Welcome once again to the @MAGICademy Podcast! On S5E3 we give a warm welcome to Jelena Aleksich to the show. She is a creative entrepreneur, visual storyteller, and founder of The Confetti Project, which began as a photography challenge in her bedroom and now has evolved into a global mental health storytelling platform. We talk about our playfulness and how it’s often something that we ignore but it ends up being vital for us to have a healthy and balanced adult life.

Like many entrepreneurs, Jelena had a completely different background from what she ended up doing, starting as a psychology student and then pivoting to follow a more creative path. In this episode, we explore this pivot and the motivations behind it, the playful mindset and how to cultivate it, mental health and Jelena’s answer to the issue, and much more!

Imagine a world where anyone can conjure vivid visual stories at will for skill development or for creative branding, where AI becomes the paintbrush of the masses. This is the vision @Tim Zhang, the mastermind behind @Artflow AI, brings to life in this captivating conversation in #MAGICademy S3E2.

We explore the origins of Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS), an innovative methodology that leverages art museum discussions to foster inclusive mindsets. Developed in the 1980s by psychologist Abigail Housen and creative director Philip Yenawine while working at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Wall Street Journal launched its WGOITP movement inspired by this strategy. VTS uses open-ended yet structured dialogue to build vital skills like evidence-based reasoning, listening, and perspective-taking. It is now being applied in workplaces to address biases and bring inclusive voices into decision-making. Adopting VTS can surface challenges around trust, empowering talents, and shifting organizational culture.