Kiwi expat Maria Devereux launches ‘How to Stay Human’ initiative and podcast to help creatives reclaim their humanity in the age of AI

Kiwi expat Maria Devereux, Executive Creative Director and Head of Innovation at Accenture Song North America, based in Los Angeles, has teamed up with Auckland-based Dr Graham Mead, a former medical doctor and respected leader in the field of human consciousness, to launch ‘How to Stay Human‘ – a new training program and podcast designed to help creatives reconnect with their humanity in the age of AI.

Devereux believes AI will force humans to unlock new, untapped levels of creativity: “We’re about to  witness the evolution of human creativity,” says Devereux.  “This is potentially the most exciting time to be a creative person.”

Anyone can be creative: AI just raised the bar on creativity, so it’s time to raise the bar on (human) creative output.

As artificial intelligence continues to ingest every creative object d’art from Hollywood scripts to song lyrics to original art, it’s not only devaluing creativity, it’s flooding the world with prompt-generated creative outputs. While it’s incredible how quickly we can now prompt a creative response, the sheer lack of humanity in this process is leaving people feeling starved of meaning and emotional fulfillment.

Says Devereux (above left with Dr Graham Mead): “I’ve always been attracted to emerging technologies because they offer new ways and places to apply our creativity but that should never be at the expense of a great idea. A movie, advertising campaign or song is meaningless unless it makes me feel something. And still, the best test of a great idea is what Nick Worthington taught me many years ago. Ask yourself this, does it make you laugh or does it make you cry?

“Great creative ideas impact culture because they make society feel something. That’s something creative people instinctively know to be true. But how can we empower creative people to trust their instincts over algorithms? I believe the first step towards trusting your instincts is connecting with your humanity. I’ve always felt that I was able to be more creative in certain states of mind so alongside Dr Graham Mead, I started to explore that notion in more detail. What if by being more present, having more focused attention and by calming my nervous system, I was able to make room for the emergent nature of creative thought? That question is where it all began.”

Visit the ‘How to Stay Human’ website here.

‘How to Stay Human’: The new initiative helping creatives reclaim their most potent creative weapon: their humanity.

When you blend the worlds of science, body-mindfulness and creativity, you start to ‘feel’ what state the creative brain needs to be in to be truly effective.

Launching today, the ‘How to Stay Human’ training program, established by Dr Graham Mead, and the accompanying podcast with Devereux, is positioned to help creatives differentiate themselves by rediscovering their innate, human-powered creativity. This platform explores why creativity is one of the most other-worldly aspects of the human experience. Magical, unstoppable, and often intangible, the best ideas seem to appear out of nowhere and that’s nothing short of extraordinary.

Says Devereux: “This is a practical call to arms for anyone empowered to step into a new evolution of human creativity, a place we can protect it, and value it.”

This is more than just a training program; it’s an invitation to a creative industry, now at an inflection point, to use humanity as its most powerful tool. It offers five modules which explore the metaphysical side of human creativity through breathwork and body-mindfulness. The collection of practical tools are designed to help people feel human again, kicking off with module one which explores why learning to focus your attention will supercharge your creativity. This program guides us through a systematic process that breaks down the nature of the mind so we can understand exactly how to level up our creativity. The intention is to find a space where connecting with our creativity feels natural, fun, and easy. And as we build a stronger connection with our humanity, we make more space for emergent creative thought.

Opening a Human Conversation about AI

The ‘How to Stay Human’ podcast, available now on Spotify, features raw and open conversations with creatives exploring the emotional and ethical impact of AI on creativity. Guests include M ss ng P eces Founder and visionary AI artist Ari Kuschnir, US chart-topping musician Tami Neilson, and Felix and Paul Founder and Oscar-nominated immersive entertainment visionary Paul Raphael.

The program isn’t about unlocking the potential of AI. Instead, it’s about providing the knowledge and practical tools for creatives to use their humanity to unlock their full creative potential. It’s a reminder that even as technology advances, the most powerful ideas will always come from a place only humans can access: feeling.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE