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Creativity Loves Difference
The Inclusion Bites Podcast
Creativity Loves Difference
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Speaker
Fredrik Haren
JL
Speaker
Joanne Lockwood
Joanne Lockwood chats with global creativity explorer Fredrick Harron about how diversity fuels creativity and innovation. Fredrick shares his transformative experiences living across cultures and island life off-grid, revealing how embracing difference liberates, shapes parenting, and sparks fresh perspectives on inclusion and human potential around the world.
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Featured moments
Highlights
“Starting Conversations That Spark Change: "Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo and share storeys that resonate deep within.”
“My superpower is seeing creativity as a global language that thrives, where every perspective is genuinely included.”
“They served the food and gave me a fork, a knife, a spoon, chopsticks and a Chinese spoon.”
“Multicultural Parenting Challenges: "Because if I married a Swedish person and lived in Sweden, we would raise them Swedish. I mean, no discussion. But now we had to talk about it. Are we doing Swedish way or Filipino way? Because they are very different ways of raising children. For example, in Sweden, we do not hit our kids.”
“Global Delicacies Challenge: "Somewhere in the world someone finds this yummy. And it was such a big change for me to try it because when I tried all of this different things, suddenly I could enjoy it because I said someone finds this yummy.”
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Full transcript
Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world? Remember, everyone not only belongs, but thrives. You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo and share storeys that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too.
Reach out to jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show. So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites.
And today is episode 206 with the title Creativity Loves Difference. And I have the absolute honour and privilege to welcome Fredrick Harron. Fredrick is a global creativity explorer and author who has spent two decades uncovering how diverse cultures unlock human potential and fuel innovation. When I asked Frederick to describe his superpower, he said that it is seeing creativity as a global language that thrives, where every perspective is genuinely included. Hello, Frederic. Welcome to the show.
Well, hello. I'm super excited for this conversation.
Yes, we met six, seven years ago at a Professional Speaking association conference in the uk in Coventry or somewhere. Somewhere obscure like that?
No, in Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham. Nottingham Forest, that was it, yes. I remember your keynote. It was absolutely inspiring. And you did a deconstruction of a keynote you'd given to a, I think a 2,000 seater audience. It was a awe inspiring.
No, no, no, it was 400,000 people watching because it was cast, video cast around the world for 400,000 people. It was 10,000 people in the audience, but it was 400,000 people watching.
Wow, that's almost like broadcast TV, isn't it? That's more than most news channels get. That's incredible. So when we first met, you were based out in the Far east, in Singapore, and you repatriated back to your home country of Sweden, is that right?
Yeah, I spent. I moved to Asia in 2005 and I moved back during the pandemic. So I had about 20 years in Asia and now we're based in the archipelago of Sweden.
Beautiful. It's beautiful. I mean, the skies, the sun, the atmosphere. It's a better experience, isn't it?
It's a special. Archipelagos are not that common in the world, actually. So yes, it's a very special place. I love it.
Yeah. And you actually own an island and that must be even more special.
I actually own two islands to be business.
Two islands, okay.
Yes. I used to own three islands, but now I only own two. But it sounds very excessive for anyone except if you live in Sweden. It's a fun fact. Sweden has 25% of all the islands in the world. We have 265,000 islands in Sweden. So if you ever dream of owning an island, it's actually quite easy to get. While in Sweden it's not easy to get the ones I have because it's extremely close to this capital.
It's actually part of the capital. If you dream of an island, you buy one in a far in lake somewhere in Sweden. Only 8% of the islands in Sweden are inhibited. So 92% have no one living on them. So please come and, you know, join me as an island owner.
So I'm guessing that creates its own problem around utilities, waste, water, electric, Internet, those kind of things.
We are off grid. I've been off grid since 1999. All our panels. I have my own fully, how do you say, confined. I like. Basically I turn my waste into compost. I make my own water. It's.
It's super cool.
Wow. So you are planning for a future, a dystopian future where you need to cut yourself off.
I am very. If. If the shit hits the fan. We are more prepared than most. Definitely. Unfortunately, island is very small, so we can't grow all our food. Otherwise we're quite self resilient. Water and energy self producing.
That makes you very like independent. I like to compare it to.
What.
Do you call that? Organic, like organic milk. To make your own energy and make your own water, it's like drinking organic milk. It's like, it's organic energy. It's very fulfilling to make your own water and energy. It just makes me feel good and happy.
Yeah, I mean, I would imagine. And this is just me thinking off the top of my head here in this dystopian future where being off grid and being in island living is important, food is probably the easiest thing to come by. Whereas power, water, lighting, safety is probably the hardest thing to guarantee. And you're on an island, you could defend it.
Definitely. We actually moved back during the pandemic. So if you live on an island, per definition you're in quarantine from the rest of the world.
So Frederic, as you said, you're a worked across. I don't know, you Said this bit says in the notes you worked across 75 countries. I know you are a global professional speaker and you've worked in the HR space for most of your career. So when did you put that two and two together where you realised that diversity is important, creativity, in fact, it's the essential building block of it.
Yeah, I was reflecting about that a bit when I know he's going to have this. I haven't really thought so much about the connection with diversity and creativity before. So I hope this will be a good conversation. Like you're going to get me to think out loud about things I normally haven't reflected on. So I kind of like that. I mean, from a broad philosophical point of view, creativity in itself is diversity. Right. If you think about it, because it's about doing things differently and differently in the meaning.
Differently, meaning better. Right. There is this saying, when all think alike, no one thinks very much. Which I had as a quote in my first book and I just love that quote. It was one of my favourite quotes. So this idea that there are many, many different ways of doing things is. And then that is. And that is an advantage is to me what diversity is all about.
That there's different ways of doing things. But you asked me what was the point? I have this one moment. Maybe one of the most decisive moments in my Life is In 2005, I left Sweden. I have a very successful career in Sweden. I was speaker of the Year in Sweden. Everything was going fine, but I guess it was a midlife crisis. I said, you know, there must be more to world to life than this. So I dropped everything I had in Sweden and I moved to China without knowing Chinese, without knowing the Chinese culture.
And I became a speaker in China. But the moment happened a couple of weeks in because I didn't know a single person in Beijing. I was totally alone and I would go to. And I couldn't speak the language. I would go into a restaurant and I would order food and because I couldn't read the menu, I would just point at three things, hoping knowing that one of them I couldn't eat, but the other two I could eat and then I'll eat that. But when they served me the food they gave me because also they couldn't talk to me. They served me. They served the food and gave me a fork, a knife, a spoon, chopsticks and a Chinese spoon.
And they gave me all of that because they didn't know how I wanted to eat it. And because I didn't know the dishes, I didn't know how to eat it. So for the first time in my life, I had no culture around me telling me how I was supposed to do something. So I decided how I wanted to eat this dish, no one else. And it's hard to describe. It was such a liberating feeling to not have this. This is how you do it, thing around it. And I felt so pure.
I felt so myself. And I said, okay, so, Frederik, how do you think you want to eat this dish? And that's when I felt, I'm gonna be me. And I felt, if ever I hope everyone could have a moment like that and say, I just want to be me, and then you can go back into the culture again with that feeling.
I had a very similar experience. I worked in Zurich for a while, and my German is minimalistic. And like you, I was eating out. Okay. I was with a group of friends. I wasn't on my own. And we were probably quite lucky that in Switzerland, most people speak a bit of English anyway. But I was ordering off the menu and I had this, you know, you could think about pork, chicken, beef, you know, the main food animals, if you like.
I remember ordering pork and what I thought was pork, and in came this pig trotter, complete with the trotter and the whole bottom of the leg. I looked at it and thought, yeah, it's pork pick, not as we know it. So I know exactly what I mean. You're ordering stuff by what you think and guessing and pointing and think, now what do I do with this? So I learned pretty quickly that chicken was probably safest. Or veal. Yeah, yeah. I ate a lot of veal and Zurich. But, yeah, no, that's fascinating.
It's almost like we hear this Storey about, how do you explain something to a Martian who has no concept of anything to do with the Earth? How do you explain something to somebody? And that must be a real novelty, not having any connection to what you're ordering or what you're doing.
Yeah. But the other part is also that the fact that maybe the way you think things should be done is wrong. So the other aspect of this was because I married a Filipina, so I'm from Sweden and she's from the Philippines, and we lived in Singapore and then we had kids. And then the question became, so how are we going to raise the kids? Because if I married a Swedish person and lived in Sweden, we would raise them Swedish. I mean, no discussion. But now we had to talk about it. Are we doing Swedish way or Filipino way? Because they are very different ways of raising children. For example, in Sweden, we do not hit our kids.
I was never hit, not once by my parents. And we were the first country in the world to make it illegal to hit children. And in the Philippines it's technically illegal to hit kids, but almost everyone does it and my wife was beaten as a kid. So now we have children. Are we going to hit them or are we not going to hit them? Right. And now we have. We can't just say, let's do like we normally do. We have to argue for our point of view and we have to decide one of them.
And in this case, we decided not to hit them. She was the first person in her family ever to not hit her children. On the other hand, in the Philippines they have respect for old people. In Sweden, we don't really have that. We've lost that. So we took the best from the Philippines. Now, the. The point here is that every little aspect of parenting, we had to question it and say, is this really the best way to do it or is there, apparently there's another way of doing it, or there's a third way of doing it, which is a Singaporean way.
And when you start to think like that, you realise, wait a minute, there are hundreds and hundreds of different ways to raise a child and I should take the best of them. So it's another way of getting you to realise that what you think is the way to do it is not the one. It's such a liberating feeling when you get rid of that weight on your shoulder, saying, this is how things are supposed to be.
Yeah, you see it in our modern connected Facebook, social media world. Everyone has an opinion. So it's very easy to crowdsource different views, isn't it? It's trying to make sense of some of those views and also being open to listening to those perspectives is the hard bit. Because we all want to be right. We all want to have our own opinions, don't we?
Yeah, exactly. No, it's very hard. To be able to change your opinion, I think is a sign of intelligence, actually.
Or not be wedded to it in the first place is the hard thing, isn't it? It's being able to change it must mean you're open to it not being right in the first place. But we get invested in being right a lot of the time.
Yes. And that is, to me, that's curiosity. To be curious about other people, other ways there might be a curiosity is the one thing that gives you the open mindedness and then open mindedness give you the ability to change. So the key is actually curiosity.
Yeah. We got a new dog, a puppy, about three, four months ago. And it's taught me a whole new perspective on parenting, leadership, everything. Because you have to start with a rule. The puppy doesn't know any different. The puppy is just a puppy.
Yeah.
So if it's doing something you don't want it to do, it's because you haven't set the environment to prevent the puppy doing something you didn't want it to do. It's an excellent lesson in personal accountability and patience and understanding that you go, yep, my fault. Yep, my fault. You bit me. That was my fault. And the puppy is never vindictive. So it's really taught me a new dynamic on humans and how we interact with each other. That, okay, I've now got to take personal accountability.
What could I do differently to influence this in a different way?
Yeah. And I love that because you're not blaming the dog for biting. I mean, you're not blaming, but it's not. Blaming is not the right word. But you're taking accountability for. Yeah, what did I do? Because so that the dog bit me. I think that's a, a lot of times people should, should use that approach when they get annoyed at stuff.
Yeah. And I, I can, I know now that our puppy will become very wired, that you can tell their brain is in that sort of reactive hyper mode. So I know at that point there, she's going to bite, going to be jumpy, she's going to be all over the place. So how do I de escalate her? And again, it's about moving from the prefrontal cortex back here to the logical thinking. So you calm her down. Don't try and interact with emotion until she's in the right place. And it's typical human lessons. We talk about all the time about our brains and how we have to connect with people.
She is definitely teaching me in a different plane. And I recommend anybody who's listened to get a puppy if you want to understand human interactions better.
And also because they do not speak and we also have a dog. The whole idea of being able to read is a body language. It's all, it all. It's so much body language and energy. You have to learn how to sense energy.
Yeah. And just be aware. Please don't talk about, talk about my puppy for the whole episode. But when she needs to do things, she wants feeding, she wants water, she wants to go outside. She has a way now of just sitting there looking at you and you go, and you've got to pick up on that body language because if you wait for it to say, tap you on the shoulder and say, oh, yeah, I need to go outside. She's never, it's never going to happen. But she will, she now, she's now learned. So it's, it's a fascinating lesson in just connecting with a culture that you've got no common language on.
Yeah, exactly. Which is the same kind of way when you travel to a country where you don't speak the language. You do the same thing, you need to observe the cues.
But yeah, as I said earlier, the struggle here is trying to get people to be open to that opportunity to learn more and not want to bring their. We see this, tourists go to a country and want to eat their local food wherever they travel and it's. They're not willing to explore something, oh, I couldn't eat octopus or I couldn't eat this or I couldn't eat that. Oh, and people get really fixated on. They want to, they actually just want to, they want to be somewhere else but with a micro part of home with them, don't they?
Yeah, I mean, yeah, there are a lot of Chinese restaurants right next to the Eiffel Tower.
Yes, yeah, yeah. And I remember travelling with my parents in law and they're very much a traditional English roast beef, Yorkshire pudding type family and that's what they were looking for. So you miss out on all the culture and the diverse foods and the opportunity to explore things.
Yeah, some people are just like that. I have a friend who has a friend who, he hasn't tried any new food since he was 15. He said, When I was 15 I knew what food I liked and what I didn't like. And since then that's. He only eats the food that he had tried and liked before at the age of 15. So there you go missing out.
How does this really intersect then with the. We think about problem solving, creativity. Where is this the foundation of those.
That's why, I mean the curiosity is the antidote to, to this. Because then that's what you will say, oh, I wonder what this is. I wonder what it tastes like. Right. So if I. In Icelandic the word for curious is for witten, for means before. Witten means knowledge. So basically what they're saying is that the word curious means that which comes before knowledge.
Right. So you need to be curious. If you want to expand your knowledge about the world, you first need to be curious. I think it's a very beautiful way of looking at curiosity.
Yeah.
But also they have. In Iceland, they have this beautiful word which I love. It's called heimskir. And heimskjr literally means moron or stupid person. And it's an old, old Viking word from like a thousand years ago. And if you were a Viking, you're supposed to sail south and steal as much as you could, you know, gold and silver and whatever. But more importantly, you're supposed to steal ideas. And you see, how do they farm in Denmark, how do they make weapons in Turkey and so on.
And you take those ide and you bring it back to Iceland to your own farm. If you didn't do that, you were a heimscher. You were a moron. You're a stupid person. So this idea of leaving your home, and haim means home, it's the word for home. So basically the word etymology of the word is that the person who always stays at home becomes stupid. You need to leave. I think it's beautiful.
I think it's great. I visited Iceland for about a week back in the 90s, and I don't know if you've obviously been there. We had this delicacy, this putrefied shark.
Yes, I have that too. Isn't that the one that's ranked one of the most disgusting foods in the world?
It is, yeah. You have to drink. You have to drink, Brennan. When you're. When you're eating the shark, obviously the antidote, it's Brennovan. But I remember them telling the storey. Cause we were. We were there with some.
Look, with some friends and they were telling the storey about this shark. Apparently they catch these sharks by mistake, I thought. Oh, yeah, right. Yeah. And then you have to. You strip the fat off and you bury the shark for like six months or something. And then you hang it up for six months before it's. Before it's edible.
If you. If you don't bury it and you don't hang it up, it's poisonous. There's too much urea or something in the fat. I thought, how do you discover that? How do you know that six months is the right amount of time to hang it and to bury it without killing you?
Yeah.
So you talk about the curiosity from an Icelandic point of view. And they must. They must have done a lot of curious foresight thinking.
Yeah. Or. Or just a chance someone, you know, someone buried it because. And then suddenly forgot about it. Say, hey, wait, we found this and you had nothing else to eat. And Then you had to eat that and you didn't. There is a. There's a beautiful.
Because a lot of. I've also tried it. It's disgusting, I think. But there is a museum in Malm in the south of Sweden. It's called the Museum of Disgusting Foods, something like that. And you go in there and they have an exhibition of disgusting foods from all around the world. In Sweden, we have a fermented herring, which actually tastes even worse than the Iceland one. But I went there and the funny thing with this museum is they showed you can actually taste it.
