ClevelandThe Immortality of Grief — the gallery show she made after losing her fatherWhy people of all ages are afraid to make art and what to do about itThe Ann Kibbe Residency, the FIG Foundation, and the future of the organizationWhat it means to build something that is the most true version of yourselfThis episode is for the creative who feels stuck. For the person who stopped making art and misses it. For the small business owner grinding through the unglamorous parts and wondering if it's worth it. For anyone who has ever wondered what it would feel like to stop shrinking and just build the thing that is completely, fully them.Stephanie Kluk's answer — lived out loud for over two decades — is that the most creative and courageous thing any of us can do is simply become who we actually are.Recorded on location at Future Ink Graphics, Cleveland, Ohio.—The Creative Odyssey Podcast is hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe and produced by Odyssey House Media. New episodes explore the creative journey — why people create, how creativity shapes identity, and why we all should create.🎙️ Host: Sheran Ranasinghe 🎨 Guest: Stephanie Kluk, Founder of Future Ink Graphics (FIG) 📍 Recorded at: Future Ink Graphics, Cleveland, Ohio 🌐 Learn more about FIG: futureinkcleveland.com 📩 Contact: [email protected] 📸 Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast | @sheranstoriesSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Black artist. Creative identity. Finding purpose through pain.Cleveland visual artist Yves Santana joins host Sheran Ranasinghe on The Creative Odyssey Podcast for one of the most honest conversations about the creative journey we have ever recorded.He was driving himself to school without a license. His mom was working three jobs. And in the middle of all of it — he made a painting that told his whole story before he even understood what he was living through. This is Yves Santana. And this conversation will stay with you.In this episode, Sheran sits down with Yves to explore what it actually costs to become a creative — and what it means to finally give yourself permission to. Yves grew up navigating two worlds at once: a high-achieving school where he was one of a handful of Black students, and a home life that included two years of housing instability while his mother worked three jobs to hold things together. Through all of it, he kept drawing. He didn't know yet that his art was documenting everything he hadn't found words for.This episode goes deep on creativity as survival, identity formation under pressure, the weight of stability when you have never had it, what it means to take your art seriously when the world hasn't made room for it, and how community can change the entire trajectory of a life.If you have ever felt like you don't fully belong anywhere — or like the one place you can finally breathe is when you are in the middle of making something — this one is for you.Topics covered in this episode:Growing up between two contrasting worlds in Cuyahoga Falls, OhioQuitting varsity basketball and choosing art insteadHow Basquiat became a creative lifelineMaking a painting that depicted his life before he understood itDepression after high school graduation and what pulled him outBuilding community at Future Ink Graphics in ClevelandWhat creativity really is — and why it is more than a skillAdvice for anyone who feels stuck or lostAbout Yves Santana: Yves is a Cleveland-based visual artist and studio art student whose work centers on portraiture, identity, and the human differences that reveal different walks of life. Follow Yves on Instagram: @archangelsantanaAbout The Creative Odyssey Podcast: The Creative Odyssey Podcast explores the creative journey — the process, the identity, the cost, and the beauty of deciding to express yourself. Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe. New episodes available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major audio platforms.This episode is sponsored by Future Ink Graphics — Cleveland's home for creative community and production space.Connect with us: Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast Email: [email protected] Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What does it mean to stop hiding your creativity — not just think about it, but actually do it? In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, host Sheran Ranasinghe sits down with multidisciplinary artist, marketer, tattoo artist, and community builder Vanessa Eryn at Future Ink Graphics in Cleveland, Ohio for one of the most honest conversations the show has ever had about creative identity, imposter syndrome, ADHD, and the real cost of shrinking yourself to fit into a world that hands you a box and waits.Vanessa opens by saying she stopped defining herself — and that decision changed everything. From there, the conversation goes deep: how a supportive mother created a home where even her friends could be more creative, the unspoken gravity that creative people feel about their work and why it's so hard to explain to someone who doesn't create, and how Vanessa learned to stop moderating her passion around people who didn't understand it.She also gets candid about her recent ADHD diagnosis — and how finally having a name for the way her brain works unlocked better systems, better time management, and a deeper trust in her own intuition. She talks about limiting social media to four hours a day, relying on her planner like a limb, and finding the one thing that quiets her mind enough to keep going.The conversation moves into Vanessa's work at FIG — Future Ink Graphics — a community-rooted creative organization in Cleveland's Clark-Fulton neighborhood that works with youth, emerging artists, and the broader creative community. It's here that Vanessa's natural ability to see potential in people who can't yet see it in themselves found its home.She and her collaborator Carla Wagner also created The Artist Dinners — an intimate gathering for artists across different mediums and career stages, built around food, jazz, and wine instead of networking anxiety — because Vanessa believes safe environments are the prerequisite for authentic ones.This episode closes with something both Sheran and Vanessa believe deeply: creativity is not a personality type. It belongs to everyone. The CEOs, the scientists, the athletes — anyone who brings their own style to what they do is already creating. The only question is whether you're willing to stop hiding it.This episode was recorded at and sponsored by Future Ink Graphics (FIG), Cleveland, Ohio.Guest: Vanessa Eryn | Instagram: @vavaeryn Host: Sheran Ranasinghe | Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast Email: [email protected] Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

She sold her artwork. People bought it for a hospital. And she still didn't believe she was an artist.Cleveland artist and teaching artist Alexis Hedderson joins host Sheran Ranasinghe for one of the most honest conversations on The Creative Odyssey Podcast — about the moment adulthood quietly kills your creativity, and what it actually takes to find your way back to it.Alexis spent years teaching art to preschoolers, saying yes to a mural project she had no business saying yes to, and battling the inner voice that told her none of it counted. What she discovered on the other side of all of it will make you think differently about why you stopped creating — and whether it's too late to start again. It's not.WHAT WE GET INTO: — The voice that gets in the way of every creative person — Why teaching art to 4-year-olds reveals something profound about every adult — The mural residency that finally made her believe she was an artist — Why selling your work doesn't cure imposter syndrome — How creativity heals in ways nothing else can — What a truly inclusive creative community needs to look like — Why the slow season is actually your most important creative timeTIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Highlight Reel 01:30 — Meet Alexis Hedderson: Artist & Teaching Artist in Cleveland 03:00 — Why she walked away from traditional teaching 05:00 — What open-ended art with preschoolers teaches us about freedom 08:00 — When adulthood makes you forget what it felt like to be a kid 10:30 — The photo of herself as a little girl that stopped her in her tracks 13:20 — Sheran asks: "Were you allowed to create as a kid?" 14:40 — Picking up the brush during the hardest season of her life 16:05 — "Didn't that make you feel like an artist?" — Sheran pushes back 16:20 — Why even selling her work wasn't enough to change how she saw herself 18:00 — The mural project she almost said no to 19:20 — What happened inside her on the other side of it 20:00 — Learning to embrace the slow season as a creative 22:00 — Why setting up your studio during quiet periods is never wasted time 23:30 — "Art is healing. I've seen it heal. It's healed me." 26:00 — The courage it takes to share what you make with the world 28:00 — The inner child running the adult body 33:00 — Alexis's connection to Future Ink Graphics and the Cleveland creative community 36:00 — Her love of printmaking, lithography, and screen printing 39:00 — What it would take to build a truly inclusive creative spaceCONNECT WITH ALEXIS HEDDERSON: Instagram: @alexisheddersonABOUT THE CREATIVE ODYSSEY PODCAST: The Creative Odyssey is a podcast about the journey every creative person goes through — what it looks like, why it matters, and why you should create too. Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe, filmed at Future Ink Graphics in Cleveland, Ohio.Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast Email: [email protected] Filmed at Future Ink Graphics (FIG): @futurinkgraphics Website: www.futureinkgraphics.com Sponsored by FIG / Future Ink Graphics Produced by Odyssey House Media: @odysseyhousemediaIf this episode hit home, share it with someone who lost their creativity somewhere along the way.