Ep.70 Train Your Brain to Think Differently for Growth
With Philip Newcombe
Episode Description:
This episode features Philip Newcombe, an artist and educator based in Reading. The discussion centres on his artistic journey, his minimal and concept-driven work, the challenges facing the local art scene, and his philosophy on creativity.
The conversation delves into his background, then moves to his artistic practice, which focuses on objects, sculpture, and text presented in minimal settings. Philip aims to challenge people and get them to think for themselves, playing with “notions of beauty and time”. He encourages aspiring artists to “always believe in what you do” and “never listen to anyone else”.
Finally, the discussion touches on the local art scene and collaboration. Philip notes the Reading visual arts scene is always a struggle, though the music scene has always been prolific. He highlights the need for artists to stay in Reading and create long-lasting, artist-run spaces. He also discusses Silent Academy, an artist-run multimedia press he runs with Andrew Shaw, which has a desire to “disrupt habitual thinking”. He concludes with his plans, including the quarterly publication How to Walk Slowly.
Philip Newcombe Website: philipnewcombe.com
Philip Newcombe Social Channels:
The Silent Academy Social Channels:
Check out The Silent Academy
An artist-run multimedia press, which seeks to collaborate and promote
the work of artists whose work focuses on the conceptual, and the desire to disrupt habitual thinking.
Listen to the episode
Episode Time Codes
00:00 Introduction to Philip Newcombe
00:23 Philip’s background
01:37 How the Reading art scene has changed over the years
03:25 What makes art a good form of communication
05:33 Philip’s work
09:54 You need to train yourself to undertake a creative process
10:54 Philip’s creative process
12:45 How you can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary
13:43 Lessons Philip has learned from the exhibitions that he’s done
14:58 How Philip found his international exhibitions
16:03 Know your audience!: Is your work for you or an audience?
17:04 Silent Academy: How audiences can challenge their own perceptions
16:43 How Philip collaborates with other artists
20:52 Philip’s plans going forwards
23:26 Philip’s final thoughts
Videos
Know Your Audiences!
Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary
How to Collaborate Effectively
Key takeaways
Embrace “97% Thinking” to Achieve Breakthroughs: Innovation requires a period of deliberate thought and incubation, even if it looks like inactivity. Encourage time for reflection, research, and non-linear thinking, rather than always optimising for speed. The goal is to move from a long, unrefined idea to a “really concise message,” which takes significant effort and patience.
Disrupt Habitual Thinking by Challenging Assumptions: The Silent Academy is run by Philip and his colleague, Andrew Shaw. Philip suggests the best way o challenge assumptions is to be attuned to the world, noticing the “glimpses”. Constantly question “how things are expected to be done”. By putting familiar objects or ideas back into a new context, you can refocus attention on basic elements like shape, form, and colour, which can reveal overlooked strategic insights or market positioning.
Use Trust and Space to Maximise Collaboration: Successful collaboration requires setting aside egos and offering mutual trust. The key is to “take a step back and listen” and give the collaborator “carte blanche”. This process, though sometimes uncomfortable, puts you in a position to “adapt” and receive new creative “dividends” you hadn’t considered. Define a collaborative framework where partners feel trusted and empowered to challenge you, even if it makes you “uncomfortable”.