So they have a tasting menu so you can taste disgusting foods from around the world. Like tiny bits of it. You have like 20 different things. You get to try just a tiny bit of each. But when before, and I tried all of it before you start tasting, they tell you that we have chosen food that in some in the culture it comes from, it is considered a delicacy. They haven't chosen food that someone has created just to be disgusting. Somewhere in the world someone finds this yummy. And it was such a big change for me to try it because when I tried all of this different things, suddenly I could enjoy it because I said someone finds this yummy.
So let's assume it is. And then it became much easier to eat versus, oh, you have to try this disgusting thing from the Philippines. No, it's not. It's. This is a delicacy in the Philippines. But we find it weird. I once saw a map of eating horse and in which countries eating horse is a delicacy, in which countries eating horse is considered, you know, weird. And it's just.
It's just some humans have decided it's delicacy. Some people have decided it's weird. It's. It's strange how we decide these things.
I guess it depends on how hungry you are and how you feel natural.
If someone says horse is a delicacy and you grow up with that, you're going to think it's a delicacy.
Yeah, I've seen that. I've seen a chart where you have all these animals in a row. And where do you draw the line? Where what is food? What is. Peter? Yeah. Different cultures will draw that line in different places. You know, a rabbit. Yeah. A mouse, A rat.
A horse, a cow. So what's the difference between a horse and a cow? They're both large animals and they're both edible. We decided the horse isn't. Cow is.
But then you have all the other. You have vegetarian, pescatarian and all these other versions also within the country of or you have religious reasons for why you can't eat something or not eat something. And it's all good. Like I have, I have. My version of this is there's only two people in the world who do. Who is what I am. I'm an eatarian only me and my daughter. So what does an eatarian mean? It means I only eat meat.
I eat meat, but I only eat meat from animals who kill. I don't eat vegetarian, non violent animals. So, for example, I can eat the lion because the lion eats the zebra, but I cannot eat the zebra because the zebra doesn't kill anyone, it just eats grass. So why. The moral logic here is why should I kill something that doesn't kill anything? But if something kills, I can also kill it. So I can eat most fishes and most seafood and I can basically cannot eat horse, cow, lamb, goat, a few of those.
So dog, cat, absolutely fine. Because they kill and eat.
I can eat dog and cat. I don't. I tried dog once in North Korea, but I don't eat cat. I mean, it means I can't. I could eat someone. Some people usually say, oh, so you can eat human? I say I could eat human. I don't want. For other reasons.
I don't eat humans, but I can't technically eat a vegetarian or vegan.
Yeah, that's right. So I've got to become vegetarian. So I'm safe in Frederick's company.
It's not about I have to eat animals who kill. I'm saying I'm not going to eat animals who doesn't kill. That's the rule.
Yeah, yeah, I've had, I've had crocodile in. I think it's in Australia. I had crocodile over there.
Yeah, I've, I've had that too. It's. And the crocodile definitely kills.
Yeah, that's. That's really interesting. Yeah, I suppose I like the fact.
That I'm the only one, but then my daughter copied me, so now we're two. I like because it means I made up the rule for what I can and cannot eat. No, I didn't follow a book or a scripture or, or a cultural rule or something. I made up my very, very own.
So most of the time you're, you would call yourself vegetarian. That, that has meat from a ethically sourced source in your book.
Sorry, sorry, I didn't hear you.
Generally, you're generally a vegetarian, but you also eat fish?
No, I eat chicken and I eat pork and I eat fish and I, I Meet most animals, actually. I mean, the whole idea is that most animals kill. If you look at nature.
Chickens are carnivorous, Are they? Or they. They kill other things, don't they?
They eat worms.
Okay, all right, so worm. Okay, that's good point. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Pickling worms.
Yeah. Any kind of as. As long as the animal eats another animal, it kills. And if that animal kills it should be fine with me killing it. That's the logic.
Okay, yeah. Pigs will eat anything as well, won't they? They'll. They will.
They will. They will. Yeah. They will definitely kill to eat, but they often. They also eat. They eat all kind. They basically eat everything.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Interesting. Yeah, yeah.
There's a logic.
Whereas a horse and a cow. Horse and a cow are generally only killed by mistake. Eating a worm while they're eating the grass.
Yeah. I can also eat. I could eat a non. I can eat a vegetarian animal by mistake, which happens sometimes. Someone gives me a soup and I say, is this. This cow or pork? And they say, it's pork. And then later I find out it's beef. I don't feel bad about it.
I ate it by mistake. I can eat anything by mistake. Anyone can eat something by mistake. That's the difference. But to properly say I'm going to kill to eat you, that's a very different mentality. And I like to have the peaceful mentality of not eating those peaceful animals. It gives me a lot of karma.
Yeah. I think it's a great. It's a great rule set. I think it's brilliant.
But I like it mostly because it's a rule set I made up. No one told me that this is how you're supposed to eat. I made up my rules and then I follow that.
Yeah. You see, my natural thinking would be that vegetarian side of animals, the meat is healthier. But that's my belief. I have no fact to prove that, right or wrong. But I guess with so much factory farming these days, what is. What is a health. What is a healthy animal these days? It's so many chemicals. Yeah.
But I come back to this topic here. How do we persuade people, though, to open their minds up? Because, you know, we've had this conversation, this has been some fascinating sort of insights as to thinking differently and coming in their own rule sets. How do we get people to step back out of their beliefs into this world where they can start to be creative or in the Icelandic way, thinking about things in advance? Because we think about cultural intelligence. One of the first steps of cultural Intelligence is having the drive to want to find out more. If you don't care, you don't want to find out more, then you're never going to step forward and move into that learning space.
I think it's a good question, but I think the answer is to better understand yourself. Because the more you understand yourself, the more you then make up your own ways of looking at the world. And if you do that, per definition, you will be different. Right? You will be unique and you will do things your own way. I once, I was in Bhutan recently and I interviewed a guy in Bhutan, actually a former Minister of tourism, and he has. Because I wanted to understand how does. Let me move back because the sun is coming out. So half of my face is in.
The sun is better, right? Yeah. So I was interviewing this minister of tourism in Bhutan because he's Buddhist. I wanted to understand how does he look at creativity. And he said, you people in the west, you think creativity is about expressing yourself. Like you want to understand, how can I express myself? That's the. How do you get people to express who they really are? And he said, it's the wrong. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but creativity is not about that. Creativity is primarily about understanding who you are.
And I think this is really.
A.
Very profound way of looking at creativity. Because if creativity is, I want to understand who I really am, and if people really did that and went deeper to understand who they really are at the core, then what they do express, what they do create, will be uniquely them. Right? And I actually help people find what I call their inner theme. I've helped over 400 people do this. Like the inner theme is like your core message that is in, within you. And I like to explain to people that an inner theme is a universal message that everyone needs to hear. So everyone in the world needs to hear this message, but only you can deliver it, which means it's a unique message only you can deliver. And if everyone found their inner theme, the message that only they can deliver, but it's important that everyone needs to hear, then, then that's what we should aim for.
That's true of a lot of things where it starts with yourself. You can't truly understand others until you truly understand who you are, what your own person, what your values are, what matters to you. And that allows us to step out of judgement sometimes. Because if I understand who I am, I'd be less willing to judge you for who you are, because I want people to respect me for who I am. We Too often don't actually analyse what our core values are, do we?
Most people have no clue who they really are. Most people have not done the work. That's my experience. And the funny thing is, even speakers and authors who do this for a living, most of them don't really fully understand who they are. And I think a lot of this is actually because we never been taught. Like when we are children and we are going to learn, that's when we are developing our sense of who we really are. At that age we are put into school and everyone is more or less being taught the same thing. So we become more similar and we become less ourselves.
I love to tell the storey of my mother because my mother used to be a normal regular teacher for, I don't know, 20 years, but then she reschooled herself and became a Montessori teacher and it totally changed the way she teaches. And I love a Montessori as a concept because it gets people, the children, to develop who they really are. So do you know how Montessori works?
No, I've not heard that before.
No, it's like this. Like a normal teacher says, today I want the children to learn to read. So now we're going to read. So it says to the class, okay, children, we are now going to read. And then everyone reads, right? Regardless if you want to read or not. That's fun. Today we are going to read Montessori teacher is like this, goes up to the child in the morning and says, what would you like to learn today and what would you like to do today? And the child says, I want to learn about dinosaur. I want to learn about dinosaurs.
The teacher says, great, here's a book about dinosaurs. So now the kid is still learning to read, but now doing that from his internal drive. I want to learn about dinosaurs. If the teacher wants to learn, teach drawing, ask the kid, what do you want to do today? The teacher says, kid says, I want to learn about dinosaurs. The teacher says, well, here's a piece of paper, why don't you draw a dinosaur? So you're still teaching what you want to teach, but now you're doing it from the driver and then you go to the next and you do that with every child in the class. And one child is drawing dinosaur, one child is reading a book about dinosaurs. One person is making a, you know, origami version of a dinosaur. All are reading about dinosaurs, but they're doing it from their perspective of what they want to learn at the moment.
And you see, you do that for nine years for the child. And out comes a thinking person who has learned a lot of things and more importantly, has learned a drive about who they really are and what they want to do. And now. So the class is full of people doing different things. That's diversity. If you ever, you know, that's the real meaning of diversity.
But all learning about dinosaurs?
Well, no. All. If the teachers, let's say, want to have an art class, then everyone will be drawing, maybe, but they will be drawing whatever they're interested in if that's what the teacher wants to do. But many times they will have one person drawing, one person reading. They will do different things in class. And the teacher just goes, now the children are super happy. You don't need to force them to read a book. They wanted to read a book.
So the teacher is much less relaxed and doesn't have to focus on making sure everyone reads. Everyone is doing exactly what they want, but the teacher is just making sure that whatever they want is also aligned with what they need to learn.
That also plays into the old adage that you haven't got time to do things. You always find time to do things you want to do or a priority in your life.
Yes.
If you're. If you're trying to eat that frog, you're trying to do things you don't want to do, you've got to reframe it and do it in a way that you. You enjoy doing it. So if you don't want to clean the toilet, put some music on and dance while you're cleaning the toilet. That will make it. Yeah, if you want to dance, you can do that same time. So. Yeah, I get that completely.
That's. Yeah, that feeds into that.
Yeah, I have a version of that. I hate to do invoicing. That's the one thing that I really hate. And nothing can make me make invoicing fun. Not even music or something. So the only thing I hate more than that is laundry. So I would go into the laundry, laundry room, and I sit in the laundry room and do laundry. Because now my body says, it could be worse.
You could be doing laundry. But now you're just doing invoicing. So it's all about tricking your mind.
I have a different way of looking at invoicing. I don't call it invoicing. I call it printing money.
That's a great approach for you. It wouldn't work for me because I don't care about money. Money doesn't drive me.
Okay.
Not that I don't need it. I mean, I like to make money, but it's not the driver for me. So I could postpone it forever, but I can see how that definitely is a better way of calling it than calling it invoicing.
I don't think it was admin for me. It's what's the objective. What you're trying to achieve with it is trying to.
I like it.
Paying for my shopping or buying clothes. I have to do invoicing. It's a necessary frustration. But you're right, I'm not a big invoicer either. That kind of admin is tiresome.
All kind of admin is tiresome. There should be as little admin as possible in the world. If you ask me what kills creativity most, I say administration. All kind of admin rules that kills creativity more than anything else because the creative soul doesn't like to do admin.
But that's why I love AI, because I could be creative. And the AI does a lot of the admin.
It's wonderful. That's what we should use AI to. Not to make music and paintings.
No, I've started. In fact, what I do as a result of this podcast is I feed the transcript into AI and get it to write a song lyrics from the, from the, from the podcast. And then I take the song lyrics and I put them into a platform called SUNO and I generate, I generate a song from the podcast, which I've now got. I've started building up a library now of podcast songs generated for the lyrics. And some of them I listened to and they go, that's really good. And the lyrics are really powerful. Yeah. And it was my father, father in law's funeral last week and I, I took his eulogy, which I wrote.
Well, I say I wrote ChatGPT and I co created the eulogy and I fed that into AI and said, like, write me a song. And it wrote a song and I put that into SUNO and generated a legacy sort of piece from the eulogy which I shared with the family. And everyone's, oh, that's beautiful. And it's kind of another way of taking one thing and using your creativity or my ideation and a tool to generate something else. But it's, it was my, I owned the thought process, the creativity to do that, but not the admin of actually doing the work.
Exactly. I. That's it. But that's. You could call it different from the admin. I think this is. A lot of people say, why no. Oh, it's so sad when People are not writing their own speeches at funerals, or why didn't you write your own song? But I am with you because the alternative would have been maybe a less powerful, strong or speech, or a much more stress writing the speech.
At that time. No one says, no one says, when you take a camera, oh, all you did. People say, all you did was enter a prompt. No one says, all you did was press a button. When you took a picture on a photograph, that's all you do. Like, before a camera, you had to paint that picture by hand if you wanted to keep the memory. Now you just press a button. But that doesn't mean photography is not a creative art form.
Of course it is. And you give a camera to a professional photographer, it gets a much more beautiful photo than if you give it to an amateur. But more importantly, both of us are not taking much more pictures, which is great. So, yeah, use AI for AI is an amazing creativity tool. If used right, it will kill your creativity. If used wrong.
Oh, yeah. A professional photographer will be looking at light. They'll be studying the landscape, thinking, where do I stand? Where's the light falling? What time of day do I need to take this? How do I crop that? How do I frame it? What action, what expression do I want? When. So you're thinking about the entire shot and then, as you say, click. And then AI in the camera these days is doing a lot of the work for you to tidy it up.
But, yeah, I mean, photography more than anything is observing. Right. It's observing the world and seeing the picture that needs to be taken.
Yeah. Like the infamous Tiananmen Square picture from all those times ago for the tanks. It was just that one person captured the entire mood of that event with that one picture. Just become iconic.
Yeah, yeah. I like to tell the storey I was interviewed, and he's not a photographer, he's an illustrator. But he says, I don't see myself as a painter, I see myself as an observer. I observe the world and then I paint what I see. The key here is observer. This key is not painting. The key is observing. And he asked me, he said, frederick, do you ever walk in the forest? I said, yes, of course I do.
And then he said, okay. How often do you turn around? Do you walk in the forest? In nature?
Yeah. I take my dog, we walk through. It's not going to a forest, it's a wood, a thick wood.
How often do you turn around?
Often, because my puppy is sometimes behind me. But not generally. No.
Yeah, good. So he's. I Said, what do you mean, how often do you turn around? And I said, I think I turn around if I hear a sound or something, like there's a reason. I said, how often do you turn around? He said, every 50 metres. Because when you walk through a forest or a wood and you turn around every 50 metres, you will see twice as much forest because every tree, every stone will look. You will see it from both sides, so you'll see twice as much. But more importantly, the animals can sense you way before you can sense them. Like a deer will sense you when you're like, I don't know, a bear can sense you two kilometres away.
Right. But so they will hide when before you come, but after you pass, they know you have now passed, so they will come out. So you'll see much more animals if you turn around, which I think is a beautiful observation. So, but that, that is the work of an observer, that's you than a person who has made it a mission to observe the world. And after him, after he taught me that I'm trying to be a better observer.
I like that. I see far more of nature with a dog because the dog flushes a lot of the wildlife out. You see more squirrels and more things leaping around and darting for cover and the dog reacts in advance. Okay, what's up there? What can you smell? What can you see?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree with you. I mean, walk in the forest without a dog and you see zero squirrels. Walk in a dog with a. Walk in the forest with a dog and you see 50 squirrels.
Yeah, exactly. And the dog wants all of them. Yeah. It's interesting. I mean, our puppy's only six months old and it remembers on our walk exactly where the squirrels are like to appear. It's almost like with excitement going, right, there's a squirrel going to be anywhere right now. Yeah. The next bit, not interested.
But this one little stretch, it knows exactly that squirrels are going to be there.
We can learn from the animals to observe. Observe. Because the whole funny thing also when you observe, the ego goes away.
