Now Go Create

In this episode of Now Go Create, host Claire Bridges welcomes facilitator, connector, and author Jan Keck, who is on a mission to make meetings more meaningful by moving beyond cringey icebreakers. Drawing from his own experiences with the anxiety and dread of the standard “go around the room and share a fun fact” activities, Jan reveals how these methods often backfire, leaving participants feeling disconnected, anxious, or locked in competition rather than genuine connection.
Instead, he introduces us to "ice melters," a concept that reframes how we help groups bond, collaborate, and take creative risks together. Using stories from his forthcoming book Ice Melters and real-world examples, he shares practical tips for facilitators, leaders, and anyone eager to empower their team whether you’re leading an in-person workshop, training session, or Zoom call.
Key Takeaways:
Traditional icebreakers often ask participants to take bigger risks than they’re ready for, undermining true connection
The physical environment matters, think more “campfire” and less “boardroom” when designing group experiences
A thoughtful, layered approach (like customising name tags) creates authentic inclusion from the moment people walk in
Great facilitators adjust to the group’s energy and needs like a thermostat, not a fixed agenda
Building trust is a gradual process; creative breakthroughs happen when people feel safe
Managing your own energy and creating flexible structures is as important for facilitators as for participants.

Something to Try:
At your next meeting or workshop, replace your standard “let’s go around and introduce ourselves” with a low-risk “ice melter.” Give everyone a choice like picking a sticker for their name badge or answering a simple visual and let conversation flow naturally. Notice how this shifts the room’s energy and paves the way for deeper, more creative collaboration.
About Claire Bridges:
Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.
Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 50,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.
Connect with Claire:
Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14
About Jan Keck:
Jan Keck is a trainer, facilitator and experience designer.
He is driven by a simple belief: real, deep connection beats small talk, every single time.
During the pandemic, Jan has taught thousands of trainers, facilitators and educators how to recreate the “magic” of in-person gatherings online
There’s nothing that breaks his heart more than witnessing individuals trapped in awkward icebreakers, feeling more isolated despite being in a group. This is why he is currently dedicating his time and energy into writing his first book “Ice Melters”, where he advocates ditching traditional Ice Breakers and shares his framework to increase engagement, build trust and foster deep connections - without making people cringe.
Connect with Jan:
Website: https://www.jankeck.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jankeck
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/mrjankeck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjankeck
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

If you’ve ever found yourself in a frustrating, awkward, or downright pointless meeting, this latest episode of the Now Go Create podcast is for you. Host Claire Bridges explores facilitation mishaps she’s encountered over her decades working as a creative director and professional workshop lead and facilitator.
Drawing from real (anonymised) stories in client brainstorms and workshops, Claire Bridges reveals why even the most seasoned facilitators still get it wrong sometimes, and what they’ve learned through every’“facilitation mess-up.’ She dives into 7 common, messy realities that can derail great ideas: unclear briefs, unspoken criteria, resistant participants, hierarchy issues, tricky personalities, and windowless rooms that kill creativity.
You’ll walk away with practical fixes, honest advice, and the confidence that if things go sideways, you’re definitely not alone.
Key Takeaways:
Preparation is everything. If the brief is fuzzy, your session will flounder. No amount of facilitation magic can save a dishonest or incomplete brief.
Agree on criteria upfront, always clarify what “good” looks like and the non-negotiables before diving into idea generation.
When people don’t want to be there, whether due to politics, lack of context, or simple resistance, find ways to regroup and reset the room (which can be as simple as a coffee/tea break).
The loudest or most senior voice shouldn’t dictate outcomes. Try silent brainstorms, the 1-2-4-all method, and clear ground rules to support psychological safety and equal participation.
Set and share “rules of engagement”. Use frameworks, brainstorming rules to keep sessions on-track, encourage wild ideas, and create safety for experimentation.
Don’t take resistance personally. Participants’ attitudes often have nothing to do with you - focus on maintaining your energy, professionalism, and supportive “scaffolding.”
Physical space matters, the venue, environment, and even the coffee can impact a workshop. Acknowledge discomfort, adapt on the fly, and prioritise participant wellbeing.

Something to Try:
Before your next workshop, spend extra time sharpening the brief and agreeing success criteria with the group. Make your brainstorming rules visible – print them, write them up, and refer back to them to reinforce psychological safety.
If resistance surfaces, call a break. Step away, regroup, adjust.
And if you’re stuck in a windowless room with bad coffee and low energy, let people get some air or grab a proper coffee. Ten minutes of goodwill can unlock far more creativity than forcing another half hour of effort. It could be the difference between ideas that land and ideas that never take off.
For more ideas and practical tips, follow @NowGoCreate on social media, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe for future episodes focused on unleashing creativity at work. Now go create!
About Claire Bridges:
Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.
Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 50,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.
Connect with Claire:
Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

In this toolkit episode of Now Go Create, Claire Bridges introduces the concept of the premortem, a powerful technique for anticipating project pitfalls before they derail your ideas. Drawing from her extensive experience in creative thinking and strategy development, Claire demonstrates how asking the right questions early can transform uncertainty into opportunity and help teams avoid costly missteps.
Clare shares real-world examples from organisations including Google, Stripe, Pixar, and Netflix, illustrating how pre-mortems foster honest feedback and more robust creative outcomes. You’ll learn practical steps to run your own pre-mortem, alongside insights into building resilience and healthy collaboration in creative projects.
Key Takeaways:
Many projects fail from overlooked risks, not the initial idea.
Premortems give permission to voice concerns without negativity.
Run premortems when ideas are solid, not in their early stages.
The process helps surface hidden assumptions and blind spots.
Use individual reflection before group discussion for unbiased input.
Pixar and Netflix embed radical candour and continuous feedback in their cultures.
Brain trusts provide expert peer feedback, helping refine ideas without hierarchy.