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Bill Wade has spent 40 years using dance to transform lives — from inner city kids in Cleveland, Ohio to stages across America, including the White House. As the founder and executive artistic director of Inlet Dance Theatre, Bill has built something rare: a professional contemporary dance company whose entire philosophy is built around one idea — using art to serve people, not the other way around.In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, host Sheran Ranasinghe sits down with Bill for a conversation that will challenge how you think about your creativity, your calling, and what your work is actually for.Bill shares how growing up rough and finding dance changed the entire direction of his life. How working with inner city youth at Cleveland School of the Arts — watching kids quit gangs, go from D's and F's to earning scholarships, and get accepted to Juilliard — taught him that creativity is the most powerful tool for human transformation. And how the moment he stopped creating for his art form and started creating for the people in front of him, everything changed.This is a conversation about ego, about what it means to truly serve your audience, about using human-centered design thinking as a creative framework, and about why the business of art is just another form of choreography.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: — Why ego is the single biggest block to creative impact — How to "asset map" your life to understand your creative calling — Why the best art is built with the audience, not just for them — How Bill thinks about the business of running a dance company as an act of artistry — What to do when you feel completely stuck creativelyABOUT BILL WADE: Bill Wade is the founder and executive artistic director of Inlet Dance Theatre, a professional contemporary dance company based in Cleveland, Ohio. Celebrating its 25th anniversary season, Inlet is nationally recognized for its work in dance education, community engagement, and touring productions. Bill's show "What Do You Do With an Idea?" — based on the book by Kobi Yamada — has completed an 8-year national tour. He is currently developing the second production in the series, "What Do You Do With the Problem?"Connect with Bill: Instagram: @billwade Inlet Dance Theatre: @inletdance Website: www.inletdancetheatre.orgABOUT THE CREATIVE ODYSSEY PODCAST: The Creative Odyssey is a podcast about the journey every creative person goes through — what it looks like, why it matters, and why you should create too. Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe and filmed at Future Ink Graphics in Cleveland, Ohio.Follow the show: @thecreativeodysseypodcast Filmed at Future Ink Graphics: @futurinkgraphics Sponsored by FIG / Future Ink Graphics Produced by Odyssey House Media: @odysseyhousemediaSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What does it mean to live creatively not just make art? And what happens when you lose touch with that part of yourself?In this deeply honest episode, Sheran Ranasinghe sits down with Joel Negus -composer, producer, double bassist, and co-founder of Cleveland Scoring to explore the tension between creativity, faith, and identity.Raised in a home where music was as natural as breathing, Joel’s creativity once flowed freely. But as he grew older, the joy turned to pressure. Expectations, career, and leadership began to blur the lines between who he was and what he did. After years of performing, pastoring, and building, he found himself asking a haunting question: “Am I still a creative… or have I lost that part of me?”What followed was a journey through doubt, burnout, and rediscovery — a story of remembering that creativity isn’t just a skill, it’s a way of being.🌿 In This ConversationGrowing up surrounded by musicians and early expectationsThe cost of creative pressure and identity collapseWhy imagination and healing are deeply human instinctsRediscovering creative freedom through analog sound and playThe power of community and relationships in creative growthHow The Heights Theater became a home for faith and artWhat it means to live creatively, not just create thingsJoel reminds us that creativity can’t be severed from relationships. It’s how we connect, process, and heal. Through his own journey from punk bands to church leadership to film scoring, he’s learned that integration is the real art form.Whether you’re an artist, entrepreneur, or someone quietly wondering where your creative spark went, this conversation will speak to the parts of you that still want to dream, build, and become whole again.✨ Go Deeper - Free Creative Guide: “From Stuck to Spark”Feeling lost, blocked, or unsure of your next step? This free companion guide (inspired by Joel’s story) helps you reconnect with your creativity through simple, visual reflection prompts.Inside, you’ll: 1️⃣ Start with the Middle — Express how you feel right now using colors, words, or sketches. 