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Celebrate Creativity

George Bartley

This podcast is a deep dive into the world of creativity - from Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman to understanding the use of basic AI principles in a fun and practical way, as well as some of the greatest historical figures whoever lived, as well as some who never did!

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31 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 22 min
English

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Episodes 31

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S6 · E641
July 30 · 22 min
Milton
Send us Fan Mail Hello this is George Bartley, and I was walking through the wax museum when I ran across the figure of John Milton. Naturally I had to stop, and I watched him as he came to life and began speaking. Mr. Milton, this is indeed an honor! Do you mind if I speak with you tonight? Certainly not. I would definitely appreciate the company. And and what is your name? My name is George Bartley, and I was in English and drama major in college–SO THE English major part of me is quite humbled to speak with you. AH, Mr. Bartley, then I would be most obliged to satisfy you with an account of my life. I grew up with privilege, expectation, and a mind hungry for knowledge. My father, a scrivener, provided tutors, music lessons, and an education that he hoped would prepare me for greatness. You might say that from an early age, I believed that I was destined for fame, or even immortality. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E640
July 26 · 22 min
The Golden Key
Send us Fan Mail In the previous episode, I talked about an exhibit of the inklings– Token, Williams, and Barfield. But I would like to devote this entire episode to an individual who is arguably the most well-known of the inklings–CS Lewis. Mr. Lewis, how do you believe the inklings influenced you as a writer. Ah, Mr. Bartley, I began as a rationalist atheist, but the Inklings helped me blend logic, imagination, and faith. The result was stories that enchant across generations, such as The Chronicles of Narnia and essays that provoke thought I wanted to show that fantasy could carry deep moral and spiritual truths, and that literature could entertain while transforming the mind and heart. I would like to think that I did not just write books– I crafted worlds, ideas, and moral truths that continue to inspire readers to imagine, believe, and wonder.” Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E639
July 24 · 24 min
What Were the Inklings?
Send us Fan Mail What Were the Inklings? Today’s episode deals with four people instead of one individual. They are often classified as one group because they were a band of university friends who argued, challenged, and inspired each other—the Inklings.” You see, the Inklings were largely a group of Oxford professors, writers, and thinkers who met to read aloud, debate, and challenge one another. First, I'd like to concentrate on Mr. CS Lewis. Is what I have been saying a fair way to express it. Yes Mr. Bartley, when you and your audience think of me today, you probably often picture The Chronicles of Narnia, or my rational, graceful Christian apologetics. But to really understand me, you need to see me inside a unique circle of writers and thinkers: the Inklings—a group that met in Oxford in the 1930s and ’40s to read aloud, critique, and sometimes spar over each other’s works. That is why this episode is about the group called the inklings And Mr. Bartley, I do believe that my love of myth, the study of language, its history, and how it shapes thought—shaped the group’s imagination. JRR Tolkien didn’t just make up languages for fun; he spent hours analyzing old tongues to make Elvish and other Middle-earth languages feel authentic. He spent so long lecturing me on the difference between a fairytale and a proper myth that I joked that I might need a dictionary just to keep up! Then there was Charles Williams, a poet, novelist, and theologian with a mystical streak that pushed me to explore the spiritual depths of story. Williams could be so intense that the others sometimes left a meeting feeling like they’d just survived a philosophical thunderstorm—but I secretly loved the challenge. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E638
July 23 · 20 min
Guttenberg
Send us Fan Mail I sincerely hope that you are enjoying the episodes that make up the Hall of Imagination. A wax museum is a wonderful metaphor. During the day, the figures are silent exhibits. At night, they become people again. That gives me tremendous freedom to let them explain themselves, argue, laugh, and even admit uncertainty—all while hopefully making it clear to my audience that they're listening to a dramatization grounded in history. After I had finished talking with the inventor of paper in the previous episode, I came face-to-face with a wax figure of a man who is often called the inventor of printing–JOHANN GUTENBERG–not surprisingly, my first remark was you must be the inventor of printing–I have spoken with an individual who is often said to be the inventor of paper– But, from what I understand you are the inventor of the movable press. Guttenberg: That is only partially true. One must note that I developed the first method of using movable type and the printing press in such a way that a great deal of written material could be printed with speed and accuracy. Compare this to the scribe or monk– However well intentioned–could not transcribe written communication at the speed of a machine– And that machine was the printing press–a machine that used movable type. And although there was a form of movable type used in China and Korea, it never came into general use until relatively recent times. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E637
July 21 · 26 min
Freedom!