Something to Try:
Before your next project goes live, gather your team and run a pre-mortem. Imagine your project has failed six months down the line, and ask everyone to individually list reasons why it might have happened. Then, share and discuss the risks together, prioritise the most serious ones, and brainstorm ways to prevent them. Finish with a reflection on what you learned. This could be the critical step that takes your idea from good to great.
About Claire Bridges:
Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.

Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 50,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.
Connect with Claire:
Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

How do you turn a frustrating workshop into a creative, inclusive space where everyone feels heard without reinventing the wheel each time? In this enlightening episode of Now Go Create, host Claire Bridges sits down with Robert Cserti, co-founder of SessionLab, the go-to platform for workshop and meeting design loved by facilitators worldwide.
Claire and Robert get honest about the art and science of facilitation, what makes a meeting truly work, and why embracing both introverts and extroverts is the secret sauce to group creativity. If you ever find yourself leading meetings, brainstorming sessions, or workshops (even with a little dread), this episode is packed with practical tools, stories, and mindset shifts plus a few laughs around “the dreaded icebreaker.”
Here are this week’s highlights:
Robert Cserti shares the story behind creating SessionLab
What are the most popular workshop templates?
The debate around icebreakers: cringe or crucial?
Designing sessions for every kind of thinker
What to do when your agenda goes out the window
Incorporating movement and mental breaks: Claire’s “cloud walk” and other playful ideas to reignite energy and imagination
The rise of facilitation as a professional superpower
Behind the scenes at SessionLab
The challenge (and chaos) of hybrid meetings
Managing your energy as a facilitator.

Try this week:
Next time you plan a meeting or workshop, pick one new tool or method this episode or a simple silent reflection exercise. Notice how it pulls in different voices and improves the outcome.
About Claire Bridges:
Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.

Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.

She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 50,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.
Connect with Claire:
Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14

About Robert Cserti:
I'm fascinated by the art and science of facilitation. Since taking my first facilitation training in 2009, I've been captivated by how thoughtfully designed workshops transform the way people collaborate and learn together.
This passion led me to co-found SessionLab. After years of designing and facilitating workshops myself, I grew frustrated with the lack of tools that truly supported the creative process behind effective group experiences. I wanted to create something better – not just for myself, but for all the facilitators in the field.
Today, SessionLab has grown into a platform that helps thousands of facilitators, L&D and OD professionals design thoughtful group experiences. While building our company, I continue to facilitate workshops whenever possible – these hands-on experiences keep me connected to the challenges and joys of bringing people together for meaningful collaboration.
Connect with Robert:
Website: https://www.sessionlab.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcserti/
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

What if your best creative breakthroughs aren’t sitting on your laptop, but waiting for you outside? In this episode of the Now Go Create podcast, Claire Bridges invites you to step away from your desk and into a more embodied creative practice. Claire draws on her own experience running creative workshops, her creative director roots, and insights from psychology to explore how movement, the world around us, and even a simple walk can spark fresh ideas and deeper creative thinking.
Inspired by John Cleese’s quote, “We don’t know where we get our ideas from, but we know we don’t get them from our laptops,” Claire challenges the default habit of expecting ideas to emerge from our teams when they’re glued to screens and instead encourages everyone to embrace a Creative Safari as a way of working and generating new perspectives.
In this episode:
The science behind why staying glued to your screen actually blocks great ideas
How embodied cognition thinking with your whole body can help generate creative breakthroughs
Why “thought walks” and creative safaris are Claire’s go-to approach for teams and individuals to unlock new perspectives
Practical exercises you can try: from tuning into your senses on a walk, to noticing new things through your peripheral vision
How giving your mind and body space (even just 10 minutes outdoors) enriches your creative process
Why noticing, not forcing, is key: letting curiosity and observation lead you to new insights
Using themes (Claire plays with the idea of “abundance” in the podcast) to subconsciously expand what you see, notice, and connect with
Tools for working alone or with teams including photographing what sparks your interest during your creative safari
How the principles of incubation, permission, and curiosity nurture original thinking and help fight creative blocks

Try this week:
Don’t force your next idea. Instead, take Claire’s advice and go on your own creative safari, or take your team on one.
Leave your desk, walk with a loose prompt or question, and see what you notice.
When you return, ask yourself how your fresh observations might connect to your creative challenge or simply enjoy the wider perspective it brings.

About Claire Bridges:
Claire Bridges is Chief Spark and Founder of leading creative training consultancy Now Go Create, whose philosophy is that everyone can be creative.
Claire worked as a PR agency Managing Director and Creative Director working with global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Unilever, P&G and Danone in her previous PR career. Upskilling individuals, teams and organisations with practical creativity tools is Claire’s mission.
She’s one of only 250 people globally to hold an MSc in Creativity, Leadership & Innovation, and authored an Amazon best-selling creative handbook In Your Creative Element based on her academic studies.

Claire and her hand-picked team of experts have worked on thousands of creative projects and trained over 50,000 people around the world since starting Now Go Create in 2011.
Connect with Claire:
Website: https://nowgocreate.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowgocreate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NowGoCreate
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/claire-bridges-b6205b14

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk