Everyday Talent Podcast

Ep. 18 How to Embody Your Multiple Passions in the Work You Do

November 27, 2022 Betty Xie Episode 18
Everyday Talent Podcast
Ep. 18 How to Embody Your Multiple Passions in the Work You Do
Show Notes

Are you one of those people when you focus on one thing for too long, your brain tunes out and you look for other signs, signals, and inspiration to reactivate your energy? 

I am willing to bet 50% of us are multi-passionate people. I am, but I had a hard time coming to terms with it earlier in my career, because the “right” way to do the “career thing” seemed to be choosing one path and focus. 

As such, I always identified as “the business brain in a room of artists, and artist in a room of business people” . 

If you’re nodding hard as you read this, I want you to join us on this latest episode on the Everyday Talent Podcast. I had a great conversation with the quintessentially multi-passionate: Ziyan Hossain.

 Ziyan and I met when I was still in my undergrad and he became my mentor. And from day one, he really showed me and embodied the practice of pursuing all of our diverse interests and letting different lanes fuel and inspire each other. 

Key highlights of this episode 

  • How Ziyan managed to follow his interest and creativity while working as a business strategist 
  • Grounding practices for staying driven and inspired
  • How he developed his multifaceted career
  • How his background as an artist/creative influenced him to become an innovator and systems thinker
  • His take on the socially constructed dichotomy between art and business
  • Advice for multifaceted creatives


About the Guest

Ziyan is a design practitioner and artist operating at the intersection of systems thinking, behavioural economics, strategic foresight and human centred design.   He is a co-founder at Method Collective and Acting Managing Director at OCAD U CO, the consultancy and innovation arm of OCAD U, Canada's largest and most comprehensive art and design university.He is currently on the Executive Programming Committee for the Association of Professional Futurists, Steering Committee for the Ideas Project with the Ontario Science Centre/Toronto MOCA and has spent over 5 years on the programming committee of the Reel Asian Film Festival.

He plays guitar, bass, synth,  has performed with a number of renowned artists from Dhaka and Toronto and has worked with major musical equipment manufacturers including Strandberg Guitars and Eventide Audio. The last release by his band Sundecay was critically acclaimed.

He has worked and presented in Toronto, Montreal, Dhaka, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, London, Stockholm, Belgium, and more.


About Betty

Follow me on Instagram @bettyxcoach for more resources and my behind-the-scenes story working as a creative and a coach for creatives

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The Everyday Talent Podcast is produced by Betty Xie and Benice Detoon.