Send us Fan Mail Mr. Douglas, I think it would be very interesting for our listeners if you could relate the part of your life when you finally succeeded in making your escape from slavery. But before narrating any of the peculiar circumstances, I deem it proper to make known my intention not to state all the facts connected with the transaction. My reasons for pursuing this course may be understood from the following: First, were I to give a minute statement of all the facts, it is not only possible, but quite probable, that others would thereby be involved in the most embarrassing difficulties. Secondly, such a statement would most undoubtedly induce greater vigilance on the part of slaveholders than has existed heretofore among them; which would, of course, be the means of guarding a door whereby some dear brother bondman might escape his galling chains. I deeply regret the necessity that impels me to suppress any thing of importance connected with my experience in slavery. It would afford me great pleasure indeed, as well as materially add to the interest of my narrative, were I at liberty to gratify a curiosity, which I know exists in the minds of many, by an accurate statement of all the facts pertaining to my most fortunate escape. But I must deprive myself of this pleasure, and the curious of the gratification which such a statement would afford. I would allow myself to suffer under the greatest imputations which evil-minded men might suggest, rather than exculpate myself, and thereby run the hazard of closing the slightest avenue by which a brother slave might clear himself of the chains and fetters of slavery. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E636
July 18 · 23 min
Baltimore
Send us Fan Mail Could you describe your voyage to Baltimore? Frederick Douglas: We sailed out of Miles River for Baltimore on a Saturday morning. I remember only the day of the week, for at that time I had no knowledge of the days of the month, nor the months of the year. On setting sail, I walked aft, and gave to Colonel Lloyd’s plantation what I hoped would be the last look. I then spent the remainder of the day in looking ahead, interesting myself in what was in the distance rather than in things near by or behind. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E635
July 15 · 22 min
NO EXCUSE!
Send us Fan Mail Did these apparently incoherent songs mean anything to you? I did not, when a slave, understand the deep meaning of these songs. These songs told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish. Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing them. To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery. I can never get rid of that conception. Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds.” I don't know how to express this, but it seems that our society feels that singing among slaves proved that they were happy. Is that true? Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E634
July 13 · 30 min
Slavery
Send us Fan Mail Now I was walking in the hallway through the wax museum when I looked up at the wax figure of an Afro-American individual. He looked down at me, and his features came to life as he said–As I hope you realize, my name is Frederick Douglass, and I want to tell you about my life. That would definitely be an honor. I tell you what–I am going to get out of the way and let you start talking about your early life. And please be as thorough as you want. Thank you. I was born in Tuckahoe, about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot county, Maryland. I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvest-time, cherry-time, spring-time, or fall-time. A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E633
July 12 · 22 min
Practical Paper
Send us Fan Mail Night watchman: Welcome to another night at the wax museum– Or Hall of wonder–step sound–and what do we have here. It looks like the wax figure of a Chinese person, and the identifying plaque says that his name is TI Lon Mr. Bartley: pardon me for coming to life, but that name is tsigh loon–think of sigh& the bird loon–SIGH LOON Night watchmen: And pardon me, but I am not familiar with you or any of your accomplishments. Were you an emperor or Chinese ruler? Mr. Bartley: no, in fact I was made to drink poison because of political intrigue, so I guess you could say that ultimately, I was definitely not successful in the world of ancient Chinese politics. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E632
July 9 · 29 min
Tilting at Windmills
Send us Fan Mail Before we begin, let me emphasize that today I'll be talking with a wax figure that never existed– In this case, a figure from literature that was never flesh and bone, but the author of the literary work from which she came created a character that is extremely lifelike, and teaches us a great deal about human nature. I know that in the early 21st century, a group of 100 prominent writers selected Don QUIOXOTE as the greatest novel of all time. In the novel– If I remember correctly–the author Miguel de Cervantes shows the negative consequences of following a way of life that is completely out of touch. He reminds us that even a supposedly intelligent person can become completely foolish in the character of Don QUIOXOTE of La Mancha. I met that individual last night–or at least a wax figure of that character, and I knew that something was unusual when I saw that he was dressed in armor–that this could be a person or character who was following a way of life that was completely and unrealistically old-fashioned. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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S6 · E631
July 7 · 16 min
The Curious Mind of Einstein
Send us Fan Mail The museum was unusually quiet. The lights glowed softly across the polished floor. I made my rounds through the gallery of scientists. There stood Isaac Newton. There stood Marie Curie. And there, at the far end of the room, stood a familiar figure with wild white hair and kind eyes. Albert Einstein. As midnight approached, I noticed something. His eyes seemed to twinkle. A moment later, he stepped down from his pedestal Good evening. VAT are you doing? Professor Einstein! Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.
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Showing 21–31 of 31 episodes