Yeah. So our world we live in today is, I believe it's becoming a bit more divided. You know, we're fracture, fracturing on and polarising on issues and we're in a world where you have to be right, so you have to be wrong, you have to be left, you have to be right, you have to be this, you have to be that.
It's.
We're getting more and more polarised, rather more educated about the, this diversity of thought. What's Been going wrong.
I don't necessarily think that is wrong, actually. I think if. Yes, if you get polarised, it's wrong. But to have a diverse. Have a diverse. Have more diverse opinions being heard is not necessarily a bad thing. The problem is that people are. It's probably.
It's not that people have different opinions or that more opinions are being heard or even that the opinions being heard are more extreme. The problem is that people are so stuck on not changing them that they are digging trenches and say, I don't want to hear what you're saying. I have made up my mind already. That's a bigger problem.
Are we only hearing from the loudest voices or the voices with money? Is that also what's going on?
That's a different problem. That is definitely a problem. I think that's a bigger problem that we. Then that's not getting enough attention. Definitely. That is a big. That is a big, big problem. And I don't know how that's going to be solved.
And it's polarising us into tribes, I think as well. Also, selling clicks, advertising revenue, selling pain is easier to sell than happiness, isn't it?
Yeah. But I also think we are like. I was recently in Mongolia. Not recently. That was right before the pandemic. I was in Mongolia and I went and lived with the nomadic tribes of. Very exotic. But on the way back, I went to a tech startup and I met with like some web designers in Mongolia, I swear to God.
And I also did that in Bhutan out of coincidence. And both in Bhutan and in Mongolia, I went in, you know, it's very exotic. And I open the door, I go inside and boom, I'm. I'm not in Bhutan anymore. I'm not in Mongolia. I'm in a web design bureau. And they look. They look just like they do in Stockholm or Berlin or New San Francisco.
There's a little Star wars figure on top of the computer. It's a pool table, there's a Nike cap turned upside down. They're wearing. All wearing black. It's just the same. And then I go out and boom, I'm in Shangri La again. And I realised that These guys are 100% Bhutanese, but they're also 100% web designers. And they are surf.
They are. When they have some free time, they join a Facebook group, which is web design. Facebook group. And now they sit and they talk with web designers, which makes them more similar to their profession than they are to their nation. Right. So. And I love that. I don't think this is a problem.
I think it's amazing that we, as a humanity, I, like you and I, we are connecting because we are both doing similar things. We're trainers or coaches or speakers. So I have a lot of my speaker friends, I have hundreds of speaker friends all over the world. My Facebook feed, I think I have like 15, 20 different languages in my Facebook feed. Thank God they introduced translation.
Yes.
Now I'm. So I have a level of identity that is on a global level and I follow, like, if there's. Now there's fighting in Bangladesh and I see all my Bangladesh friends posting what's happening in Bangladesh from a Bangladeshi perspective. I love that. Does that make me a little bit less Swedish? Yes, it does, but it also makes me a little bit more human.
Yeah, you're right. We're becoming almost like special interest communities, so it doesn't matter physically where you are. We talk about affinity bias, affinity groups. It's connecting people around the world who have a similar interest in a game, in a technique, in a profession. Yeah.
And I like, if you want to be really philosophical, this is very big thought. But you think about this because people say tribes, right? Oh, we need. It's a tribal community. You can't have a global mindset because the Tribe is just 150 people strong, or whatever they're saying. And we're now seeing the antidote, like the world is closing up, becoming more local, less global. And people think this is where we're going to end up. Think so. Because what defines our worldview? This is going to be a little bit of a philosophical outlying here, but I think this is interesting.
What defines our world? Like, if you're living in a tribe in Amazonas, one of those hidden tribes that never met anyone from outside their whole worldview is five kilometres outside of that village. That's all they know. They don't know about the Internet, they don't know about the moon landing, they don't know anything of that. Their whole worldview is five kilometres around the village. And because they don't have technology, then we invented technology. Like we tamed the horse and suddenly we could go 50 kilometres. And then we built the train and the telegraph and our technology made it possible for us to have a wider understanding of the world. And this technology that we're using now makes it possible for you and I to talk anywhere in the world and we can read newspapers and we can communicate and say, so now our community, for the first time in human history, it's possible to have a technology that connects Anyone, anywhere.
Of course that is going to change how we look at ourselves. So from village, from tribe to village to city, to kingdom to nation to post. Nations would be like United States or the eu. And the next step is the human mindset. Of course that's going to take maybe 50 years or 100 years, and right now we're a bit confused. But in a hundred years from. Most people are going to have. Their main identity is going to be human, not nation or religion.
And when that happens, that's. That's going to change so many things.
Yeah. As you're talking, I was thinking that if I think about the community, the people I engage with, most of them are not localised and I don't. I don't feel that I need to have a local community because I've got a community of people around, as you say, around the world, different first languages, different cultures, and I feel as connected with them now as I would if they lived next door. I probably see them more often. Yeah, I interact them on LinkedIn, on Facebook and other platforms.
Yeah, exactly. But it doesn't mean you don't have to have a local community. I'm sure you have neighbours and stuff. Like, the village didn't disappear because we invented the kingdom and the kingdom or the nation, we just added a layer. I'm still Frederick, I still have my family, I still have my neighbours, I still live in Liding it, which I'm still part of Stockholm, I'm also Swede, I'm part of the eu. And then now add one layer on top of that, which is I'm also a human being and I communicate with friends all over the world. So all the other layers are still there, we just layer. But while the person in Amazonas only has 12 layers, which is family or me, family and tribe.
And that's it. It stops there.
I've met people in real life, irl, as we. As we like to say these days, irl. And the first part of the conversation is we try and work out if we've ever met in person before. And we go, I don't know. But we seem to know so much about each other, we know everything. I know we both follow each other on Facebook, so we know a lot about each other's lives and what we've been up to the last couple of years, and we probably haven't met in person for at least two or three, maybe even four years, but it doesn't matter because we're building that human connection across the world. As you say, this disparate connected technology.
Yeah. Which I think is beautiful.
Yeah, it is, it is. I agree with the premise of. I think when we started this is those perspectives from different cultures. Because, yes, we are globally connected, we still are heavily influenced by our own local cultures.
Yes.
When we bring that together, we bring different perspectives, don't we?
But I think it's a bug in the human DNA that we are not better at picking up good ideas from other people. Somewhere, someone in the world has invented a better way of doing what you're doing. And. And why are we not better at picking that up? It blows my mind that we are not better. I mean, we have Internet for 25 years, so it's not that we don't have the technology anymore. We have the technology to look what other people are doing and sometimes we even see, oh, my God, look, they're doing it better than us. And then we're still not doing it. My favourite pet peeve example right now, because I moved back to Sweden, in Singapore, they have these automatic passport reading machines at the airport, so when you arrive, you just put your passport in.
Actually, in Singapore they have face recognition now, so you don't even have to do that, you just walk straight through. But in, they have all these machines, you just put your passport in, Boom, down through, no queues at all. You have it in the UK too, Right. But we don't have it in Sweden. Like, how can you be in charge of passport control in Sweden when Singapore's had that for 15 years? UK has it for 10 years or something, I don't know. And Sweden doesn't still have a single airport with a single even test machine. And I go and think, it's working. It's everywhere, it's working.
It's not like a dangerous new technique. It's working everywhere. And once I, when I fly, I go, I like to ask the Swedish passport control people who are still sitting there manually looking at passports, and I say to them, you know, they have automated this in Singapore, right? Why don't we have that in Sweden? And their reply is, oh, that's cute. And then I went home and I googled it. I said, what kind of countries have automate automated patch machine reading machines? Is it just like Singapore? Highly developed countries? No. Mongolia. Mongolia has it. How can Mongolia have a, a technology that we still haven't implemented, even as a trial in Sweden? It blows my mind.
Is it down to the fact that when technology emerges, it's easy to adopt it in a, in a culture that doesn't have a Legacy of that. Of that thing. Mobile phone. Mobile phone growth grew more quickly in countries that didn't have a decent phone network. I remember going to Hungary and some.
Of the eastern countries leapfrogging, and it's definitely a thing, but that doesn't mean, I mean, uk, you had. Every country has had manual ban, more passport controls. Every country has that. So in this case it's not the reason. The reason is that Sweden is, I don't know, so sure that what we're doing is the right way. We are not even curious to look what others are doing. I can list thing after thing after thing that someone is somewhere, usually China, but somewhere or Singapore, somewhere a country is doing something better than you are. Why don't we have also your.
I mean, it's also true for your industry. Someone somewhere is doing something way more effectively than what you are doing. Why are you looking at. And just copy it, steal it.
Does Sweden have a huge influx of people away? I mean, is it just down to the fact that Heathrow, Gatwick, for example, have tens and tens of thousands of people arriving at each hour And Singapore may be the same.
Yeah, but now you're doing the very human thing of trying to find a reason for why Sweden shouldn't have these.
I'm curious.
No, no, no. Do you think Sweden has less people arriving than Mongolia?
I don't know. I don't know. Sweden probably doesn't not compare with Bulgaria.
That's one logical reason for why we haven't done it. Except this idea that, no, we know how to do things and we are not curious enough to look at. They are aware that this technology is out there, but they have said, nah, it's not for us.
But is it a pain curiosity ratio? There's not enough pain to spark a need.
No, no, no, there is pain. Don't get. No, here is pain. There is pain because when you arrive in Sweden, especially if It's a non EU country aeroplane, there is 40 minutes or 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes queue, because they only have four people sitting there and there's like 400 people landing. And if you're not from Sweden, you have to wait for like. There's a lot. Actually, there's a lot of complaining in that queue because people are annoyed that they have to wait for so long. And of course, the Swedish passport police could do much more meaningful work than manually looking at.
Manually taking a passport and then putting that they're still putting into the machine. They're just manually doing what the machine does actually not even what the machine does. They're doing what people are doing. In England, they're doing the job of putting it into machine because you're looking.
In the camera anyway. They're doing like this. Yes, it's the same thing.
They're not doing any meaningful work. There is no reason for why it is like this, except in people's inabilities to change. That's all it is. But imagine if they did.
I'm a big fan of the author Rutger Bregman and he would term that as a bullshit job. It's a job that has no value.
Yeah, exactly. And it's also. Yeah, exactly. But it's also a bullshit service, as in that job is actually. It's not only a bullshit job, the job itself is slowing people down. That doesn't need to be slowed down. In Singapore you wait for two minutes. In Sweden you wait for 30 or four minutes.
So it's less than a bullshit job. It is meaningless and it ruins other people's lives.
Probably. The automation is probably less prone to error. You're going to be able to spot patterns easier. You're going to. And also you can then resource the problem solving to less trained or different trained people. So you'd have an IT person or a machine support person rather than a border guard. So it's a different skill set as well, isn't it?
Exactly. Or you can still have those four people, but now they can look at. At people arriving and look for suspicious people, which they can't do now because they're looking down on passports. And in Sweden it's even more annoying because they have four people working checking airport, but then they have three people managing the queue. So you're paying the salary of seven people. These three seven people managing the queue are only here because you're so inefficient. You could save seven jobs, not four jobs. People who could do other things.
I would have thought the EU would have insisted that these machines are coming in, aren't they? As is that not the case?
I don't think EU is known for speed.
No, no, it's not. But you'd like to think with all these new border restrictions and this, these new processes coming in. But you'd like to think that.
But the lesson is not passport machines in Sweden, the lesson is what thing are you doing that you shouldn't be doing? Because someone else somewhere has invented a better way of doing it and all you have to do is go and look for it. And you would save time, energy, money, whatever you would save.
It's really interesting. What you're talking about here is in the UK we often cite Scandinavian countries as having your shit together because you do things much better than we do much this. And we should be taking more examples from Sweden. And now you're saying actually Swedish systems are stuck in the dark ages. They're not moving forward. And we're seeing those ideals.
Some things we do is great and some things that the UK does is great. Something Mongolia does and great. Something that Singapore has done is great. So the whole idea, that's the Heimsker again. The idea of going out and looking what other people are doing and feeling that is a very, very, very valuable thing. And if you don't do that, you're stupid to say it properly.
That's a great way to end the, the conversation. If you, if you're not out there expanding your mindset using the Icelandic definition, you're stupid. You're. You're not taking advantage of, you're living in your, your one degree of separation. You're not, you're not moving out.
Or if you want to be nicer, a nice way of saying it is you're not as smart as you could be.
Yeah, yeah. You're not, you're not crowdsourcing opportunities and ideas and then bringing them back and going. This could work for us as well. Yeah, I agree completely. Frederick. It's been fascinating. How can people get hold of you?
I usually say just Google the Creativity Explorer. Hopefully I come up or my name. That's the best way.
LinkedIn is a good place.
Sorry? LinkedIn is a very good place. I'm quite active on LinkedIn. So just Google my name there. And then I share insights around the world about what I've learned about creativity which if it's okay, I'll also share that I just. Because we've been talking a lot about being open minded to new ideas. Right. So the book that just came out is called the World of Creativity. The subtitle is a journey across 37 countries to discover the secrets of creative minds.
And the whole idea of this book is to show how people around the world approach creativity differently. So it's the same thing. Now imagine if you were open minded and curious about how other people approach creativity and now you have more tools to approach your own creativity. So that's the main lesson of that book.
Excellent. So Frederic is F R E D R I K and Haren H A R E N. So if people are googling you looking that up and it's the World of creativity with Frederick Haron. They can find you on Facebook as well. Fantastic. Frederick, it's been amazing. Thank you so much.
Hey, wonderful. Thank you.
As we bring this conversation to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude to you, our listener, for lending your ear and heart to the cause of inclusion. Today's discussion struck a chord. Consider subscribing to Inclusion Bites and become part of our ever growing community driving real change. Share this journey with friends, family and colleagues. Let's amplify the voices that matter.
Got thoughts, storeys or a vision to share?
I'm all ears. Reach out to joe.lockwood@cchangehappen.co.uk and let's make your voice heard. Until next time, this is Joanne Lockwood signing off with a promise to return with more enriching narratives that challenge, inspire and unite us all. Here's to fostering a more inclusive world one episode at a time. Catch you on the next bite.
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Episode Category
Primary Category: Cultural Diversity
Secondary Category: Creativity
🔖 Titles
How Curiosity and Cultural Difference Ignite Creativity and Problem-Solving
Diversity as the Essential Catalyst for Global Creativity and Innovative Thinking
Discovering Creativity at the Crossroads of Culture and Individuality
Why Embracing Difference Fuels Our Brightest Creative Moments
Unpacking How Global Perspectives Shape Creative and Inclusive Solutions
From Island Living to Cultural Intelligence: When Creative Minds Think Differently
Challenging Tradition: The Creative Power of Questioning Beliefs and Customs
Learning from Every Culture: Creativity Beyond Borders and Boundaries
Observing, Adapting, Creating: The Art of Difference in Innovation
Practical Insights into Diversity, Creativity, and Real-World Change
{Subtitle} - A Single Sentence describing this episode
Fredrik Haren explores the liberating interplay between curiosity and creativity, uncovering how genuine diversity of perspective empowers us to challenge cultural norms, redefine personal rules, and unlock untapped human potential.
{Episode Tags}
Creativity Explorer, Diverse Perspectives, Global Cultures, Inclusive Thinking, Curiosity Driven, Cultural Intelligence, Personal Growth, Unique Rule Sets, Creative Problem Solving, Human Connection
{Episode Summary} with Intro, Key Points and a Takeaway
In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood welcomes Fredrik Haren to discuss the potent role of difference in unlocking creativity and innovation. The conversation navigates how stepping outside one’s comfort zone – be it through travel, cross-cultural parenting, or simply rethinking everyday norms – ignites curiosity and challenges entrenched beliefs. Together, Joanne and Fredrik emphasise that while homogeneity breeds complacency, it is embracing multiple perspectives that genuinely fuels human potential. Their insights cover personal anecdotes from global travels, practical lessons from multicultural family life, and the overlooked value of questioning one’s own rulebook for living and working.
Fredrik, known globally as The Creativity Explorer, has spent over two decades traversing more than 75 countries to uncover how diverse cultures foster creative thinking. Originally based in Sweden, his years living in Asia—including China and Singapore—provided a rich lens through which he re-examined the intersection of diversity and innovation. Fredrik’s career as an author and international keynote guest has seen him address vast audiences, distil wisdom from personal and professional encounters, and synthesize creative lessons from everything from off-grid living to multicultural parenting. His recent book, “The World of Creativity,” explores creativity across 37 countries, revealing the secrets behind truly inventive minds and highlighting how openness to difference lies at the heart of meaningful progress.
Throughout their discussion, Joanne and Fredrik explore why curiosity precedes knowledge, how technology, travel, and communities of interest dissolve barriers, and the necessity of self-reflection to nurture authentic creativity. They challenge listeners to ask: who sets the rules I live by, and how might embracing others’ ideas transform my own thinking? The key takeaway is a call to crowdsource wisdom across borders and disciplines, urging everyone to appreciate the freedom of making up your own rules as the most fertile ground for creativity. Tune in for fresh perspectives on belonging, innovation, and how difference truly drives creative breakthroughs.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 Inclusion Bites, led by Joanne Lockwood, fosters bold dialogues on inclusion, belonging, and societal change, inspiring connection, reflection, and action.
05:58 Creativity intrinsically embodies diversity through doing things differently.
07:14 Speaker in China faced isolation, language barriers, and improvised ordering food.
09:49 Cultural differences in parenting: Swedish man and Filipina wife debate child-rearing approaches.
14:34 Summary: The speaker reflects on understanding their puppy's non-verbal cues, likening it to connecting across a language barrier.
17:03 "Heimskir," an ancient Viking term meaning "moron," described those who stayed home rather than exploring, learning, and stealing ideas abroad.
19:37 A tasting menu offers small portions of globally regarded delicacies, encouraging an open mindset towards unfamiliar flavours.
25:36 Encourage open-mindedness by fostering curiosity and cultural intelligence as a first step to creativity and new thinking.
27:17 Creativity stems from understanding one's core self to express a unique, universal message—termed an "inner theme"—that only they can deliver.
30:04 Teach by aligning lessons with children's interests, allowing them to learn in their preferred way.
33:40 Using AI, they create songs from podcast transcripts and have started building a library, even transforming a eulogy into music.
37:18 Turn around every 50 metres in a forest to see more and stay aware, as animals sense you from afar.
41:58 We connect globally as trainers, coaches, and speakers through shared interests, language diversity, and translation tools.
43:32 Technology expands our worldview, connecting humanity globally.
46:57 Humans struggle to adopt better ideas, despite having the technology to learn from others.
50:34 Long queues at Swedish airports frustrate non-EU arrivals due to limited passport control staff.
52:24 Improved efficiency in airport security could reduce staff numbers while enhancing operations.
55:49 Thank you for supporting inclusion. Subscribe to Inclusion Bites, share, and join the movement for change.
📚 Timestamped overview
00:00 "Inclusion Bites: Spark Change"
05:58 Creativity as Diversity Reflection
07:14 "Alone and Adapting in China"
09:49 Parenting Across Cultures
14:34 Understanding Non-Verbal Communication
17:03 "Heimskir: Viking Moron Origins"
19:37 "Tasting Delicacies Worldwide"
25:36 "Encouraging Open-Minded Creativity"
27:17 "Discovering Your Inner Theme"
30:04 Child-Led Learning Through Interests
33:40 "AI-Generated Podcast Songs"
37:18 "Seeing the Forest Differently"
41:58 Global Connection Through Speaking
43:32 "Technology Expands Our Worldview"
46:57 Human Struggle to Adopt Innovations
50:34 Sweden Airport Immigration Queue Complaints
52:24 "Streamlining Airport Staffing Inefficiencies"
55:49 "Join the Inclusion Journey"
ℹ️ Introduction
Welcome to this episode of Inclusion Bites, where curiosity meets creativity on the journey towards true inclusion. In today's episode, aptly titled "Creativity Loves Difference," host Joanne Lockwood sits down with global creativity explorer and author Fredrik Haren for a conversation that promises to challenge how we think about belonging, innovation, and the richness of diverse perspectives.
Joanne Lockwood and Fredrik Haren dive into how difference isn’t simply something to tolerate—it’s the very heartbeat of creativity. Drawing on stories from his life across 75 countries, Fredrik Haren recalls moments of stepping outside his cultural comfort zone, from ordering mysterious dishes in Beijing to negotiating parenting styles between Swedish and Filipino traditions. Together, they explore why genuine curiosity and the willingness to re-examine our beliefs are the essential first steps towards creative problem-solving and cultural intelligence.
This episode invites you to reflect deeply on your own assumptions, encouraging you to not only respect but also actively seek out and celebrate difference. Discover how open-mindedness—fuelled by personal introspection and brave conversations—can transform the way you work, connect, and innovate.
Whether you’re an HR professional, a DEI leader, or simply someone with a thirst for bold ideas and actionable change, strap in for an honest dialogue that will ignite your thinking and inspire you to find your own unique voice in the global conversation on inclusion. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and equipped with new perspectives for building a more inclusive world—one creative spark at a time.
💬 Keywords
creativity, diversity, inclusion, global cultures, innovation, belonging, societal transformation, Professional Speaking Association, keynote speaking, repatriation, island living, off-grid lifestyle, sustainability, quarantine, HR industry, problem solving, open-mindedness, curiosity, cultural intelligence, raising children, parenting styles, cultural perspectives, food diversity, personal accountability, observation skills, affinity bias, social media influence, technology adoption, global mindset, passport automation, meaningful work
About this Episode
About The Episode:
In this unfiltered conversation, Fredrik Haren, global creativity explorer and author, joins Inclusion Bites to illuminate the profound connection between diversity and creativity. Drawing on lived experience across 75 countries and the fusion of cultural perspectives, he unpacks why embracing “difference” unlocks innovation at every level. This episode explores how curiosity, self-exploration, and open-mindedness are essential for driving creative solutions, challenging the status quo, and enriching inclusive cultures.
Today, we'll cover:
The vital link between diversity of thought and creativity as a driver for problem solving and innovation.
How curiosity acts as the prelude to knowledge and a catalyst for expanding one’s creative boundaries.
The importance of questioning assumptions and making deliberate choices outside cultural norms to foster genuine self-understanding.
Parenting and leadership lessons drawn from cross-cultural families and unexpected life encounters, reframing the value of perspective.
The role of global connectivity in building professional affinity communities and evolving human identity beyond national or tribal boundaries.
Actionable examples of learning from other cultures and industries, highlighting why proactive idea adoption is key to growth and relevance.
How the reluctance to change and entrenched administration stifles creativity—and practical ways to sidestep these barriers for greater inclusion.
Listen now: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen
💡 Speaker bios
Joanne Lockwood is the vibrant host of Inclusion Bites, where she leads thought-provoking conversations at the intersection of belonging, inclusion, and societal change. With a welcoming and reflective approach, Joanne guides listeners through storeys that challenge the norm, ignite conversation, and build a sense of community where everyone is invited not just to belong, but to thrive. Whether you’re starting your day or winding down, Joanne fosters connections that inspire listeners to reflect, engage, and take collective action. Ever at the forefront of advocacy, she invites everyone to join the dialogue and help shape a more inclusive world.
💡 Speaker bios
Fredrik Haren is a thought-provoking speaker and writer who enjoys exploring uncharted ideas, especially those he hasn't deeply considered before. Known for his philosophical approach, Fredrik reflects on the links between diversity and creativity, viewing creativity itself as an embodiment of diversity—a process of doing things differently and embracing new perspectives. Through engaging conversations and open-minded thinking, he invites others to think out loud and discover fresh connections, making his work both intellectually stimulating and refreshingly original.
❇️ Key topics and bullets
Certainly! Here’s a comprehensive sequence of topics covered in the podcast episode "Creativity Loves Difference" from The Inclusion Bites Podcast, with coherent sub-topics grouped under each main heading:
1. Introduction and Setting the Scene
Purpose and Ethos of Inclusion Bites
Joanne Lockwood's welcome and call to listeners to participate
Introduction of Fredrik Haren, the guest—background and superpower
2. Personal Journeys and Geographical Influences
Early connection between Joanne Lockwood and Fredrik Haren
Fredrik Haren’s move from Sweden to Asia, repatriation, and living on Swedish islands
Insights into Swedish archipelago culture; uniqueness of island living
Off-grid sustainability: utilities, self-sufficiency, and environmental adaptations
3. Creativity and Diversity: Philosophical Reflections
Philosophical connection between creativity and diversity:
"Creativity is diversity"
Dangers of conventional thinking: “When all think alike, no one thinks very much”
Anecdotes of living in China and navigating unfamiliar cultures
Liberation from cultural norms—discovering personal autonomy
4. Cross-Cultural Upbringing and Parenting
Diverse approaches to child-rearing: Swedish vs Filipino models
Practical negotiations of family values across cultures
Conscious decisions and blending best practices from multiple backgrounds
5. The Role of Curiosity in Creativity and Change
Curiosity as a precursor to knowledge and creativity
Openness to changing opinions: intelligence and adaptability
Connection between curiosity and open-mindedness
Analogies: raising dogs and how personal accountability shifts perspective
Non-verbal communication—body language and energy in human and animal relationships
6. Food, Culture, and Boundaries
Adventurous eating: challenges and cultural boundaries
Stories around delicacies like Icelandic putrefied shark
Social decisions about edibility—where cultural lines are drawn
Exploration of personal philosophy: Fredrik Haren's "eatarian" concept
7. Problem-Solving, Creativity, and Educational Models
Curiosity as foundation for problem solving and creativity
Historical perspective: Vikings as seekers of ideas
Montessori education—a paradigm for fostering uniqueness and diversity
Importance of understanding personal values before interacting with others
8. Observing the World: Lessons from Nature and Art
The art of observation—turning around in the forest, learning from animals
Artistic creativity grounded in sustained observation
Learning to “sense energy” and deepen awareness
9. Diversity of Thought and Societal Polarisation
Current societal trends: division, polarisation, and entrenched opinions
The issue of loudest voices and influence of money in discourse
Emergence of affinity groups and global special-interest communities
10. Technological Change and Adopting Global Solutions
Global technological innovation: adopting versus resisting change
Case study: passport control technologies around the world
Societal inertia and missed opportunities for improvement
Cultural tendencies towards isolation vs global idea adoption (Heimskir concept)
11. The Evolving Concept of Community and Belonging
Layers of identity: local, professional, global, human
Social media as connector across cultures—beyond physical locality
The future human mindset—global belonging over national identity
12. Key Takeaways and Calls to Action
Reinforcing the value of expanding mindsets and sourcing ideas globally
The importance of questioning established norms and crowd-sourcing breakthroughs
Fredrik Haren's closing reflections on creativity, openness, and personal development
Directing listeners to further resources and how to connect
This sequence provides a structured overview of the episode’s rich discussion, highlighting the key themes and their nuanced explorations.
{Questions this episode helps answer}
Ever wondered what happens when curiosity collides with courage? Brace yourself—what if the ONLY thing between you and your next breakthrough is a new way of seeing the ordinary? Pause. Rethink. What if the rules you live by... were totally up to YOU?
Stuck in autopilot with creativity? Time to smash the “that’s just how it’s done” mentality. Imagine building your own playbook—no borrowed scripts, no cultural hand-me-downs. Are you REALLY leading, or just repeating?
“When all think alike, no one thinks very much.” Heard that before? But seriously—how can you rebel against your own thinking? Challenge accepted. The real secret to innovation? It starts by picking curiosity over comfort.
If you could rewire one habit that’s keeping you from richer ideas, would you do it? Spoiler: Your greatest leap comes the moment you STOP letting everyone else’s template rule your life. Ready to design your difference?
Picture this: What if diversity wasn’t a “tick box”, but your ultimate edge? Why follow the rules when you could be rewriting them… and watching your world explode with fresh possibility? Go on—dare to get uncomfortable.
Questions Asked that were insightful
Certainly. From the transcript of "Creativity Loves Difference" on the Inclusion Bites Podcast, several questions asked by Joanne Lockwood guided Fredrik Haren into providing insightful and thought-provoking answers. These would be ideal for a Frequently Asked Questions series for podcast listeners interested in creativity, cultural intelligence, and inclusion. Here is a proposed FAQ list, drawn directly from the exchange:
1. How did you first realise that diversity and creativity are interconnected?
Joanne Lockwood prompted Fredrik Haren to reflect on the point in his career where he saw the link between creativity and diversity. Fredrik Haren shared a pivotal moment from his move to China, highlighting how stepping outside cultural norms forced him to reconsider not only how he ate but how he approached creativity, emphasising that creativity itself is an expression of difference.
2. What impact does being immersed in different cultures have on personal creativity?
A discussion about living in unfamiliar environments led Fredrik Haren to share that cultural immersion liberates individuals from rigid traditions, resulting in more authentic and personal creative expression. He illustrated this through stories of eating in Beijing and raising children across Swedish and Filipino cultures.
3. Why is curiosity so fundamental to creativity and cultural intelligence?
Both speakers explored how curiosity acts as the gateway to expanding one’s knowledge and openness to new ideas. Fredrik Haren referenced the Icelandic word for curiosity ('for witten') and recounted the Viking concept of a 'heimscher' (one who stays at home and becomes stupid), framing curiosity as essential for societal and individual growth.
4. What lessons can we learn about inclusion and creativity from observing other cultures?
Questions about food norms and traditions led to insightful observations from Fredrik Haren regarding acceptance of different practices, such as Icelandic fermented shark or horsemeat, and how subjective cultural preferences shed light on broader diversity issues.
5. How do you encourage others to break free from entrenched beliefs and become more open-minded?
Joanne Lockwood asked about persuading people to think differently. Fredrik Haren responded that self-understanding is key—once individuals grasp who they are, they become more likely to seek and embrace other perspectives.
6. What role does technology play in facilitating creativity and inclusion?
There was a rich discussion on using AI for creative processes, like generating song lyrics from podcast transcripts, with Fredrik Haren advocating for creative tools that reduce administration and enable richer expression.
7. Why do some societies resist adopting innovations that are successful elsewhere?
A critique of Sweden’s passport control system showed how cultural complacency and lack of curiosity can stifle improvement, reminding listeners that openness to global ideas is essential for progress.
8. How does forming connections with special interest communities globally affect our sense of belonging?
Both speakers noted that professional and interest-based communities often transcend national boundaries, resulting in new layers of identity and belonging.
These FAQs, rooted in the interview’s most compelling exchanges, offer listeners actionable insights and reflection points about the nexus of creativity, difference, and inclusion. Would you like to expand on any of these questions, or develop them into content for your newsletter or social media?
The standout line from this episode
The standout line from this episode is from Fredrik Haren:
"The lesson is not passport machines in Sweden, the lesson is what thing are you doing that you shouldn't be doing? Because someone else somewhere has invented a better way of doing it and all you have to do is go and look for it."
This encapsulates the episode’s core message about the necessity of curiosity, openness to difference, and the continuous quest to improve by learning from others—hallmarks of creativity, inclusion and genuine cultural intelligence.
❓ Questions
Certainly! Here are 10 thought-provoking discussion questions based on this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast: "Creativity Loves Difference".
How does Fredrik Haren’s experience living in multiple countries shape his perspective on creativity and diversity?
In what ways can curiosity be considered the "antidote" to closed-mindedness, as discussed by Fredrik Haren?
Reflecting on the Icelandic terms for curiosity and "heimskir", what can Western societies learn about the importance of seeking ideas beyond one’s home?
How did Fredrik Haren’s cross-cultural parenting challenges illustrate the complexity and value of combining diverse cultural approaches?
Why might it be liberating, as Fredrik Haren describes, to operate outside cultural norms and expectations? How can this benefit creativity?
How do technology and global connectivity reshape our sense of identity and the communities with which we engage, according to Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood?
What role does self-understanding play in fostering creativity and inclusion, based on Fredrik Haren’s observations from his interview in Bhutan?
How can embracing discomfort and unfamiliarity (e.g., trying new foods or cultures) influence our openness to creativity and innovation?
What are the risks and opportunities associated with the current trend of tribalism and polarisation in society, as explored in the episode?
Why do some societies or organisations resist adopting proven innovations from elsewhere, and how might increased curiosity help overcome these barriers?
Use these questions to spark further reflection or group discussion about the intersections of creativity, diversity, and inclusion explored in this episode.
{FAQs from the episode}
FAQ: Creativity Loves Difference – Inclusion Bites Podcast
1. What is the main theme of this episode?
The central topic explored is the relationship between creativity and diversity. Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood discuss how creativity thrives in environments where difference is welcomed and how diverse perspectives are essential for innovation.
2. Why is diversity considered fundamental to creativity?
According to Fredrik Haren, creativity inherently means doing things differently and better. When everyone thinks alike, creativity stagnates; diversity introduces multiple ways of solving problems, thus enriching creative outcomes.
3. How did Fredrik Haren come to appreciate the link between creativity and diversity?
During his move to China, Fredrik Haren experienced a moment of liberation—ordering food without cultural cues—which made him realise the value of approaching life free from prescribed methods. This catalysed his appreciation for diverse perspectives as a driver of creativity.
4. Can cultural differences shape personal beliefs and practices?
Absolutely. The episode highlights how parenting approaches differ greatly between cultures—such as attitudes towards discipline and respect for elders—and how questioning these norms can lead to better outcomes. The key, as Fredrik Haren notes, is embracing curiosity and being open to new methods from different cultures.
5. What is curiosity’s role in creative problem-solving?
Curiosity is described as the precursor to knowledge and innovation. Both speakers agree that being curious opens minds to learning from others, shifting from entrenched thinking to a more flexible, creative mindset.
6. How can people overcome the reluctance to explore differences?
The solution lies in self-understanding. When individuals deeply understand their own values and motivations, they become more open to innovation and less defensive of pre-existing beliefs, as discussed by Fredrik Haren.
7. What is an 'inner theme' and why is it important for creativity?
Fredrik Haren introduces the concept of the 'inner theme'—a unique, universal message only you can deliver. Finding and expressing your inner theme enables authentic creativity and allows you to contribute uniquely to collective knowledge.
8. Are there educational models that support diversity-driven creativity?
Yes. The Montessori system, described in the episode, allows children to pursue learning based on their interests. This approach builds diverse ways of thinking and doing, which are essential for nurturing creativity from an early age.
9. Does technology support or hinder creativity in the context of difference?
The episode asserts that technology, particularly AI, can alleviate administrative burdens and free up mental bandwidth for creativity. However, it is stressed that when used incorrectly, technology can also stifle creative potential.
10. Why do some cultures resist adopting innovations from others?
A reluctance to change, lack of curiosity, and unexamined belief in the superiority of one’s own methods can limit cultural progress. The speakers highlight the 'Heimskir' concept from Icelandic, meaning those who never leave their own tribe and thus fail to learn from the wider world.
11. Are we moving towards global communities, and what are the implications for creativity?
With technology enabling connections regardless of geography, we increasingly form global special interest groups. This shift encourages a broader human identity and access to diverse perspectives, thereby enhancing creativity.
12. How can listeners apply the lessons from this episode in their own lives or organisations?
By fostering curiosity, challenging entrenched assumptions, and actively seeking out diverse viewpoints, individuals and teams can innovate more effectively. Recognising and celebrating difference is fundamental to creating environments where creativity flourishes.
13. Where can I find more information or contact the speakers?
You can learn more about the podcast at SEE Change Happen. To contact Joanne Lockwood, email jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk. For Fredrik Haren, search for 'The Creativity Explorer' or connect via LinkedIn.
14. What’s one key takeaway from this episode?
To quote the Icelandic wisdom shared: “The person who only stays at home becomes stupid.” Creativity, growth, and inclusion are sparked when we leave our boundaries—culturally, intellectually, and socially—to embrace difference.
Tell me more about the guest and their views
Certainly. The guest for this episode, Fredrik Haren, is described as a global creativity explorer and author who has spent over 20 years uncovering how diverse cultures unlock human potential and fuel innovation. His career has spanned 75 countries, and he’s recognised for viewing creativity as a universal language that flourishes when all perspectives are genuinely included.
Central to Fredrik Haren's philosophy is the conviction that creativity is fundamentally linked to diversity. He articulates that true creativity is an act of difference—doing things differently, and often better—as encapsulated by the quote, “When all think alike, no one thinks very much.” This notion underpins his view that diversity fuels innovation, since the plurality of ideas and ways of approaching problems allows individuals and teams to devise novel and improved solutions.
A pivotal moment in Fredrik Haren's personal journey was his relocation from Sweden to China in 2005. He described how navigating the unfamiliar Chinese culture forced him to shed his preconceptions and find his own way of doing things—an experience he found liberating and instructive. This notion of 'cultural liberation' enables one to question established norms and authentically decide how to approach any situation, whether choosing how to eat a meal or raise children in a cross-cultural family setting.
Furthermore, Fredrik Haren emphasises the importance of curiosity as the foundation for both creativity and open-mindedness. He references the Icelandic word for curiosity, which means "that which comes before knowledge," positioning curiosity as an essential precursor to learning and innovation. He is keenly aware of how cultural and individual biases can limit us, asserting that most people unknowingly restrict themselves by not seeking out ideas from other cultures or domains—even when superior solutions exist elsewhere.
A practical demonstration of his philosophy is his personal approach to dietary choices, where he developed his own logic: he chooses to eat only animals that kill other animals. This unusual system exemplifies his principle of self-authorship—challenging handed-down norms and actively choosing his path based on personal reasoning rather than societal expectation.
Fredrik Haren is an advocate for global identity and connection. He observes that technology now enables individuals to form communities and affinities far beyond local and national boundaries, suggesting that humanity is on a trajectory toward broader identification as 'human beings’ rather than purely citizens of nations or tribes. He sees this as a positive force, suggesting that globalisation of communities enriches both personal and collective perspectives.
In summary, Fredrik Haren's views are deeply rooted in the value of diversity, open-mindedness, and curiosity. He champions moving beyond cultural and personal silos, leveraging insights from across the globe and from different disciplines, and devising one’s own “rules” for life and creativity. His work, including his latest book “The World of Creativity”, provides practical examples and thought-provoking commentary on how embracing difference leads not just to more inclusive cultures but measurably greater creativity and innovation.
Ideas for Future Training and Workshops based on this Episode
Certainly! Drawing on the rich insights and anecdotes from this episode of Inclusion Bites—“Creativity Loves Difference”—here are several workshop and training ideas designed to foster inclusive cultures, stimulate creativity, and challenge conventional thinking within organisations and communities:
1. Creativity, Curiosity and Diversity Training
Focus: How curiosity drives open-mindedness and creativity, using global perspectives on problem-solving and innovation.
Activities: Experiential exercises modelling Fredrik Haren’s examples of unscripted restaurant experiences, cultural encounters, and intentional self-reflection.
Outcomes: Participants learn to consciously question assumptions, embrace ambiguity, and appreciate diverse viewpoints as creative assets.
2. Global Cultural Intelligence Bootcamp
Focus: Drawing from Fredrik Haren’s experiences in 75+ countries and his theory of “heimskir”, this training would delve into understanding and integrating cultural best practices—moving beyond local echo chambers.
Activities: Case studies comparing decision-making, parenting, or technology adoption in different cultures; group challenge to “steal ideas” and adapt for local needs.
Outcomes: Enhanced ability to source global solutions, avoid insular thinking, and drive both inclusion and organisational innovation.
3. Personal Values and Self-Discovery Workshop
Focus: Exploring Fredrik Haren’s philosophy that creativity starts with understanding who you are, echoing Buddhist notions of self versus self-expression.
Activities: Guided “Inner Theme” exercises (as developed by Fredrik Haren), individual reflection periods, group sharing, and vision board creation.
Outcomes: Empowered individuals able to articulate their authentic perspective and bring it to inclusive spaces and teams.
4. Breaking Food Biases and Cultural Preferences Lab
Focus: As illustrated by the discussion on eating practices and food taboos, break down unconscious biases tied to culture.
Activities: “Food Line” Rethink—participants map their own taboos and preferences, share origin stories, and sample diverse foods; facilitated discussion about how these biases manifest in workplaces.
Outcomes: Increased empathy, reduced judgement, and wider appreciation for difference beyond surface-level diversity.
5. Montessori Principles for Adult Learning
Focus: Adapting the Montessori approach highlighted in the episode to adult training, fostering self-driven learning and diversity in thought.
Activities: Personalised learning plans, multi-format exercises (reading, drawing, audio, etc.) on inclusion topics; facilitators act as guides instead of instructors.
Outcomes: Enhanced autonomy, motivation, and creative thinking in professional development.
6. Creative Problem-Solving through Observational Practices
Focus: Inspired by the idea of being an “observer” before acting, as outlined by Fredrik Haren.
Activities: Nature walks or urban “observation” exercises (turning around every 50 metres), reflection sessions on unexpected insight, and application to real-world organisational problem-solving.
Outcomes: Sharpened skills in observation, reframing challenges, and finding innovative ways forward.
7. Practical Inclusion: Steal Like a Viking
Focus: Rooted in the Icelandic concept of heimskir, this session would challenge participants to research and present innovations from other organisations, cultures, or industries that could transform their own practices.
Activities: “Innovation Safari” scavenger hunt, peer presentations, group development of action plans.
Outcomes: Concrete plans for cross-cultural idea adoption and a mindset shift towards global learning.
8. AI and Creativity: Collaborating with Technology for Inclusion
Focus: Building on Joanne Lockwood's use of AI for creative outputs, this workshop would demystify AI's potential as an ally for accessibility and creativity.
Activities: Hands-on sessions generating songs, art or business ideas with AI, critical discussion of ethical implications and collective brainstorming of inclusive technology practices.
Outcomes: Empower participants to use AI tools to liberate creativity and support inclusion at scale.
Each of these ideas can be tailored further for various audiences—leaders, HR professionals, educators, or community organisers. They would spark both personal reflection and actionable change, directly reflecting the transformative conversations and perspectives shared in the episode.
For facilitation support or partnership opportunities, connect via jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk or explore more at Inclusion Bites.
SEO Optimised Titles
Creativity Across 75 Countries | How Global Diversity Sparks Innovation for 400,000+ | Fredrik @ Creativity Explorer
265,000 Swedish Islands and the Power of Curiosity in Inclusive Leadership | Fredrik @ Creativity Explorer
37 Countries, 400,000 Viewers, 1 Global Language of Creativity | Inclusion Insights | Fredrik @ Creativity Explorer
Highlight the Importance of this topic on LinkedIn
🌍 Just listened to "Creativity Loves Difference" on the Inclusion Bites Podcast with Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood – and honestly, this is the kind of conversation our HR and EDI communities need more of! 🚀
What stands out?
Creativity is fuelled by true diversity of perspectives, cultures, and lived experience.
The courage to question, reflect and shift mindsets is essential (and yes, curiosity really IS the competency for 21st century leadership!)
Taking inspiration from global ideas isn't a 'nice to have', it's a necessity for organisational growth and relevance.
As leaders, we must challenge legacy thinking, embrace change, and champion the kind of inclusion that doesn’t just tick boxes – but transforms how we solve problems, connect, and innovate. 🌱
This episode is a reminder that if we’re not learning, adapting and opening ourselves to new ways of thinking, we risk stagnation – organisationally and personally.
Let’s spark those conversations that truly ignite change. #InclusionBites #EDI #PeopleExperience #Creativity #Leadership 💫
Listen here: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen
Drop your thoughts below – how do you nurture difference in your organisation? 👇
L&D Insights
Certainly! Here’s a concise expert summary for Senior Leaders, HR, and EDI professionals based on the transcript of the Inclusion Bites Podcast episode “Creativity Loves Difference,” hosted by Joanne Lockwood with guest Fredrik Haren:
Key Insights for HR & EDI Leaders 🚀
1. Creativity and Diversity Are Inextricably Linked
Fredrik Haren frames creativity as a global language thriving on genuine inclusion of multiple perspectives. When everyone thinks alike, innovation stalls; diversity is the engine of true creativity.
Aha moment: Creativity, at its core, demands difference. The more varied the ideas and backgrounds, the greater the innovative potential.
2. Curiosity is the Bridge to Inclusion & Innovation
The concept from Icelandic language (“that which comes before knowledge”) highlights how curiosity opens minds to new ways of thinking and working.
Aha moment: Being willing to question, to “turn around every 50 metres” (literally and metaphorically), increases cognitive flexibility and broadens one’s worldview.
3. Challenge Cultural Conditioning
Both speakers explore how cultural norms shape (and sometimes limit) our choices – whether in parenting styles or problem-solving in organisations.
Aha moment: True global inclusion means interrogating our own rules and assumptions, not just adopting visible diversity policies. The best solutions might sit outside your inherited norms.
4. Global Communities Trump Local Homogeneity
Technology enables us to form affinity-based groups — identity is increasingly global and sector-based, not just local or national.
Aha moment: Connection is about values and interests, not merely geography. Leaders should harness global thinking and cross-cultural learning.
5. Modern L&D Must Teach Self-Understanding & Personal Agency
Fredrik Haren shares the Montessori principle: education should start from the individual’s interests, fostering self-awareness and agency rather than conformity.
Aha moment: The best teams are built when individuals understand their own motivations and strengths — and then bring them together purposefully.
Recommended Actions for Senior Leaders 👩💼👨💼
Actively Promote Curiosity: Foster environments where questioning is encouraged and not penalised.
Audit Cultural Norms: Systematically review ‘the way things are done’ and challenge inherited processes, especially when evidence from elsewhere shows better alternatives.
Facilitate Cross-Pollination: Create opportunities for people from different backgrounds to interact, share practices, and co-create.
Shift to Global Affinity Groups: Encourage networks and learning communities that cut across departments, local offices, and even countries.
Prioritise Personal Reflection in L&D Programmes: Integrate activities that help people discover their own “inner themes” or core values before driving team inclusion.
“Aha” Moments for Strategic Change 💡
Difference is not a barrier—it’s the raw material for creativity and progress.
Curiosity is foundational: before knowledge or change can happen, leaders must model and facilitate open exploration.
Personal growth and organisational innovation go hand in hand – fostering one drives the other.
Meaningful inclusion demands taking responsibility for our cultural biases, assumptions, and practices.
Look outward and inward simultaneously—learn from global best practice, but tailor solutions from genuine self-understanding.
Hashtags for Social Sharing
#CreativityLovesDifference
#InclusionIgnited
#CuriosityCulture
#GlobalLeadership
#EDITransformation
🌍 Senior HR & EDI leaders: challenge inherited norms, foster curiosity, and build global, diverse communities — that’s where creativity ignites!
Glossary of Terms and Phrases
# Uncommon Concepts and Phrases from "Creativity Loves Difference" – Inclusion Bites Podcast
Below is a list of concepts, words, and phrases that surfaced in this episode, particularly through the discussion between Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood / Joanne Lockwood, which are not widely used in everyday discourse. Each term is followed by how it was implied or defined within the episode.
---
### 1. Global Creativity Explorer
**Definition:**
A person who actively researches, explores, and connects the manifestations of creativity across diverse cultures, seeking how different societies unlock human potential and innovation.
---
### 2. Archipelago (in social context)
**Definition:**
Used not only to describe a geographic area (cluster of islands), but also as a metaphor for pockets or microcosms of distinct cultures or approaches—demonstrating difference as a source of creative potential.
---
### 3. Off-grid Living
**Definition:**
Living independently from conventional utilities (power, water, waste systems). In the episode, Fredrik Haren exemplifies this as a deliberate lifestyle that fosters creative and resilient thinking.
---
### 4. Creativity as Diversity
**Definition:**
The idea that creativity is, at its core, an expression and result of diversity (doing things differently). The connection was established by showing that creative solutions often arise from including genuinely different perspectives.
---
### 5. "When all think alike, no one thinks very much"
**Definition:**
A quote discussed that encapsulates the risk of homogenised thinking—true innovation and progress require different viewpoints.