2️⃣ Remember the Sparks — Reconnect with what used to make you come alive. 3️⃣ Dream a Little — Imagine what “unstuck” could look like. 4️⃣ Write It Down — Make a small creative promise to yourself.It’s gentle, soulful, and designed for anyone ready to begin again. 👉 Download your free copy here: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast🪶 Guest: Joel Negus🎵 Composer | Producer | CEO of Cleveland Scoring | Pastor at City Church Cleveland 🎓 Cleveland Institute of Music graduate 💡 Known for bridging faith, art, and human connection through musicFollow Joel → @joelnegusConnect on LinkedIn → Joel Negus🌊 Connect with UsInstagram → @thecreativeodysseypodcastEmail → [email protected] you feel stuck, The Creative Odyssey Podcast gives you space to reflect, create, and heal. Hosted by Sheran Ranasinghe, it’s where honest stories meet creative renewal - reminding you that your voice was never lost… just waiting to be found again.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What if creativity wasn’t just about talent — but about embracing all of who you are?In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, we’re joined by Shaun Sri Lanka (@shaunsrilanka), co-founder of Not Another Agency (@naa.srilanka) and the visionary behind Paraiso SBKZ (@paraiso.sbkz)  - the first international dance festival in Sri Lanka.Shaun shares his inspiring journey from being a quiet, introverted painter to becoming a creative strategist, agency builder, and dance mentor. Through his work in human rights, storytelling, and movement, Shaun shows us how creativity becomes the bridge between logic and soul, pain and purpose.This conversation is a powerful invitation to embrace your true self, especially if you've ever struggled to choose between passions or felt disconnected from your identity.🌱 In this episode, we explore:Blending discipline and spontaneity in creative workUsing dance as a tool for healing, self-acceptance, and growthBuilding a purpose-driven creative agency in Sri LankaWhat it means to carry your culture and community with youThe difference between being seen — and choosing to show up fully✨ Comment or DM us the word "Embrace" to get this week’s free companion guide: The Embrace Blueprint - including creative prompts and reflections inspired by Shaun’s story.🎧 Subscribe and follow for more conversations with artists, changemakers, and everyday creatives redefining what it means to live with purpose.—📍 Learn more about Shaun’s work: @shaunsrilanka @naa.srilanka @paraiso.sbkz📬 Connect with the show: Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcast Email: [email protected]#Creativity #SelfGrowth #Dance #SriLanka #CreativeAgency #Identity #HealingThroughArt #TheCreativeOdysseySend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What if success has less to do with your qualifications -and everything to do with how much heart you bring when things get hard?In this episode, Arshad Ameer, Co-Founder of FlashHealth, shares his story of resilience, curiosity, and building something meaningful in the middle of uncertainty. From global boardrooms to the startup trenches of Sri Lanka, Arshad opens up about what it takes to stay grounded, lead with creativity, and move forward even when the path isn’t clear.This isn’t a story is a reminder that creativity and grit go hand in hand.If you’ve ever felt behind, stuck, or like you’ve lost your spark, this conversation will remind you: your creativity isn’t gone. It’s waiting to be reignited.In this episode, we explore:Why grit often matters more than credentialsHow to lead with creativity when things get messyThe link between purpose, faith, and resilienceWhy staying curious might be your greatest advantageGo deeper:Get the free Creative Guide inspired by this episode -The Resilience Draft.Includes:2 gentle journal prompts on purpose and resilience1 creative exercise to process your journeyA short takeaway to ground your next step👉 Download it here: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcastConnect with us:Instagram: @thecreativeodysseypodcastEmail: [email protected] The Creative Odyssey Podcast for honest, soulful conversations about creativity, identity, and the courage to begin again.Guest: Arshad AmeerEntrepreneur | Visionary | Co-Founder of FlashHealthFollow him on Instagram: @m.arshadameerSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

