Today I had the opportunity to visit the Young V&A and meet Becky Sloan, co-creator of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared.
For anyone unfamiliar with the series, it is difficult to place neatly into a single category. It combines puppetry, music, satire, visual art, and psychological storytelling to create something entirely its own. What begins as a familiar children’s television format quickly evolves into a thought-provoking exploration of culture, learning, technology, and human behaviour.
Experiencing the work within the context of the Young V&A, and then meeting one of the creative minds behind it, reinforced something I see repeatedly in both creative and organisational environments: the most impactful ideas often emerge when we stop thinking in silos.
Too often, we separate the technical from the artistic, strategy from creativity, and innovation from experimentation. Yet the work that truly captures attention and shifts perspectives tends to exist in the spaces between disciplines. It is created by people willing to challenge assumptions, combine seemingly unrelated ideas, and embrace uncertainty as part of the process.
This philosophy sits at the heart of my work through Core Shift Advisory. Whether supporting organisations navigating technological change, exploring emerging technologies, or developing new approaches to innovation, the goal is rarely just about implementing tools or processes. It is about creating environments where different ways of thinking can intersect to generate new possibilities.
The success of projects like Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared demonstrates that innovation is not simply about novelty. It is about creating meaningful connections between ideas that traditionally exist apart. The result can be work that feels unexpected, disruptive, and memorable precisely because it refuses to conform to established boundaries.
As artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and digital transformation continue to reshape how we work and communicate, this lesson feels increasingly relevant. The organisations best positioned for the future will be those willing to combine technical expertise with creativity, critical thinking, and human-centred design.
My visit to the Young V&A was a reminder that innovation is often less about finding the right answers and more about asking better questions. Creative experimentation, curiosity, and interdisciplinary thinking remain some of the most powerful tools we have for navigating change.
I’m grateful for the experience, for the conversation with Becky Sloan, and for the opportunity to reflect on how diverse creative languages can continue to inform, challenge, and expand our understanding of what is possible.
Exploring New Possibilities
The challenges organisations face today rarely fit neatly into a single category. They sit at the intersection of technology, people, culture, and creativity.
If you’re exploring how emerging technologies, AI, innovation, or new ways of thinking can create meaningful impact in your organisation, I’d be happy to start a conversation.
