Overcoming Obstacles to AI Adoption Through Creative Play

Psych Tech @ Work

“The problem with AI adoption isn’t just technical—it’s emotional. Creativity lowers the barrier of fear, and that opens the door to skill building.”

– Jimmy Lepore Hagan

Newsflash!

After a much needed hiatus- Psych Tech @ Work is back with a vengeance! During the break I have been heads down in my lab- experimenting and playing with AI.

SHE’S ALIVE!

This episode marks the debut of my self-created AI podcast co-host Mayda Tokens. It took me three weeks to make her and during this process I explored the human side of effectively collaborating with AI. Making Mayda required me to flex my creativity, critical thinking, flexibility and perseverance.

My Mayda experience prepared me firsthand for a great conversation with Jimmy about creativity, AI, and the human psyche.

In this episode of Psych Tech @ Work, I welcome my new friend and fellow New Orleanian Jimmy Lepore Hagan. Together we explore why

creativity is the missing link in many corporate AI readiness programs — and how it can be leveraged to help individuals and teams move from fear to fluency in a rapidly transforming world.

Jimmy brings his bold, experience-driven perspective to the conversation, making the case that creative courage is not a soft skill — it's a strategic asset.

Together, we discuss Jimmy’s new framework for enabling AI adoption through creativity — and my addition to the delivery of his hands-on workshop designed to help HR teams, L&D leaders, and talent professionals build AI fluency through creative exploration.

Summary

Creative thinking isn’t just about making art — it’s about rewiring our brains to embrace ambiguity, take risks, and explore the unknown. In this episode, we discuss how cultivating creativity can de-risk the AI learning curve, helping professionals feel more confident engaging with emerging tools.

In an era of automation, the ability to experiment, play, and fail safely is what separates those who adapt from those who resist.

These traits are not innate — they can be developed, and doing so can radically change how individuals approach new technology.

The episode also highlights a workshop experience that puts this theory into action: a fun, safe, and high-impact program designed to build creative fluency first — and then apply it to AI. This approach helps teams lower psychological barriers to AI experimentation and open the door to real skills development.

Themes We Explore

* Creativity as an Onramp to AI Readiness Creativity builds the core capacities — curiosity, experimentation, and comfort with failure — that directly translate to AI learning and application.

* Why Psychological Safety is a Prerequisite Without a safe space to explore, innovation doesn’t happen. We talk about how to build the cultural conditions that support real experimentation with new tech.

* Learning to Play (Again) Many professionals have been conditioned out of creativity. Jimmy explains how low-stakes exercises can reawaken this muscle and prepare the brain for change.

* Failure as Fuel We unpack the idea that failure is not just acceptable — it’s critical for both creative and AI development. Practicing failure makes success possible.

* Designing for Transformation Hear how we’re applying these concepts in a new experiential workshop, helping HR and L&D leaders guide their organizations through tech transformation with humanity and purpose.

The last word

Despite the hype, many organizations struggle to operationalize AI adoption. Often, the barrier isn’t technical — it’s emotional and behavioral. Employees hesitate to engage because they fear doing it wrong or looking incompetent.

This episode introduces a radical but practical solution: creativity. By focusing first on human traits like courage, curiosity, and psychological safety, organizations can build a foundation for real AI fluency and sustainable innovation.

I have to give a direct and shameless plug for our workshop. Our workshop — combines science, storytelling, and hands-on exercises to help teams build the mindsets and skills needed for the future of work.

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