---
### 6. Heimskir
**Definition:**
An Icelandic term for “moron” or “stupid person,” rooted in Viking culture. It describes someone who remains at home and fails to seek new ideas or learnings from outside their familiar environment—implying stagnation and a lack of curiosity.
---
### 7. Inner Theme
**Definition:**
A concept introduced by Fredrik Haren—the unique, core message or drive within an individual that forms the essence of one’s creativity. It is universal in relevance, but specific in delivery: "everyone needs to hear it, but only you can deliver it".
---
### 8. Montessori Approach (in creativity)
**Definition:**
A child-centred educational principle where learning is driven by the individual’s interests, rather than imposed structure. Applied to adult creativity: the value of motivating from internal drive rather than external dictates.
---
### 9. Eatarian
**Definition:**
A tongue-in-cheek dietary philosophy coined by Fredrik Haren: exclusively eating animals that themselves kill other animals. It's a self-created set of ethical eating rules illustrating individualised morality and creativity in constructing one’s own life systems.
---
### 10. Heimskir (expanded etymology)
**Definition:**
Beyond the literal translation, this Viking etymology ties stupidity to insular thinking—those who never leave their home (haim) and therefore never broaden their worldview become "heimskir."
---
### 11. Cultural Intelligence – Drive
**Definition:**
The episode references the first step of cultural intelligence: having the ‘drive’ or intrinsic motivation to want to learn about others’ perspectives and cultures, which is framed as a prerequisite for genuine inclusion and creativity.
---
### 12. Bullshit Job
**Definition:**
Referencing Rutger Bregman’s terminology—a job that does not create meaningful value, and may even hinder progress (e.g., manual passport controls in Sweden discussed as being redundant in comparison with automated systems elsewhere).
---
### 13. Observing (in creative practice)
**Definition:**
The act of intentional, mindful attention—turning around in a forest to see twice as much, as discussed by an illustrator—the foundation of seeing and discovering difference, and thus of creativity.
---
### 14. Affinity Bias / Affinity Groups
**Definition:**
The socio-psychological tendency to connect, collaborate, or form communities based on shared interests rather than geographic or national proximity. Highlighted in the context of web designers sharing more in common globally with each other than with local communities.
---
### 15. Socratic Self-questioning
**Definition:**
Whilst not named explicitly, the episode’s dialogue embodies this method: questioning one’s own assumptions, beliefs, and the status quo as a route towards creativity and broader inclusion.
---These terms represent the deeper linguistic and conceptual tools that underpinned this episode’s engagement with creativity, diversity, and the mechanics of cultural inclusion.
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Embracing Creativity Loves Difference for Culture Change and Positive People Experiences | #InclusionBitesPodcast
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creativity loves difference, inclusion, culture change, positive people experiences, diversity, belonging, innovative thinking, global mindset, creativity, inclusive cultures, cultural intelligence, leadership, behaviour change, open-mindedness, curiosity, Fredrik Haren, Joanne Lockwood, HEIMSKIR, creativity explorer, global conversation, workplace diversity, modern leadership, personal growth, self-reflection, innovation, adaptability
Killer Quote:
"It's a bug in the human DNA that we are not better at picking up good ideas from other people." - Fredrik Haren
Hashtags:
#CreativityLovesDifference, #CultureChange, #PositivePeopleExperiences, #InclusionBitesPodcast, #Inclusion, #Belonging, #Diversity, #Innovation, #Leadership, #GlobalMindset, #Curiosity, #FredrikHaren, #JoanneLockwood, #PersonalGrowth, #Empowerment, #ChangeMakers, #OpenMindset, #CultureShift, #SeeChangeHappen, #HumanConnection
Why Listen
Welcome fellow change seekers, diversity champions, and fellow travellers on the road of inclusive transformation! In this invigorating episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, I, Joanne Lockwood, invite you to join me as I sit down with global creativity explorer Fredrik Haren for a conversation that truly sets the agenda for anyone striving to lead Culture Change and drive Positive People Experiences in their workplace, community, or personal life.
Creativity Loves Difference isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s the vibrant heartbeat of this episode. Together with Fredrik, we unpick the profound link between creativity and diversity, revealing why embracing difference is at the core of innovation, adaptability, and thriving culture. Drawing on Fredrik’s experience across 75 countries and his unique personal journey—from Sweden to Singapore and back again—we learn how global perspectives shape not only the way we solve professional challenges but how we nurture families and foster belonging.
You’ll hear stories that illuminate how stepping out of your comfort zone, whether that’s pointing blindly at a menu in Beijing or raising children with multi-cultural values, sparks those moments of creative self-discovery and culture shift. Fredrik shares his epiphany that true creativity is itself an act of diversity—a refusal to be shackled by “the way things are supposed to be”. These lessons challenge us to question inherited knowledge, build our own rule sets, and become comfortable with not knowing; this is the foundation for continuous improvement and true innovation.
We dive deep into the magic of curiosity. Without curiosity—the drive to learn beyond what’s familiar—there can be no culture change. As Fredrik puts it so beautifully, “curiosity is the one thing that gives you the open-mindedness,” leading us inexorably to greater creativity, empathy, and adaptability. Using the Icelandic term HEIMSKIR, we explore the idea that remaining in our bubble of the familiar makes us less intelligent and less creative. Only by seeking out difference, by leaving our metaphorical “home” to steal new ideas and perspectives, do we unlock our fullest potential as individuals and as organisations.
This episode is a masterclass in reframing challenge as opportunity. Whether you’re deciding how to parent with cross-cultural values, figuring out how to nurture a team’s creativity, or looking to break out of administrative rut, Fredrik demonstrates that the best solutions come from blending global perspectives, self-reflection, and a willingness to try something new (even if it’s putrefied shark in Iceland!).
Together, we probe the role of empathy, listening, and self-understanding as the core drivers of Culture Change. We highlight Montessori education as a template for nurturing unique creative expression, and we ask, how can adults re-capture this self-driven curiosity, and take personal accountability for both their decisions and mistakes?
With global communities now connected through affinity and purpose (rather than simply proximity), we see how workplace tribes are being redefined by shared interests and values. This shift, facilitated by technology, is both liberating and demands new levels of cultural intelligence and openness. As Fredrik says, “My Facebook feed has 15, 20 different languages. Thank God they introduced translation!”—diversity is not just a checkbox, it’s an everyday lived experience.
Yet the biggest challenges lie in our resistance to change. Using the case of Swedish passport control as an example, we explore why even obvious solutions often go overlooked—the Problem-Agitate-Solution (PAS) model is right there in practice! The solution? Be relentlessly curious, crowdsource fresh ideas, and bring them home to foster innovation and inclusion.
If you’re seeking real-world, actionable insights in leadership, self-reflection, cultural intelligence, and practical creativity, this episode is your blueprint. Together, let’s build a world where difference sparks innovation, and Positive People Experiences are the norm, not the exception.
Closing Summary and Call to Action
Reflecting on our discussion with Fredrik, let’s synthesise the actionable takeaways and learning points, ensuring your journey towards Culture Change is equipped with practical wisdom:
Embrace Difference as a Creative Driver:
Recognise that diversity isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s the engine of innovation. Culture Change requires a move away from uniformity towards genuine inclusion of varied perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences.
Foster Curiosity as a Core Behaviour:
Make curiosity your organisational superpower. Interrogate assumptions, seek out alternative viewpoints, and create space for asking “why?” and “how?” at every stage. Remember, curiosity comes before knowledge, as illustrated by the Icelandic term for curiosity, meaning “that which comes before knowledge”.
Champion Positive People Experiences at Every Level:
Create environments where everyone feels safe to bring their authentic selves, question norms, and trial novel approaches. When people feel valued and unencumbered by the need to “fit in”, their energy is channelled into ideation, collaboration, and progress.
Leverage Multi-Cultural Perspectives for Real Change:
Actively seek to draw learning from multiple cultures and disciplines. Whether in parenting, team management, or product design, look for the “third way”—go beyond binary thinking, and blend the best ideas from anywhere.
Reframe Mistakes as Learning Opportunities:
Accept that mistakes and missteps are inevitable in creative environments. Encourage teams (and yourself) to explore freely, accept accountability, and view failures not as setbacks but as essential steps on the path to innovation.
Model Empathy, Listening and Openness:
Practice non-judgemental listening and be open to changing your mind. Cultivate spaces where debate and difference are not only tolerated but encouraged for the sake of improvement, not simply consensus.
Disrupt Administrative Barriers to Creativity:
Use technology (including AI) to automate mundane tasks and free up bandwidth for creative thinking. Question which legacy processes exist only because “that’s how it’s always been done”—and proactively seek out global best practice.
Build Your Own Personal Rule Set:
As Fredrik demonstrated with his “eatarian” philosophy, don’t be afraid to construct and own your unique perspectives, values, and approaches, independent of cultural scripts. Empower others to do the same.
Invest in Education That Fosters Creativity:
Montessori and other child-led learning models are proof that when we nurture intrinsic motivation, creativity and diversity flourish. In business, adapt these methodologies by allowing individuals to pursue work that lights them up.
Expand Your Sources of Inspiration:
Regularly step outside your professional, cultural, and geographical comfort zones. Attend global conferences, engage in international networks, and make “worldview expansion” a priority for yourself and your organisation.
Challenge National and Organisational Complacency:
Avoid the Heimskir trap—don’t become the “stupid person who never leaves home”. Regularly benchmark practices against global innovators and adopt what's working elsewhere.
Connect Through Affinity, Not Proximity:
Build meaningful relationships through shared interests, not just shared locations. Utilise online communities and technology to amplify learning and cultural awareness.
Harness the Power of Storytelling:
Use stories—whether about ordering unexpected pork in Zurich or adapting family dynamics—to illuminate universal themes and spark empathy and creative thinking.
Resist Polarisation, Welcome Nuance:
Vigilantly guard against tribalism and ideological entrenchment. Focus on enriching dialogue and diverse opinions as vehicles for learning, not division.
Cultivate Self-Understanding:
The key to authentic creativity is knowing oneself. Make time for self-reflection, identify your inner theme, and own the message only you can deliver to the world.
Celebrate the Value of Minorities and Unusual Ideas:
Encourage “outlier” thinking and voices from the margins of your organisation. Often, the most transformative solutions come from the most unexpected sources.
Be Ready for Global Culture Change:
The next wave of human evolution is a globally-minded identity—prepare yourself and your organisation for a future where human rather than national or local identity reigns.
Make Learning and Improvement Routine:
Don’t wait for a pain point to trigger curiosity; build learning, improvement, and benchmarking into your regular practices.
Build Accountability Systems that Promote Creativity:
Make personal and team accountability central to your processes. Celebrate reflection and the willingness to own outcomes, positive or negative.
Amplify Inclusion—Share & Champion Best Practice:
Share your learning with colleagues, friends, and peers. Champion actionable inclusion and join global conversations that challenge the status quo.
Now, it’s over to you—take this knowledge as your toolkit for shaping Culture Change, for driving Positive People Experiences, and for lighting the spark of creativity wherever you are.
Outro
Thank you, the listener, for tuning into another transformative episode of the Inclusion Bites Podcast with me, Joanne Lockwood. If today’s episode helped spark ideas for Culture Change and Positive People Experiences in your zone of influence, please like and subscribe to the channel for more bold conversations and actionable insights.
For more information, visit:
SEE Change Happen website: https://seechangehappen.co.uk
The Inclusion Bites Podcast: https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen
Stay curious, stay kind, and stay inclusive - Joanne Lockwood
Root Cause Analyst - Why!
Problem Identification
From the episode "Creativity Loves Difference," a recurring issue emerges: individuals and cultures often fail to embrace difference as a catalyst for creativity and problem-solving. This reluctance inhibits innovation, inclusion, and personal development.
The “Why” Analysis:
Why does this problem exist?
Many individuals unconsciously adhere to familiar cultural norms and practices, resisting alternative perspectives or methods.
Why do people adhere to these norms and resist alternatives?
Comfort and certainty come from what is known; diverging from established norms can create discomfort, anxiety, or threaten one’s sense of identity.
Why does divergence cause discomfort or anxiety?
Social structures, such as education, family traditions, or national identity, often reinforce specific worldviews. People are taught early to value conformity over curiosity or difference.
Why do social structures reinforce conformity and suppress curiosity?
Standardised systems (e.g., traditional educational models as discussed by Fredrik Haren) prioritise uniformity to facilitate management, assessment, and control, inadvertently suppressing the development of unique perspectives and self-awareness.
Why are systems built around uniformity and control, rather than diversity and curiosity?
Historically, standardisation originated to maintain societal stability and predictability, not to foster creativity. Change and difference are perceived as risks to order, especially when leadership is averse to experimenting with unfamiliar concepts or adopting external innovations.
Summary of Findings
The episode highlights that entrenched conformity—perpetuated by societal institutions, habitual thinking, and risk aversion—stifles curiosity and diversity, which are critical drivers of creativity and innovation. Both Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood illustrate, through personal anecdotes (e.g., cross-cultural parenting, travel experiences, food habits), how lack of openness to new ways of thinking directly inhibits creative problem-solving and inclusion.
Potential Solutions
Redesign Education and Socialisation:
Implement pedagogies such as Montessori (as praised by Fredrik Haren), focusing on self-discovery, individual strengths, and curiosity-driven exploration.
Leadership Development:
Encourage leaders to model open-mindedness by sourcing ideas globally, challenging the “Heimskir” mentality, and publicly valuing diverse perspectives over rigid uniformity.
Institutional Policy Reform:
Incentivise innovation and creativity structurally—reward interdisciplinary problem-solving, cross-cultural collaboration, and the proactive adoption of best practices from other regions or professions.
Promote Curiosity and Self-Reflection:
Facilitate environments (workplaces, communities) where questioning assumptions ('Is this the only—and best—way?') is normalised and valued.
Reward Experiential Learning:
Encourage travel, intercultural exchange, and practical curiosity—such as experimenting with new foods or practices, as described by both speakers—to diminish the fear of otherness and promote confidence in creative decision-making.
Ultimately, to dismantle the barriers to embracing difference as a creative advantage, institutions and individuals must prioritise curiosity, self-awareness, and a willingness to learn from the unfamiliar. This approach enables the flourishing of inclusion and creativity in both personal and organisational contexts.
{Major topics}
Creativity Loves Difference: Key Themes from a Conversation with Fredrik Haren
Curiosity is the key to unlocking creativity. In this spirited and thought-provoking exchange with Fredrik Haren, I was reminded that inclusion and creativity are not just companions—they are fundamentally entwined. As we wandered from personal anecdotes to global perspectives, an essential truth emerged: difference, in all its glory, is the birthplace of creative solutions. Here’s a look at six central themes that shaped our dialogue, all through the lens of our mission to nurture belonging and drive social change.
Creativity and Difference – An Unbreakable Bond
From the outset, I asked Fredrik about his reflections on the deep connection between diversity and creativity. He likened creativity to diversity itself: at its core, creativity is about doing things differently and challenging perceived norms. As we discussed, creativity flourishes when we bring together a wide spectrum of voices and experiences—it simply cannot thrive in echo chambers. Together, we delved into the risks of homogeneity: when "all think alike, no one really thinks very much." This is a foundational pillar in inclusion work, and a call to courageously seek out the new and the different.
And here's what sparked my own curiosity—could we, by embracing difference more intentionally, truly dismantle the invisible walls holding back human innovation? Fredrik’s own moves across continents and cultures certainly suggest we can.
The Liberation of Perspective: Cultural Immersion
Fredrik’s tales of first arriving in Beijing, unable to read the menu and guided by nothing but gestures and instinct, perfectly illustrated what happens when our cultural guide ropes are suddenly gone. Faced with a literal smorgasbord of choice, with no instructions on "how things are done," he described the liberating feeling of finally choosing for himself—something far too rare, perhaps, in our over-structured lives.
It struck me that stepping outside familiarity doesn’t just teach us about others; it reveals hidden truths about ourselves. How often do we let our culture speak for us, instead of our own inner voice? Might disruption be not only nerve-wracking but also joyfully freeing? This thread left me wondering: What creativity could we unlock if we each experienced the world truly as foreigners—free, for a moment, from invisible scripts?
Parenting, Personal Rules, and the Power in Questioning
As we moved the conversation onto family life, Fredrik shared compelling insights about raising children in a multicultural household. The necessity of negotiating between Swedish and Filipino traditions—whether it’s disciplining children or respecting elders—forced them to question every assumption, and ultimately, to pick and blend the best of both worlds. This constant re-evaluation is fertile ground for both inclusion and creativity; it forces a person to see things not simply for what they are, but for what they might become.
I found myself reflecting: What if, instead of defaulting to "how it’s always been done," we all chose to ask "Is there a better way?" Could embracing the discomfort of not knowing lead to better families, workplaces, and communities? Is curiosity, as Fredrik asserts, the seed of both intelligence and compassion?
Unlocking Problem Solving Through Cultural Curiosity
We circled back to what happens when difference directly meets challenge—the heart of creative problem-solving. Both of us shared personal anecdotes about trying new foods abroad and the mix of delight, confusion, and even discomfort that comes with breaking culinary boundaries. But here’s where the magic lies: curiosity always precedes knowledge, and for cultures that revere questioning, creativity is almost an inevitability.
I asked: can you imagine a world in which we regarded “not knowing” as an opportunity, not a failing? Fredrik introduced me to the Icelandic word “heimskir,” a profound reminder that to stay home—to refuse to explore and learn from others—is to risk becoming ignorant. My mind whirled: in a world saturated with information, perhaps genuine curiosity is our scarcest, most valuable resource.
Building Human Connection—Beyond National Boundaries
Fredrik described the remarkable shift from local to global communities, where one’s sense of belonging may be shaped more by profession, passion, or shared humanity than nationality. I see this everywhere in my own life: my closest peers and kindred spirits live in different time zones, but we connect over purpose and values. This transcultural connectivity enriches problem-solving and sparks creativity, as each of us brings our lived experience into the mix.
I wonder—will the future of inclusion rest on building human-first networks? If we each bring our cultural gifts to the table while making our primary identity “human,” could we outpace today’s slow march towards a more just and imaginative world?
The Persistent Challenge: Adapting, Observing, and Challenging the Status Quo
In our discussion of innovation—from passport control to classroom pedagogy—a simple truth emerged: great ideas are everywhere, but our willingness to look outward remains patchy at best. Fredrik was passionate on this point: why not “steal with pride” systems that work elsewhere, rather than clinging to the comfort of the familiar? It is, as we agreed, sometimes a bug in the human DNA to resist obvious improvements.
As our conversation drew to a close, I found myself musing on a final question: in a world so connected and resourced, what stops us from crowd-sourcing the best ideas and making them our own? The answer, in Fredrik’s words, is almost always the lack of curiosity or courage to leave "home".
Inclusion as the Essential Ingredient in Creative Solutions
My journey with Fredrik underscored a guiding principle for SEE Change Happen and Inclusion Bites: creativity truly loves difference. Embracing curiosity—towards ourselves, each other, and the world—remains our most powerful tool. If we choose to observe, adapt, and keep an open heart, there’s no limit to the creative solutions we can imagine together.
For those drawn to challenging the status quo and creating spaces where everyone can belong and thrive, this is your invitation: tune in, ask the difficult questions, and remember—curiosity is your passport to a more inclusive and innovative world.
Discover more bold conversations that unite and inspire at Inclusion Bites.
Slogans and Image Prompts
Certainly! Here are memorable slogans, soundbites, and quotes drawn directly from the episode "Creativity Loves Difference" on the Inclusion Bites Podcast. For each, there’s a detailed AI image generation prompt for creating striking and desirable merchandise.
Slogan / Soundbite:
"Creativity Loves Difference"
Image Prompt:
Design a vibrant, colourful illustration showing diverse individuals brainstorming together, their ideas manifesting as lively, interconnected lines and shapes across the background. Use a playful, handwritten-style font for the quote, ensuring “Creativity” and “Difference” are highlighted with bold colours and different typographies. The setting should radiate warmth, collaboration, and creative energy.
Slogan / Soundbite:
"Curiosity: That Which Comes Before Knowledge"
Image Prompt:
Depict a close-up of an open, glowing book with sparkling ideas, thoughts, and abstract shapes gently rising from the pages. Around the book, show subtle silhouettes representing varied cultures, all gazing in intrigue. The words are arranged in a thoughtful serif font, golden-glowing atop the scene, with a soft, inspirational background (e.g., a dawn sky or library).
Slogan / Soundbite:
"When all think alike, no one thinks very much."
Image Prompt:
Create a minimalist, high-contrast design with identical human figures fading into the background, while one unique, vibrant figure stands out in the foreground, surrounded by creative doodles and lightbulb icons. Render the text in a modern sans-serif font, with “think alike” in monochrome and “no one thinks very much” in a standout colour.
Slogan / Soundbite:
"If you want to expand your knowledge, you first need to be curious."
Image Prompt:
Illustrate a curious, adventurous traveller standing at the edge of a vast, beautifully diverse landscape made up of books, paths, globes, and new horizons. The phrase arcs over the scene in classic, elegant script, with key words like “curious” and “expand” subtly glowing.
Slogan / Soundbite:
"The person who always stays at home becomes stupid."
(Taken from the Icelandic ‘heimskir’ insight.)
Image Prompt:
Show two contrasting scenes split diagonally: on one side, a closed, monochrome room; on the other, a world map bursting with colour, with footsteps leading outward. Use a quirky, comic-style font, making the quote cheeky yet thought-provoking—ideal for stickers.
Hashtag:
#InclusionBites
Image Prompt:
Design a stylised podcast microphone with subtle bite marks, surrounded by a colourful circle of abstract, diverse faces. Insert the hashtag boldly across the bottom. Keep the design punchy and modern—perfect for badges or mugs.
Slogan / Soundbite:
"Be curious. Be open. Steal great ideas."
Image Prompt:
Frame a playful cartoon lightbulb character wearing sunglasses, sneakily taking colourful puzzle pieces from various world monuments (Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, Great Wall of China) and assembling them. Use bold bubble lettering for the phrase, with each verb in a different primary colour.
Slogan / Soundbite:
"Fostering a more inclusive world, one episode at a time."
Image Prompt:
Show a podcast headphone icon wrapped around a miniature Earth, with rays of light connecting diverse people around the globe. Render the quote in clear, friendly lettering above and below—great for tote bags and t-shirts.
Slogan / Soundbite:
"Find your inner theme—your unique message to the world."
Image Prompt:
Create an abstract silhouette of a person, with swirling patterns and symbols representing various passions and ideas emanating from the heart and mind. The quote should curve elegantly around the image, using uplifting typography, suitable for both notebooks and water bottles.
Hashtag:
#CuriosityDrivesChange
Image Prompt:
A road winding across a stylised world map, lined with signposts of creative symbols (question marks, lightbulbs, books, globes). The hashtag is integrated into the road design in bold, lively font, inviting action and discovery.
These are all rooted in the genuine insights from your episode and would make for merchandise that’s both meaningful and visually compelling. If you need variations or more ideas, just ask!
Inclusion Bites Spotlight
This month on Inclusion Bits Spotlight, we turn our attention to an energising episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast: “Creativity Loves Difference”, featuring renowned global creativity explorer and author, Fredrik Haren. Guided by the insightful hosting of Joanne Lockwood, listeners are invited into a candid conversation that navigates the fascinating intersections of creativity, curiosity, and cultural diversity.
With experience across 75 countries and decades devoted to understanding how diverse cultures unlock human potential, Fredrik Haren embodies the philosophy that creativity is, at its heart, an expression of difference. Drawing on stories from his international life—ranging from island living in Sweden’s archipelago to navigating dining challenges in Beijing—Fredrik Haren illustrates how stepping outside one’s comfort zone unshackles genuine originality.
The episode delves into Fredrik Haren’s conviction that true innovation flourishes when we suspend judgement and embrace alternative perspectives. Whether reflecting on raising his children in a Swedish-Filipino household or exploring food taboos around the world, he argues that the courage to question our ingrained assumptions ignites the spark of creativity. Joanne Lockwood and Fredrik Haren unravel how curiosity—'that which comes before knowledge’—is foundational not just for creative thinking, but also for dismantling exclusionary norms within society and the workplace.
Listeners will gain thought-provoking insights into why creativity and inclusivity are inseparable: from challenging legacy systems and admin-heavy processes, to considering how education methods like Montessori nurture difference and self-understanding from an early age. The conversation traverses the practical and the philosophical, ultimately championing the message that creativity and inclusion must go hand in hand to unlock innovation.
Tune in for an episode that doesn’t just champion diversity, but makes a compelling case for why we must all become curious explorers—at work, at home, and within ourselves. Let Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood inspire you to see the world afresh, and invite difference to the heart of your creative process.
Catch the full conversation on The Inclusion Bites Podcast and be part of the journey to a more inclusive, creative world.
10 Question Quiz
Quiz: Creativity Loves Difference — Insights from the Host
1. According to Joanne Lockwood, what is the core focus of the Inclusion Bites Podcast?
A) Technical innovation
B) Light-hearted entertainment
C) Deep conversations on inclusion and societal transformation
D) Sports news and updates
2. What does Joanne Lockwood encourage listeners to do to be part of the podcast conversation?
A) Write letters to the editor
B) Reach out via her email
C) Call in live during the show
D) Comment on social media posts
3. When discussing travel, what does Joanne Lockwood highlight as a common approach tourists take towards food?
A) Willingly try all local delicacies
B) Seek out familiar home-style food abroad
C) Only eat vegetarian meals
D) Avoid all eating establishments
4. During the episode, Joanne Lockwood recounts a personal overseas dining experience in Zurich. What lesson does she draw from it?
A) Always eat before travelling
B) Try to learn the language before visiting
C) Embrace curiosity when faced with unfamiliar situations
D) Bring packed meals from home
5. How does Joanne Lockwood relate her experience of getting a new puppy to lessons in leadership and human interaction?
A) Choose pets carefully
B) Use strict discipline
C) Take personal accountability and adjust the environment to influence outcomes
D) Ignore all animal behaviour
6. According to Joanne Lockwood, what key trait supports openness to change and creativity?
A) Rigidity
B) Curiosity
C) Stubbornness
D) Disinterest
7. What does Joanne Lockwood suggest about understanding cultural perspectives via social media?
A) Social media limits perspective
B) Social media allows for crowdsourcing diverse views
C) Social media makes everyone agree
D) Social media should be avoided
8. Reflecting on personal values, Joanne Lockwood states that truly understanding others starts with what?
A) Studying world history
B) Understanding oneself and one’s values
C) Memorising facts
D) Agreeing with the majority
9. Which educational approach does Joanne Lockwood mention that encourages individual learning based on interest?
A) Traditional classroom teaching
B) Montessori method
C) Home-schooling
D) Online tutorials
10. What practical advice does Joanne Lockwood give for making unpleasant tasks more enjoyable?
A) Ignore the task
B) Delegate the task
C) Reframe the task with positivity or combine it with enjoyable activities
D) Rush through it angrily
Answer Key and Rationales
C) Deep conversations on inclusion and societal transformation
Rationale: Joanne Lockwood introduces the podcast as a space for bold conversations about inclusion, belonging, and societal change.B) Reach out via her email
Rationale: She invites listeners to contact her directly at jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share insights or join the show.B) Seek out familiar home-style food abroad
Rationale: She notes many tourists prefer to find their own local foods when travelling rather than try new things.C) Embrace curiosity when faced with unfamiliar situations
Rationale: In Zurich, she orders food she doesn’t recognise and learns to adapt, illustrating the value of curiosity.C) Take personal accountability and adjust the environment to influence outcomes
Rationale: She links puppy training to taking responsibility and learning how to influence behaviour through one’s own actions.B) Curiosity
Rationale: Joanne Lockwood emphasises curiosity as a bridge to open-mindedness and creativity.B) Social media allows for crowdsourcing diverse views
Rationale: She observes that social media creates an environment where differing perspectives can be rapidly sourced and discussed.B) Understanding oneself and one’s values
Rationale: She asserts that knowing oneself is the prerequisite to understanding others and avoiding quick judgement.B) Montessori method
Rationale: Joanne Lockwood explains how Montessori teaching is based on following the child’s interests and intrinsic motivation.C) Reframe the task with positivity or combine it with enjoyable activities
Rationale: She recommends reframing unpleasant tasks (e.g., cleaning toilets) with music or fun to make them tolerable.
Summary Paragraph
Through the episode, Joanne Lockwood articulates that genuine creativity flourishes in environments where differences are embraced and curiosity is actively cultivated. The podcast’s core mission revolves around fostering transformational conversations on inclusion, inviting listeners to participate and share their insights directly. Drawing on personal experiences and metaphors—from travel mishaps to puppy training and educational philosophies—she illuminates the importance of reframing challenges, understanding one’s own values, and remaining open to diverse perspectives, especially in a connected age enriched by social media and collaborative learning. Ultimately, Joanne Lockwood champions individual accountability, curiosity-driven enquiry, and positive engagement as essential foundations for creativity and inclusion to thrive.
Rhyme Scheme and Rhythm Podcast Poetry
Creativity Loves Difference — A Poetic Reflection
Across the archipelago’s sunlit blue,
Where off-grid islands shape the view,
A mind contemplates what it means to be,
Creative, alive, and wholly free.
Not chained to custom’s ancient art,
Nor driven only by one’s start,
But left to pick and sift the best,
From every culture’s vibrant quest.
Forks, knives, chopsticks, spoons arrayed,
No rule to bind, nor norm obeyed.
What if the menu held no guide?
Sheer possibility—let difference preside.
From Sweden’s gentle parent hand,
To Filipino respect unmanned;
Ways to nurture, teach, and hold,
Questioned, blended, freshly told.
Curiosity before all knowing—
It seeds the ground from which we're growing.
Montessori minds let children choose
Their own adventure, not just the school’s.
Observe the world with keen intent;
Don’t wander past, indifferent, spent.
Turn in the woods, look back anew,
Twice the vision, broad the view.
Ideas are delicacies strange and rare,
Even shark or horse, if you dare.
Souls that travel, borrow, steal
Wisdom that's practical, deft, and real.
Let tribes be formed not by mere land
But passion, purpose, craft at hand:
We build new worlds where voices blend,
Our global kin, our local friend.
In thought, in art, in daily deed,
Reject the fixèd, outgrown creed;
Let open minds, not rigid fences,
Redefine our shared consensus.
So share these rhymes, let others know,
The ripple starts with just one show.
Subscribe, reflect, and pass along—
With thanks to Fredrik Haren for a fascinating podcast episode.
Key Learnings
Key Learning and Takeaway:
The episode "Creativity Loves Difference" underscores that creativity thrives on diversity—whether in culture, perspective, or lived experience. The essential insight explored by Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood is that true innovation and personal growth arise when individuals break from cultural and habitual norms, embrace curiosity, and seek understanding not only of others but, crucially, of themselves. The willingness to question one’s own assumptions and integrate perspectives from different cultures, professions, and backgrounds is the foundational driver of both creativity and inclusive thinking.
Point #1: Curiosity is the Gateway to Knowledge
Fredrik Haren emphasises that curiosity precedes knowledge—citing the Icelandic definition. Before one can acquire new insights, they must first be curious enough to seek and explore alternatives. This open-minded stance, rather than a fixed mentality, is the antidote to stagnation and the engine of creative discovery.
Point #2: Divergent Cultural Perspectives Fuel Innovation
Personal anecdotes reveal how living in and marrying across cultures exposes individuals to multiple approaches and value systems. When forced out of a single cultural narrative, one discovers new ways of problem solving—which, as Fredrik Haren demonstrates, leads to more thoughtful, bespoke decision making and ultimately, inclusion.
Point #3: Self-Understanding Drives Unique Creative Expression
The episode suggests that the most profound creativity emerges when individuals strive to understand themselves at a deep level, leading to expressions and solutions that are genuinely unique. As Fredrik Haren points out, creativity is not simply self-expression but self-discovery—a principle at the heart of inclusive cultures and Montessori education.
Point #4: Integration, Not Imitation, Expands Human Potential
Rather than blindly copying innovations from elsewhere, there is a powerful call to selectively ‘steal’ and integrate what works from other communities, nations, or professions. Open-minded borrowing—paired with a critical evaluation—enables us to sidestep the limitations of our own traditions, avoid becoming the ‘heimsker’ (one who never leaves home), and collectively advance towards more creative and inclusive societies.
For further listening or to share your own story, reach out to jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk or visit https://seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen.
Maxims to live by…
Maxims to Live By: Creativity Loves Difference
Cultivate Curiosity Before Knowledge
Approach the world with genuine curiosity. The drive to know more is the first step towards expanding your understanding and wisdom.Embrace Diverse Perspectives
Seek out and welcome differences in thought, culture, and practice—they are fertile ground for creativity and innovation.Challenge the “Right Way”
Question established norms and resist being tethered to doing things “as they’ve always been done.” Growth stems from considering alternates and improvements.Be Open to Change
Allow your opinions and beliefs to evolve. Flexibility and adaptability are marks of intelligence and maturity.Find Fulfilment in Self-Reliance and Simplicity
Derive satisfaction from creating, sustaining, and supporting your own needs, wherever possible—be it energy, resources, or ideas.Observe Beyond Your Usual Field of Vision
Practice active observation. Sometimes, a small change in perspective reveals new worlds and possibilities.Steal With Pride (Ethically)
If you find a better way of doing something—adopt it. Don’t cling to outdated methods out of habit or pride.Construct Your Own Rulebook
Be the architect of your own values and principles. Adopt what serves you best from global wisdom, and discard what no longer fits.Prioritise Self-Understanding
Deeply knowing who you are is the foundation for authentic creativity and meaningful connection with others.Remove Ego from Learning
Release the need to always be right. Humility opens the mind and amplifies growth.Choose Inclusion Over Insularity
Step beyond familiar tribes and communities. Actively connect with those different from you to expand your world.Value Process and Progress Over Perfection
Seek learning and enrichment, not absolute answers or purity in routines. Creativity thrives in iteration.Leverage Technology as a Creative Enabler
Use tools—be they digital or otherwise—to remove administrative barriers, enabling more time for observation, thinking, and creating.Take Personal Accountability for Your Interactions
Acknowledge your role in outcomes—whether in relationships, teams, or broader society. Accountability fuels improvement.Invite Playful Experimentation
Approach new experiences—be they culinary, cultural, or personal—with playfulness and a willingness to try, even if you might fail.Nurture Human Connections Across Borders
Value relationships both near and far. Technology and empathy allow for meaningful global belonging, blurring lines of geography and culture.Question Why You Do What You Do
Regularly ask yourself: is there a better way? Complacency is the enemy of both inclusion and creativity.Seek the Best Ideas, Wherever They Arise
Great solutions know no borders. Look to others—countries, industries, professions—and adapt what makes sense for you and your community.Celebrate Uniqueness in Self and Others
Recognise that everyone’s optimal way of expressing and contributing is different. Honour that difference in yourself and amplify it in others.Keep Expanding Your Worldview
Don’t just stay at home—literally and metaphorically. Every journey, conversation, and observation has the potential to make your world bigger.
Live boldly. Create freely. Love difference.
Extended YouTube Description
YouTube Video Description: Creativity Loves Difference — The Power of Diversity, Curiosity & Inclusion | The Inclusion Bites Podcast
Unlock how creativity thrives on difference and discover why curiosity lies at the heart of innovation and inclusive cultures. In this episode of Inclusion Bites, host Joanne Lockwood sits down with global creativity explorer and author, Fredrik Haren, to discuss how embracing difference paves the way for problem-solving, personal growth, and societal transformation.
⏰ Timestamps for Easy Navigation:
00:00 – Introduction & Welcome
01:15 – Meet Fredrik Haren: Career, Superpower & Global Experience
02:31 – Life in Sweden’s Archipelago & Off-Grid Living
05:36 – Creativity & Diversity: Defining the Connection
07:55 – Living Abroad: Culture Shock & Learning to ‘Be Me’
09:49 – Raising Multicultural Children – Diverse Parenting & Worldviews
12:12 – Curiosity: The Foundation of Open-Mindedness
14:29 – Human (and Puppy) Behaviour: Accountability & Patience
16:24 – Food as Metaphor: Exploring Difference, Overcoming Bias
21:32 – Curiosity & Creativity: Etymology and Philosophy
27:17 – Self-Understanding & Creativity: Lessons from Bhutan
29:12 – Montessori Learning & Fostering Individuality
32:34 – Barriers to Creativity: Why Admin Kills Innovation
33:40 – Using AI Creatively & Personally
36:39 – The Art of Observing: Lessons from Nature & Creativity
39:06 – Polarisation vs. Diverse Perspectives: What’s the Real Issue?
41:58 – Forming Global Connections: Technology, Tribes & Human Identity
47:41 – Are We Good at Sharing Better Ideas? The ‘Heimskir’ Challenge
54:00 – Summing Up & How to Connect with Fredrik Haren
Episode Overview:
In “Creativity Loves Difference,” Joanne Lockwood and Fredrik Haren challenge assumptions about diversity, work, and self-improvement, offering practical insights for HR leaders, D&I professionals, and anyone interested in fostering creative, adaptable workplaces.
Key Takeaways & Topics Include:
Creativity and Diversity: Fredrik Haren argues that diversity IS creativity—every new perspective expands the boundaries of what’s possible in teams and organisations.
Curiosity as Catalyst: Why cultivating curiosity (the precursor to all knowledge) matters more than ever for problem-solving and cultural awareness.
Learning from Multicultural Experiences: Fredrik’s experiences living in Asia, raising children across cultures, and even ordering unfamiliar food illuminate the value of questioning default behaviours.
From Judgment to Understanding: Learn how self-reflection and understanding your own core values dismantle judgement and foster real inclusion.
Education for Individuality: Adapt Montessori principles for workplace learning—encouraging uniqueness and peer-driven exploration, not conformity.
Global Mindsets: Explore how technology connects us, forming new ‘tribes’ that transcend traditional national or religious identity for a more human-centric worldview.
Removing Barriers to Creativity: Why admin-heavy cultures squash innovation, and how leaders can free themselves (and their teams) to focus on value creation.
Applying AI Creatively: Discover how to let technology take on admin, leaving room for uniquely human ideation and problem-solving.
Learning from Everywhere: Embrace the ‘Heimskir’ lesson—avoid becoming ‘stupid’ by ignoring better ways already proven elsewhere in the world.
This episode isn’t just theory. Joanne Lockwood and Fredrik Haren provide examples and actionable tactics you can implement in your daily work—whether you’re guiding a global team, navigating rapid change, or just want to bring more curiosity and creativity into your life.
Ready to Challenge the Status Quo?
👍 **Like this episode if it sparked new ideas!
📝 Comment with your thoughts or share how you foster creativity and inclusion in your daily life.
🔔 Subscribe for more hard-hitting conversations with change-makers across the globe.
🌍 Visit seechangehappen.co.uk/inclusion-bites-listen for all episodes, resources, and to join the Inclusion Bites community.
📧 Got a story or insight to share? Email jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to be part of the conversation.
Who Should Watch?
HR professionals, D&I specialists, team leaders and anyone passionate about creating positive, innovative, and inclusive workplaces.
How Will This Benefit You?
Unlock creative approaches that foster real inclusion, ignite curiosity-driven cultures, boost cross-cultural understanding, and empower both individuals and teams to thrive in complexity.
Hashtags (for maximum discoverability):
#InclusionBites #CreativityAndDiversity #Curiosity #GlobalMindset #InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #DiversityAndInclusion #PositivePeopleExperiences #MontessoriLearning #FutureOfWork
Watch next:
[How to Build a Culture of Belonging | Inclusion Bites Episode] – link in cards/description!
Subscribe today and take your leadership and inclusion strategy to the next level.
Substack Post
When Curiosity Meets Culture: Unlocking the Power of Difference
How often do we hear that diversity is good for business, yet find our workplaces still shackled by sameness—in perspectives, habits, and ways of thinking? For all our well-intentioned policies and training sessions, the true magic of inclusion seems elusive. What’s the missing ingredient that helps creativity genuinely flourish? Is it just about assembling a mix of people, or is there something deeper at play—a mindset, a habit, a spark?
This week, on the Inclusion Bites Podcast, I’m excited to offer you not just an answer, but a new way of seeing difference entirely. In Episode 206, “Creativity Loves Difference,” I’m joined by Fredrik Haren, a global creativity explorer whose extraordinary career has taken him to over 75 countries, uncovering how diverse cultures kindle human potential and innovation. If you’re ready to shift from ticking the diversity box to truly igniting creativity and belonging, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.
Why Difference is the Secret Sauce
In my chat with Fredrik, we travel beyond tick-box diversity initiatives and explore the real roots of creative energy: difference, curiosity, and the courage to challenge the status quo. Whether you’re in HR, a D&I lead, or guiding organisational growth through talent or L&D lenses, this episode delves straight into the heart of the matter: how do we build cultures where everyone feels empowered not just to belong, but to create?
Fredrik, whose lens has been shaped by living in Sweden, Asia, and nearly everywhere in between, shares real stories from his own life: from the isolation (and liberation) of not knowing the local rules while eating in Beijing, to forging a blended family grounded in both Swedish and Filipino traditions. Together, we dissect the notion that creativity is simply “thinking differently”—and instead, we push towards an understanding that creativity is, in fact, the embodiment of diversity itself.
You’ll hear honest discussions about our own moments of culture shock, the surprising lessons of parenthood (yes, including puppies!), and why most of us are stuck in our ways without even realising it. Fredrik’s experiments with hybrid values at home and work offer a model for building truly inclusive, resilient organisations—one bold question at a time.
Lessons for Forward-Thinking Leaders
This episode is packed with insights to help you champion change, no matter your domain:
Treat Curiosity as a Core Competency
Rather than assuming there’s just “one right way,” what if we approached every challenge with a beginner’s mind? As Fredrik recounts, moving to China and being given every utensil at a restaurant—fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks—became a metaphor for creative freedom. When there’s no script, we have space to invent. For HR and D&I professionals, nurturing curiosity among teams isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the fuel for equitable, collaborative problem-solving.
Design Cultures That Questions ‘How It’s Always Been Done’
Fredrik’s candid reflections on raising children between cultures illustrate a salient truth: our default approaches—whether in parenting or policy—are usually invisible until they’re challenged. True inclusion means not just accepting new ideas but being willing to examine the logic and intent behind our cherished practices. This is just as vital for revisiting recruitment rubrics as it is for leadership pipelines or learning models.
Encourage People to Find (and Trust) Their Own Voice
Creativity doesn’t blossom from fitting in; it thrives when individuals feel safe to be themselves and chart their own path. As we discussed, helping colleagues discover and harness their “inner theme”—their unique worldview and strengths—opens the door to innovation for the whole organisation. Fredrik's approach here is a practical antidote to the tendency towards groupthink and stagnation.
Crowdsource Good Practice Without Ego
While many look to the Nordics as the gold standard for workplace inclusion, Fredrik spins the story on its head: what matters isn’t who does it first, but who learns fastest from others. Whether it’s Sweden looking to Singapore for smarter border control tech, or leaders borrowing creative rituals from different fields, being open to new ways is the hallmark of a learning organisation.
Observe Deeply—Change Emerges from Awareness
We swap analogies about forest walks, puppies, and even tasting the world’s “disgusting” delicacies. The throughline? Those who see most, learn most. Observing the ecosystem, picking up subtle cues (even if the “language” is unfamiliar), and reflecting—these are essential skills for leaders intent on nurturing cultures where belonging and difference can co-exist.
A Moment that Says it All
To get a flavour of the energy and insight in this episode, I invite you to watch this brief audiogram. It’s a one-minute spotlight capturing the power of curiosity and the liberation that comes from letting go of cultural “shoulds.” Sometimes, a small moment says more than a thousand words—take a look and see what resonates for you.
[Watch the episode highlight]
Your Invitation to Listen and Share
If this conversation strikes a chord—and I suspect it will—I encourage you to dive into the full episode. I believe it’s a timely resource for anyone striving to make their workplace more than just a collection of different faces, but a crucible for new thinking and resilient, joyful belonging.
Tune in to “Creativity Loves Difference” now
Feel free to forward this to a colleague, manager, or your professional network. Let’s normalise talking about the uncomfortable, the unfamiliar, and the outright brilliant—because when we learn together, the whole culture lifts.
Food for Thought as You Set About Your Day
How might your organisation look—and feel—if you truly encouraged people to bring their whole, uniquely creative selves to work? What would you learn, what would you change, and what unexpected brilliance might emerge?
Let’s never settle for inclusion that’s only skin deep. Together, let’s make curiosity, difference, and creativity our everyday practice.
Stay curious, stay kind—and keep biting into inclusion.
Warmly,
Joanne Lockwood
Host of the Inclusion Bites Podcast
The Inclusive Culture Expert at SEE Change Happen
jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk
All past episodes and resources
Let’s keep the conversation going—what’s your story of creativity sparked by difference?
Until next time, keep exploring the edges that make us stronger.
Song Lyrics from Episode
[Title
Creativity Loves Difference]
Synopsis
Inspired by Episode 206 of the Inclusion Bites Podcast, “Creativity Loves Difference” translates the dialogue between [Fredrik Haren and Joanne Lockwood into a song about discovery, self-knowledge, and how embracing difference unlocks creativity and belonging. With empowering female vocals, gentle acoustic guitar, and hopeful country-tinged indie pop instrumentation, it’s a heartfelt anthem for anyone learning to see beyond the boundaries of their own world.]
[Vibe
Soft indie pop / acoustic country crossover. Warm fingerstyle guitar, smooth pads, tambourine and steady percussion. Female vocals, heartfelt delivery. Emotional—but never sentimental—intensity, rising from intimate verses to a confident, lifting chorus. Bridge leans into atmosphere; final chorus is fuller, layered harmonies. Instrumental sections: gentle acoustic introduction, sparkly mid-song guitar, rhythmic fade-out with humming.]
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I stepped into lands with no map to guide,
No words to lean on, no rules to hide behind.
Forks and chopsticks laid beside my plate,
I could be anyone — time to choose my fate.
[Verse 2]
Raising children in a world where the rules collide,
Best from every lesson, set old judgement aside.
Curiosity the key, and respect as our frame,
Blending hearts and wisdom, never quite the same.
[Pre-Chorus]
Turn around, see the paths you missed,
Don’t let comfort close the doors.
Answers live in places unfamiliar,
That’s what difference is for.
[Chorus]
Creativity loves difference —
Opens windows, lets the new light in.
When you build by your own design,
What you find is what you’re meant to find.
Don’t fear the unknown,
Let go and grow.
Creativity loves difference —
That’s how we know.
[Verse 3]
Origin stories shared across a table,
Trying shark in Iceland, or veal in Zurich’s night.
Not about the taste, but learning what is true —
Others walk another road, and maybe so should you.
[Instrumental Section]
[Gentle acoustic riff, layered humming. Slight country inflection as the percussion builds. Guitar brightens, pads swell with anticipation.]
[Bridge]
Inside every tribe, in every voice you hear,
Is the chance to take a step and draw the world near.
Observe, be curious, set your roots deep and wide —
Inclusion starts within, the courage to decide.
[Pre-Chorus (Full, Harmonic)]
Turn around, see with honest eyes,
Don’t let habits block what’s rare.
Let uncertainty bloom inside your mind,
You belong, if you dare.
[Final Chorus (Lifted, Harmonies)]
Creativity loves difference —
Opens windows, lets the new light in.
When you build by your own design,
What you find is what you’re meant to find.
Don’t fear the unknown,
Let go and grow.
Creativity loves difference —
Let the world show.
[Instrumental Fade Out]
[Soft acoustic glides, humming on the “difference” theme, percussion gently ebbs. Faint background sounds recalling open space and distant voices fading, lingering hope.]
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