From Math Professor to Songwriter: The Untold Story of Sri Lanka’s Creative GeniusWhat happens when a Sri Lankan math professor reveals he’s also a songwriter and poet? In this inspiring episode, we dive deep into the life of a man who defied expectations, blending logic and creativity to break cultural stereotypes.Discover how he went from struggling student to respected academic, and how his passion for music and writing became a powerful outlet for self-expression and healing. We explore the pressures of growing up in Sri Lanka, the pivotal moments that shaped his journey, and why he believes everyone! Yes, even you, has creativity within.Whether you’re a student, a creative, or someone searching for purpose, this episode will challenge your assumptions and ignite your curiosity. Tune in for a conversation about overcoming failure, embracing your unique path, and unlocking the creative genius inside us all.Keywords: Sri Lankan math professor, songwriter, creativity, overcoming failure, inspiring stories, podcast, cultural stereotypes, personal growth, creative journey, academic successSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Are you feeling stuck, burned out, or just going through the motions? In this episode, I share my raw, personal story of hitting rock bottom as an executive chef—and how creativity, art, and play helped me find hope and purpose again.You’ll hear about:The warning signs of burnout and depressionThe panic attack that changed everythingHow small creative acts like Play-Doh, music, and art can help you healWhy creativity is for everyone—not just artistsA challenge to help you rediscover your own creative sparkIf you’re searching for inspiration, motivation, or a way out of feeling stuck, this story is for you.Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction & rock bottom moment02:00 – Burnout & expectations05:00 – Signs of depression07:00 – The panic attack09:00 – Creative healing13:00 – Advice for listeners14:30 – Creative challengeConnect with me:Instagram: @creativeodysseypodcastEmail: [email protected] this story resonates, please like, comment, and share with someone who needs hope today.Subscribe for more stories about creativity, mental health, and personal growth!Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What happens when the thing you built with someone you admire… no longer feels aligned?In this deeply honest episode, I share the story behind one of the hardest creative decisions I’ve ever made: telling my podcast co-host I needed to go solo. Not because of conflict. Not because of ego. But because of a whisper I could no longer ignore.We’ll talk about:🎧 Why I stepped away from a creative partnership that was working🧠 The power (and pain) of being multipassionate🔥 How community helped me transform chaos into courage💡 The exact 4-step Creative Courage Framework I now use to make bold movesWhether you’re a storyteller, content creator, or just someone trying to follow your curiosity — this one’s for you.If you’ve ever felt stuck between who you were and who you’re becoming… this episode will meet you there.🔔 Subscribe and leave a review — it helps this podcast reach more creatives just like you. 📩 Want to share your story or get in touch? DM me on Instagram @sheranstories or email [email protected] Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What does it mean to choose the creative path—again and again—when it doesn’t promise stability, clarity, or even recognition?In this episode of The Creative Odyssey, we’re joined by two storytellers from vastly different disciplines but deeply connected by purpose: Mason Bufkin, an author and educator who writes character-driven fiction for young adults, and Sunami Rodriguez, a Colombian-born actress whose art became her lifeline through immigration, motherhood, and self-discovery.Together, we explore:How childhood, culture, and family influence creative identityThe breaking points that almost made them quit—and what pulled them backWriting and acting as tools for empathy and healingWhat it really means to "help a character speak"The hidden emotional labor of storytellingRejection, burnout, perfectionism—and how they’ve learned to move through themSunami shares how acting saved her at a time when she felt most lost. Mason opens up about rejection letters, abandoned manuscripts, and what kept him writing. Through honest, unscripted reflection, this conversation reminds us that creativity isn’t about the spotlight—it’s about staying connected to who you are, and daring to shape the world through your voice.🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube for full visual experience 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in 📥 Download our free listener resources below to support your own creative odysseySend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

What if you stopped waiting for permission—and just started building?In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, we sit down with Charles and Kyra, the creative powerhouse behind Breakthrough Sounds, one of Cleveland’s rising creative hubs. Their story is anything but typical—no funding, no fancy connections, just $3,000, prayer, and pure grit.Charles shares how bombing a rap show pushed him to reinvent himself—and how he turned that moment into fuel for something bigger. Kyra opens up about walking away from a “safe” career in computer science to pursue graphic design, trusting the path before she could fully see it.We get into:•The messy truth about starting from scratch•The myth of “natural talent” and why creativity is for everyone•How to build a creative career withouta million-dollar budget•Navigating the real-life dynamic of growing together as a couple and collaborators•And what it means to be part of Cleveland’s creative renaissanceWhether you’re stuck in your own head or sitting on an idea you’re scared to start—this one will light a fire under you.Start where you are. Build what you can. Stop waiting for perfect.🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube for full visual experience00:00 Intro03:00 Charles’ first rap performance (3rd grade!)10:50 Kyra’s leap from computer science to design26:40 The creative shift happening in Cleveland34:00 The $3,000 studio story44:30 Creativity + relationships: how they make it work51:20 A message to creatives who are scared to startLet’s keep creating:Follow us on IG →[@Thecreativeodysseypodcast]Kyra wells [@Kyrajwells] Charles Pratt[@toobefresco]Listen + subscribe for more creative stories that don’t skip the real parts.If this episode hits home, leave a review or share it with a fellow creative.It helps more dreamers find their people.#CreativePodcast #BreakthroughSounds #StartBeforeYoureReady #CreativeProcess #DIYCreatives #ClevelandCreatives #CreativeCouples #CreativeJourney #BuildWithoutPermission #EntrepreneurshipForCreativesSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, we explore the power of curiosity over perfection in the creative process. Whether you're a musician, writer, filmmaker, or any type of creator, perfectionism can be the biggest roadblock to progress. We discuss how embracing curiosity, prototyping your way forward, and reframing your mindset can help you break free from creative paralysis.We also reflect on our journey from 2024, the success of Odyssey Sounds, and how this podcast has evolved. Plus, hear about our upcoming guests and creative plans for 2025!Key Takeaways:🎨 How curiosity fuels creativity🛠️ Why creating a prototype is more important than making it perfect🧠 Reframing your mindset for creative freedom💡 Setting small creative challenges to push past fear🎶 Behind the scenes of Odyssey Sounds and our creative meetupJoin the conversation! What creative ideas have you been curious about but hesitant to start? DM us or tag us on Instagram @yourhandle with your thoughts!👉 Follow, rate, and review to help more creatives find their people!🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platformsSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

In this episode of The Creative Odyssey Podcast, Sheran and Ben dive into the transformative power of embracing curiosity over perfection. They reflect on lessons from the Odyssey Sounds creative meetup, the Cleveland 48-Hour Film Festival, and their recent jam session, exploring how collaborative creativity can inspire growth.The hosts discuss why breaking out of old patterns and trusting new ones is essential for evolving as a creative. Through personal stories and examples (like Seinfeld’s George Costanza!), they unpack the importance of allowing yourself to explore, make mistakes, and follow the spark of curiosity wherever it leads.This episode challenges you to reframe your creative process—viewing it as an ongoing, messy, and deeply personal journey rather than a race for perfection. Plus, Sheran and Ben share actionable tips to help you identify and commit to your own “new pattern” this week.🎨 Key Takeaways:•Creativity thrives on curiosity, not perfection.•Embrace “messy” creativity—it’s often where the magic happens.•Trust your intuition and let your creativity lead the way.Join us as we ride the wave of creativity and discover how to create freely, authentically, and joyfully.🎧 Tune in now, and let us know: What’s one new pattern you’re ready to trust this week?Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

In this episode, we explore the world of artistic expression with three talented guests: Caleb Cameron, and The Zerbo Brothers; Emanuel & Joseph. We explore how music serves as a powerful outlet for creativity, providing both joy and a means of self-discovery. Caleb Cameron starts with how an artist is driven by the need to create something new, expressive, and personal, often breaking boundaries and challenging norms. In contrast, an artisan focuses on mastering their craft, honing skills through repetition and refinement, and often working within traditional frameworks. This discussion highlights the diverse paths within the creative world and the value of both innovation and mastery.Together, Caleb, Emanuel, and Joseph provide a well-rounded exploration of what it means to be a creative in today's world, sharing stories of growth, passion, and the relentless pursuit of artistic fulfilment.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Creative Odyssey Podcast Ep7 : Unleashing Creativity with Joey LiberatoreIn this exciting episode of "The Creative Odyssey," Sheran and Ben welcome their first guest, Joey Liberatore, a musician with a deep passion for creativity. Joey shares his journey from learning to play the guitar to becoming a versatile creative, exploring how music has been a means of self-expression, escape, and healing for him.Key Highlights:Introduction to Joey Liberatore: Joey discusses his background in music, photography, and how he combines these passions in his creative process.The Creative Process: Joey delves into the challenges and rewards of the creative process, including how he deals with creative blocks and the importance of community support among creatives.Healing Through Creativity: Joey explains how creating music helps him process emotions and overcome personal challenges, highlighting the therapeutic power of creativity.The Prototype State of Mind: The conversation explores the concept of the "Prototype State of Mind," emphasizing the importance of creating without the pressure of perfection.The Role of Community in Creativity: Joey, Sheran, and Ben discuss the significance of supporting other creatives and how collaboration can lead to growth and new ideas.Overcoming Perfectionism: Joey shares his struggle with perfectionism and how he has learned to release his work, understanding that it doesn’t need to be perfect to be impactful.The Future of Creativity: The episode concludes with a discussion on the evolving nature of creativity and the excitement of exploring new projects and ideas.It is a must-listen for anyone who has ever felt stuck in their creative journey. Whether you're a musician, artist, or someone simply interested in the creative process, Joey’s insights will inspire you to embrace your creativity, overcome obstacles, and find healing through your art. The conversation is packed with actionable advice and personal stories that resonate with the challenges and triumphs of being a creative.Tune in to hear how you can unleash your creativity and join a community that celebrates the creative journey!Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

In this episode we discussed the Prototype idea from our previous conversation and tested various creative block scenarios against it, finding that most passed. Feeling confident, we applied it to tackle our perfectionism, but the process felt unnatural and hindered our creativity. This tension made us doubt our ability to create, highlighting the struggle of breaking away from familiar, comfortable patterns. We reflect on how changing our approach can feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar, a concept supported by Joe Dispenza's insights into the neurological and biochemical basis of habit and change. Dispenza explained that our thoughts produce chemicals that create feelings, which then influence more thoughts, creating a feedback loop that defines our state of being. Embracing the discomfort of the unknown and pushing beyond familiar habits is crucial for genuine change and creative growth.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Last episode we delved into refining our creative process with a focus on authenticity. We acknowledged that the initial rush of creation, that burst of inspiration every creative feels, shouldn’t be expected to sustain throughout the entire process. In this episode we discuss the importance of envisioning the end result and planning for how it should feel upon completion. This shift in perspective allows us to move beyond seeking that initial inspirational rush and instead focus on the overall journey of creation. By addressing creative blocks, we discovered that they often stem from the flawed expectation that the end result will maintain the same feeling as the initial rush. We found that planning a vision and recognizing the desired end feeling can help navigate through these blocks. One effective approach we discussed is creating a "log line"—a brief, purpose-driven statement that encapsulates the vision and feeling of the project, serving as a guide to keep the inspiration alive throughout the process.Furthermore, we explored the concept of the "Prototype" as a means to alleviate pressure and perfectionism. By viewing our creative projects as prototypes, we remove the expectation of perfection and allow ourselves the freedom to iterate and improve. This approach reduces the anxiety associated with creating and encourages continuous learning and growth, transforming the act of creation into a more fluid and forgiving process. We also highlighted the importance of defining creative intentions in bold letters, like Ben did with his woodworking video idea, to help reconnect with the initial spark when inspiration fades. By embracing the mindset of prototyping and viewing projects as steps towards improvement rather than final products, we mitigate the fear of failure and overthinking, ultimately ensuring that we keep moving forward, learning, and improving, making the creative process 99% creative-block-proof!Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

