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!

  1. 3d ago

    Becoming the King of Pop

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the hall of imagination, and I can't believe what I'm seeing. This is the first time that I have ever seen a wax figure who is now deceased that I saw in real life. Yes, I am Michael Jackson, and you say that you have seen me before? Yes, I saw you with your brothers at a concert in Washington DC. AH, Mr. Bartley, I believe that I remember that concert very well. And Michael, if I may call you that–this is really strange–as of talking to wax figures and hearing them respond is not strange enough - but in your case I saw you during your earthly life. Well, Mr. Bartley, Let’s have some fun… or at least, let’s start there.  Michael, could you tell us about your very beginnings–back to the Gary Indiana days.? Yes Mr. Bartley. If you were talking about my life, it definitely does begin in fun–think of me as a kid in a tiny house in Gary, Indiana, singing my little lungs out, dancing like someone my age, trying to be heard over brothers, siblings, and the general chaos that you might find in a big family. But it doesn’t end in fun. You might say, Michael, that you are a tragic warning about what happens when intense fame collide with a fragile human body and mind. Why don't you start by telling us about your early years? Certainly Mr. Bartley. I was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana—a working-class steel town in the Midwest. I was the eighth of ten children in the Jackson family, packed into a small house where money was tight, tempers could be hot, and music was both escape and opportunity. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

    Becoming the King of Pop

  2. Season 6, Episode 645 Trailer

    Pineapple Promo

    Send us Fan Mail Christ said to feed the hungry, not to give them food poisoning! This will all make sense in September. You see, In early September, I'll be sharing a special series called The 2000 Pound Pineapple. I am announcing it now because the events that comprise The 2000 Pound Pineapple are taking place right now, and should be over by September. I wanna be able to look at them in perspective. No, it's not about tropical fruit. It's about a very real experience that completely changed my daily routine and taught me lessons about patience, recovery, perspective, and finding humor – And there is a great deal of humor– in situations that certainly didn't seem funny at the time The series is based on real events, but it isn't simply a story about an injury. It's about what happens when life unexpectedly forces us to slow down. It is about discovering that creativity doesn't disappear during difficult times—it often becomes even more important. Again, There will be plenty of humor along the way, because sometimes the best way to understand a challenging experience is to laugh at the surprising moments that accompany it. There will also be honest reflections on frustration, perseverance, and the importance of allowing both our bodies and our minds the time they need to heal. If you've ever had your plans suddenly interrupted by life, I think you'll recognize a little of yourself in these episodes. So join me in early September for The 2000 Pound Pineapple—a true story about an unexpected adventure, told with humor, honesty, and the belief that even life's detours can become sources of creativity and GROWTH. Sometimes the most unexpected experiences become the ones that teach us the most.  Until then, this is George Bartley thanking you for listening to the hall of imagination – a part of Celebrate Creativity - which I plan to continue as usual. I’ll see you next time. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

    Pineapple Promo

  3. 4d ago

    Being Alive!

    Send us Fan Mail In the previous episode, we walked with Walt Whitman down the open roads of America, hearing the chorus of ordinary lives. Whitman’s poetry celebrated the sweep of America, the chorus of countless lives, and the boundless possibilities of freedom. Across the ocean and slightly later in time, Dostoevsky turned his gaze inward, exploring the shadowed recesses of the human heart. Whereas Whitman’s lines embraced the world, Dostoevsky’s narratives probe the tensions, doubts, and moral struggles that define our inner lives. In moving from Whitman to Dostoevsky, we travel from the expansive optimism of a young nation to the intense psychological and ethical landscapes of nineteenth-century Russia—a shift that reminds us just how varied, yet universally human, the work of great writers can be. And right now, I am standing in front of a wax figure of FYODOR Dostoevsky-or at least that's what the title on the nameplate here says. Yes, Mr. Barley, I am most definitely Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Some might call me one of the towering figures of 19th-century literature. I was Born in Moscow into a middle-class family, AND faced hardship early: my mother died when I was young, and my father was a rather strict and harsh figure. I originally trained as an engineer, but my passion for literature led me to the literary scene in St. Petersburg. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

    Being Alive!

  4. 5d ago

    I Contain Multitudes!

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Hall of Imagination. - in your previous episode I mentioned my suspicions that I would be having some more episodes dealing with Walt Whitman very soon. Well that time has come, and I'd love to talk a little bit more with the wax figure of Walt Whitman Walt, are you prepared to speak to me tonight?\ Certainly George, you know it can get rather boring up here on this pedestal and I welcome the chance to just simply communicate with someone who is appreciative. Well Walt, you can certainly put me in that category. I would like to ask you if you had just one thing to say or tell the listener who listening to this podcast what would it be? George, I would like to believe that my writing helped to capture and define the spirit of the growing United States during the challenging 1800s - and yes they were most definitely challenging times. I would like to think that I had a bold and unusual way of writing that created a new artistic style for America. Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

    I Contain Multitudes!

  5. Aug 1

    Just Call Me Walt

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the hall of imagination. Tonight I was looking up at the wax figure of the writer Walt Whitman– And I was not surprised in the least when he looked down at me and began speaking. George, I was most commonly known as "Walt" among friends, family, and in much of my correspondence, rather than as "Mr. Whitman." My parents shortened my given name from Walter to Walt when I was born, and  used this familiar form throughout my life. As a poet, I believe I embraced a democratic and accessible persona, and the informal "Walt" aligns with that approach. However, in public and formal settings—especially as I gained fame—I  was often referred to as "Mr. Whitman" or by various honorifics such as "the Bard of Democracy". In my later early years in Camden, New Jersey, I was generally called "Mr. Whitman" by the press and new acquaintances, but those who knew me well continued to use "Walt".   Support the show Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.

    Just Call Me Walt

  6. Jul 30

    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.

    Milton

  7. Jul 26

    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.

    The Golden Key

  8. Jul 24

    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.

    What Were the Inklings?
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About

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!

Information

  • Creator
    George Bartley
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    646
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Celebrate Creativity
  • Show Website
    Celebrate Creativity