I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Mario Varobles, whose journey from Greece to becoming a thought leader in creativity and innovation is anything but ordinary. What really stood out to me, and what I think will speak to you, is Mario’s belief that creativity isn’t just this magical, spontaneous thing. It actually requires structure. That might sound counterintuitive, but trust me, the way he explains it will make you rethink how you approach your own creative process.
We also dug into some big, personal questions about potential, timing, and the stories we tell ourselves. Mario shares why potential isn’t limitless and why that’s not a bad thing. There’s urgency to how we use our time, and embracing our limits can actually lead to more clarity and deeper transformation.
We talked about perfectionism (hello, recovering perfectionists), the value of intentional pauses, and how to keep showing up creatively, even when life feels chaotic and AI is changing the landscape faster than we can keep up.
Key Takeaways
Creativity requires both divergent and convergent thinking.
Structure is essential for implementing creative ideas.
Potential can grow but is also limited by time and biology.
Accepting limits can lead to greater clarity and urgency.
It's important to balance ambition with an understanding of our limits. There's an optimal timing for actions in life.
Introspection is key to understanding personal direction.
Resources Mentioned:
Out of Our Minds by Sir Ken Robinson
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals by Tim Ferriss | TED
Do Schools Kill Creativity by Sir Ken Robinson | TED
Connect with Mario:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-varvoglis-3885853
Website: https://mariovarvoglis.com/ , https://designdevie-dyl.fr/en/b2b/
More About Building Thinkers:
I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.
And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.
If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.