 In this podcast episode, we discuss the concept of creative block, noting that while it is a familiar term, its experience can vary greatly among individuals. We reflect on personal experiences of creative blocks, describing how initial excitement about a project can fade when the final product doesn't match the envisioned outcome. This often leads to abandoning or postponing the project. The conversation delves into how the initial burst of creativity often drives the process, but achieving the same feeling at the end can be challenging. We propose that understanding and managing the expectations of these creative feelings might help navigate and overcome creative blocks, highlighting the importance of the journey rather than just the end product. Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

In this podcast episode, Ben & Sheran discuss their creative journeys, reflecting on their early experiences and how they recognized themselves as creatives. They share personal stories from their childhood, such as Ben's early fascination with a piano and synthesizer, and Sheran's discovery of playing music without sheet music. They explore the pivotal moments that ignited their creative passions and how cultural and societal expectations initially hindered their recognition of their creative identities.Next Ben & Sheran talk about how people can realize their creative potential, emphasizing that creativity comes in many forms beyond traditional arts, such as problem-solving. They stress the importance of recognizing and nurturing creative talents, even in a society that may undervalue them. The hosts express their passion for helping others discover and embrace their creativity, highlighting that in today's world, there are more opportunities than ever to pursue creative endeavors as viable career paths or fulfilling personal pursuits.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

In episode 2, Ben & Sheran discuss their creative journeys, reflecting on their early experiences and how they recognized themselves as creatives. They share personal stories from their childhood. They explore the pivotal moments that ignited their creative passions and how cultural and societal expectations initially hindered their recognition of their creative identities.The next topic discussed how people can realize their creative potential, emphasizing that creativity comes in many forms beyond traditional arts, such as problem-solving. It's important to recognize and nurture creative talents, even in a society that may undervalue them. The hosts express their passion for helping others discover and embrace their creativity, highlighting that in today's world, there are more opportunities than ever to pursue creative endeavors as viable career paths or fulfilling personal pursuits.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

In this first episode, Ben and Sheran recount their friendship's origin. They highlight the importance of meeting and collaborating with like-minded creative individuals. Despite initial insecurities and doubts about their creative capabilities, they emphasize the power of simply asking to collaborate and the positive outcomes that result from it.They discuss the value of creative groups and communities that support and inspire each other, stressing that even brief interactions with other creatives can be energizing and motivating. As they wrap up, Ben and Sheran reflect on the importance of seizing creative opportunities and following through with ideas, even if they initially seem daunting or crazy. They plan to continue their podcast with the goal of inspiring others and fostering a community where creativity can flourish.Send Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show

Welcome to The Creative Odyssey Podcast, where we dive deep into the creative process with unique perspectives, one being all the way from a tiny island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and one, born and raised in the beautiful Buckeye State. But seriously, though, we're all about being raw and vulnerable about this gift of creativity we have. Hi, my name is Sheran, and I'm a creative who is passionate about creating with others. I'm into working, creating music, while telling stories one video at a time.  Hi, I'm Ben, and I'm a creative with a passion for creating and producing music, video editing and effects, and I also love carpentry and creating things out of wood and metal. You see, being a creative comes with a unique set of challenges. Challenges that we all go through, that we want to talk about, walk through with you, and understand at a deeper level. And most importantly, we want to create a space where you feel like you belong. All while not taking ourselves too seriously and having a lot of fun along the way. If you're a fellow creative and dying for some inspiration, you need to come hang out with us. It's going to be a good timeSend Us A Message! We'd love to hear your thoughts!Support the show