About the author
Roy Sharples is the Founder, President and Chief Creative Officer of Unknown Origins on a mission to unlock everyones creative potential.
Manifesto
Manifesto
Cultural Storytelling for a Braver Future
Stories that scar, heal, and build futures — fearless conversations with artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, and entrepreneurs shaping culture through creative bravery.
“It's all about storytelling. You have to know what makes the beats of a story arc work”
Jon S. Baird
Filmmaking Brilliance from TV to Hollywood
From BBC sets to Hollywood screens, BAFTA winner Jon S. Baird crafts films with pulse and purpose. A collaborator of Scorsese, Boyle, and Jagger, he directs with rhythm, rebellion, and soul.
“Mediocrity hides behind choice. Because if you have too much choice, everything can be mediocre”
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Steve Lillywhite
Architecting Iconic Soundscapes
For over four decades, Steve Lillywhite has shaped the sound of modern music—producing over 500 albums, from The Scream to The Joshua Tree. A visionary behind the glass, his fingerprints echo through generations of sonic revolutions.
“The better you do your job, the more invisible you as a designer become”
Malcolm Garrett
Design Innovation
Malcolm Garrett has shaped the visual language of our time. From punk sleeves to global brands, his four-decade career—spanning Buzzcocks to Apple—is a living dialogue of design, where creativity never stands still.
“It’s never good to try to mimic or manufacture a style, because it needs to be authentic and develop naturally”
Anita Kunz
Illustrative Storytelling
For over forty years, Anita Kunz has illustrated the soul of culture— her iconic covers for The New Yorker, Time, and Rolling Stone are more than images—they provoke, resonate, and endure. Her work lives in galleries worldwide and in the imaginations of generations.
“The purpose of the creative arts is to provide the necessary service to humanity to be entertained”
Alana Clapp
Orchestrating Spectacle
From Carnegie Mellon to Mystère at Cirque du Soleil, Alana Clapp commands the stage with quiet brilliance. As General Stage Manager, she turns chaos into choreography—where every cue ignites wonder, and every moment lands like magic.
“The harder you work the luckier you get”
Dave Cronen
Shaping Musical Legacies
From Virgin Records to Trust Management, Dave Cronen has steered the sound of generations— guiding The Beastie Boys, Johnny Marr, and Ash with instinct, integrity, and a feel for moments that shift culture.
“Commit and keep going because everyone is going to tell you why you can't do it”
Alan McGee
The Outsider's Edge
Alan McGee ripped up the rulebook in 1983—founding Creation Records and unleashing Oasis, Primal Scream, and My Bloody Valentine. A true maverick, he didn’t just sign bands—he gave a generation its soundtrack.
“It's the power of being the outsider; looking left when others are looking right”
Clive Grinyer
Redefining Design
Clive Grinyer helped shape design’s future—from co-founding Tangerine with Sir Jony Ive to trailblazing at IDEO. Now at the Royal College of Art, he blends technology with empathy,
championing innovation that serves the soul.
“Having a moral grounding as an entrepreneur provides you with an unlimited source for motivation”
Jonathan Burns
Sustainable Innovation
Jonathan Burns began at the Academy of Contemporary Music, but his vision stitched itself into fashion— building a brand rooted in ethics, innovation, and sustainability. From the inside out, he’s reshaping the industry’s seams.
“Be open, determined, and willing to really push yourself and explore who you are as a person”
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Cherry Valentine
Performance Art
Cherry Valentine, born into Northern England’s Roma Gypsy roots, turned self-expression into fearless performance—
blending satire, comedy, and raw truth to mesmerize audiences and upend convention.
“Bring to the table a sensibility of co-design and co-creativity, which understands all the relational issues which climate throws up”
Jeremy Till
Architecting Change
Architect and writer Jeremy Till reshapes design with purpose placing sustainability and social impact at the core.
From Flexible Housing to the Venice Biennale, his work reimagines architecture as a force for thoughtful change.
“Know your craft, always come prepared, and bring your own unique perspective to the character”
Cathy Murphy
Crafting Character with Depth
From the Sylvia Young Theatre School to Doctor Who and EastEnders, Cathy Murphy has carved a path through British drama— bringing depth, versatility, and a fierce devotion
to stories that resonate with truth.
“Resilience, grit, and stubbornness are the secret sauce to keep going”
David Hieatt
Grit and Renewal
David Hieatt stitches purpose into everything he builds—
from Howies to The Do Lectures to Hiut Denim Co,
reviving jobs and pride in Cardigan, Wales. His work weaves sustainability with soul, crafting more than jeans—crafting belonging.
“Communication is the most critical skill for a product designer - listening to what people say and what they dont”
Ghulam Rasool
Designing for the Future
At Ford, Ghulam Rasool is driving the future— designing electric and autonomous vehicles that fuse innovation with empathy. His mission: to shape a world where technology serves humanity with purpose and grace.
“Fight for the art against the tensions that counter it”
Mat Bancroft
The Art of Provocation
As Johnny Marr’s Art Director and curator of True Faith,
Mat Bancroft treats art as cultural dialogue— archiving the raw pulse of Factory Records to Derek Jarman, and preserving the fearless spirit of British pop for tomorrow’s eyes.
“A positive mind makes better decisions”
Doviak
Musical Alchemy
Doviak, producer and longtime sonic ally of Johnny Marr, composes with instinct and invention— crafting soundscapes where emotion meets edge. From rising artists to his own compositions, he threads a progressive spirit through every note.
“The purpose of a photography assignment is to capture the essence of the subject and make it memorable”
Brian Smale
The Eye of Truth
Brian Smale doesn’t just take portraits— he captures presence. His lens, featured in Fortune, GQ, and Rolling Stone, peers past the surface to reveal the soul, making every frame a quiet act of storytelling.
“Reboot your mind to being in an uninterrupted starting place with a fresh perspective”
Leticia Pettená
Transformative Brand Architecture
Leticia Pettená reshapes brands where strategy meets soul—blending insight, tech, and creativity to craft transformative stories for IBM, Nestlé, and beyond.
“Everything begins with real research to frame the problem and understand the context”
Thais Fonseca
Strategic Design
Thais Fonseca turns insight into impact—crafting brand stories at Marcus com SAL that move markets and minds for names like Boticário, Beleaf, and Itaú.
“You have to keep your ego in check because you've got to be able to throw things away that you may think are great”
Simon Leake
Mastering the Written Word
Simon Leake’s path began with Shakespeare in Stratford and led to crafting voices for Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom, and the World Bank. With precision and poetic instinct, he shapes language that speaks clearly—and resonates deeply.
“Make the emotional and human connection first and foremost”
Gary Burt
Championing Human-Centric Innovation
Gary Burt is a product innovator with a sharp strategic edge, shaping breakthrough solutions at Microsoft, O2, Siemens, Atos, and Blue Prism. He fuses tech with empathy—building products that don’t just function, but truly connect.
“The key is to find the creative trigger and just start!”
Iwan Gronow
The Musicians Muse
Iwan Gronow, bassist for Johnny Marr, commands global stages with magnetic rhythm and quiet fire. From Glastonbury to Fallon, his sound doesn’t just accompany—it drives, pulses, and captivates with every note.
“You learn more from your mistakes than successes”
Ben Thornley
Global Storytelling
Ben Thornley’s journey leapt from a chance moment to global screens, with stories from Madagascar to Mumbai seen by over a billion—rooted in the belief that resilience fuels greatness.
“Inspiration is very personal and there's really no cookie-cutter process that can be replicated or applied to other people”
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Clara Blume
Bridging Art, Culture, and Technology
Clara Blume fuses art, AI, and diplomacy as curator of Open Austria Art + Tech Lab—crafting genre-defying work that reimagines creativity across borders.
“Storytelling has been integral to survival. To know where you've come from, help you see where you're going, and understand the world you live in”
Tanya Denning-Orman
Championing Indigenous Storytelling
Tanya Denning-Orman leads NITV and drives Indigenous storytelling across SBS—amplifying First Nations voices with power, purpose, and cultural integrity.
“Don’t take yourself too seriously and surround yourself with people way smarter than you”
Chris Kay
Creative Leadership
Chris Kay, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, turns bold ideas into global impact—championing creativity through standout work for Adidas, Cadbury, LA 2028, and Manchester City.
“You've got to have the determination that what you're doing is the best thing in the world and simultaneously know that there are competitors out there who want to kill you”
Ian Ritchie
Serial Technology Entrepreneurship
Ian Ritchie, founder of OWL, has shaped Scotland’s tech future—mentoring 50+ startups and championing bold ideas with quiet foresight and lasting impact.
“Always be distinctive and well crafted”
Paul Buckley
Redefining Book Design
Paul Buckley, SVP and Executive Creative Director at Penguin Random House, turns books into visual icons—shaping the look of modern literature through unforgettable cover design.
“Finding my own voice made me strong enough to push myself into places that I ordinarily wouldn't have felt comfortable being in or doing”
Tolu Stedford
Voice of Representation
Tolu Stedford is a writer, producer, and actor who amplifies women and marginalized voices—crafting bold, truth-driven stories across screen, stage, and sound.
“If people believe in you, the creative environment is far more fertile”
Paul Mellor
Creative Bravery
Paul Mellor, founder of Mellor&Smith, built a bold legacy during the 2009 crisis—co-founding #takefuckingrisks, co-authoring The Bland Book, and earning four BAFTA nods. For him, bold isn’t branding—it’s bloodline.
“Excel at key points that differentiate you from others and augment your skill sets”
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Hossein Rahnama Academic Pioneering
Dr. Hossein Rahnama, founder of Flybits and co-founder of DMZ, reimagines data as human-centered insight. A visiting MIT professor, he blends AI, invention, and impact to reshape the digital world with purpose.
“Being on the bleeding edge is very scary in many ways, because almost by definition, the world is not yet bought into that”
Vicki Dobbs Beck
Immersive Storytelling
Vicki Dobbs Beck leads ILMxLAB at Lucasfilm, where immersive storytelling meets innovation. Blending cinema with VR and AR, she transforms how stories are experienced—earning acclaim from Variety and the Advanced Imaging Society.
