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Welcome to my Creative Blog
Here, I explore leadership, learning, culture, and creative learning as human capacities shaped through lived experience.
This blog brings together essays on pilgrimage as leadership, cross-cultural learning, ethical leadership, and creative thinking — written from an observational, systems-based perspective. Grounded in educational psychology and reflective practice, each piece offers space to think beyond performance models and toward more human-centred ways of leading, learning, and belonging.
Rather than offering answers, these essays trace patterns: how leaders are formed over time, how cultures meet, and how inner coherence supports ethical action in complex systems.
May each entry offer clarity, perspective, and insight for your own learning journey.
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Intercultural Leadership As Creative Intelligence: How Difference Becomes Imagination And Leadership Becomes Art
The creative spark in human difference. In my work across cultures, I’ve noticed something simple and astonishing: every genuine encounter reveals a new way of seeing the world; a different rhythm of thought, a surprising humour, a tone of meaning we hadn’t known before. When we stay curious rather than certain, our thinking begins to shift shape. Leadership today isn’t only about analysis or efficiency; it’s about imagination. And imagination grows in the space between us.
Louise Sommer
6 days ago4 min read
The Leader as a Bridge Between Cultures: When leadership becomes a meeting of inner courage and outer connection
When I teach cultural sensitivity or leadership communication, I often see this quiet fear surface. A hesitation, as if opening up to another worldview means giving away our identity, our power, our right to belong. In both Denmark and Australia, I’ve seen this happen again and again. People want to do the right thing, but somewhere deep down they think: If I make space for your difference, will there still be space for me? The paradox is this: we don’t lose ourselves by meet
Louise Sommer
Dec 10, 20254 min read
Leading from the Inside Out: Reggio Emilia and the Practice of Inner & Cultural Leadership
Leading from the Inside Out: Reggio Emilia and the Practice of Inner & Cultural Leadership explores what happens when leadership is understood not as management or control, but as a living culture of presence, belonging, and creative intelligence. Drawing on my years studying the Reggio Emilia tradition in Florence, I reflect on how a philosophy of early-childhood education became a compass for adult leadership, cross-cultural psychology, and the way we cultivate learning com
Louise Sommer
Dec 2, 20254 min read
The Empathy Gap: What Ancient Ports Can Teach Us About Understanding Across Difference
Ancient ports like Alexandria and Carthage show how empathy once thrived as a skill reinforced by daily life. Combining neuroscience, cultural history, and lessons from high-cooperation societies, Louise Sommer explores how modern systems undermine empathy — and how education, leadership, and technology can rebuild it. A thought-provoking read for researchers, educators, and leaders shaping the future of human connection.
Louise Sommer
Sep 21, 20256 min read
How ancient Malta engineered the mind for higher learning and creativity
Ancient Malta’s Hypogeum reveals how Neolithic societies engineered the brain for learning, empathy, and long-term thinking. Combining archaeology, neuroscience, and cultural history, Louise Sommer explores how past reward systems shaped human potential — and what we can learn to design better education, leadership, and social systems today. A thought-provoking read for researchers, educators, and innovators.
Louise Sommer
Sep 7, 20256 min read
Communication Is Curriculum: Why How You Teach Is What You Teach
In a time where technology is reshaping education, leadership, and even identity, I believe we need a deeper conversation about the emotional, relational, and creative layers of learning. Whether you’re an educator, researcher, leader, or creative thinker, my aim is to offer ideas that support your voice, your presence, and your impact. Many of the ideas in this article are rooted in my real-world experience from working with researchers and thought leaders.
Louise Sommer
Aug 6, 20253 min read
Jonna Jinton: The Power of Authentic Living and the Creative Dance
In an age of fast-paced digital consumption and curated perfection, there are rare artists who touch something deeper. Someone, who remind us of the raw, unfiltered beauty of life itself. Jonna Jinton is one such artist. A Swedish creative powerhouse, she has captured hearts across the globe through an unwavering commitment to authenticity, cultural honesty, and an artistic dance with her heritage that is as real as the northern winds that sweep through her village.
Louise Sommer
Apr 24, 20253 min read
The Pelican, the Beach, and the Beauty of Everyday Magic
There are certain creatures that seem to carry stories in their feathers. For me, the pelican has always been one of them. Quirky, grand, slightly awkward, and entirely majestic, the pelican never fails to make me smile. There’s something deeply comforting about the way they waddle across jetties, flap those great wings with a kind of ancient elegance, and then, almost like a surprise, they lift off with absolute grace, gliding across the sky as if they were born of clouds.
Louise Sommer
Apr 10, 20253 min read
Duck à l'orange & Big Dreams: How Rachel Khoo’s Little Paris Kitchen Changed My Creative Life
Once upon a time, in a tiny kitchen, in the heart of Paris, a woman named Rachel Khoo, opened a jar of mustard, stirred up a sauce, and with a flick of her red lips and a glint in her eye, inspired a creative revolution. Not just in her viewers’ kitchens, but in their hearts. I was one of them! And I have been a huge fan of Rachel Khoo ever since. So, I bought duck. I zested oranges. I baked cakes with names I couldn’t pronounce. And I cooked for the people I love.
Louise Sommer
Mar 27, 20252 min read
How Culture Shapes the Way We Communicate
At its best, communication is not efficiency. It is empathy, creativity, and culture in motion. Culture is a powerful lens through which we view the world. It shapes our language, values, traditions, even how we communicate and understand other people. It’s not just about the food we eat or the festivals we celebrate; it’s the stories we tell, the symbols we recognize, and the ways we express ourselves. But here’s the kicker: most people underestimate how much culture affects
Louise Sommer
Jan 26, 20254 min read
Culture, Collective Memory, Epigenetics & Identity
When I speak about culture, I refer to this collective experience that defines, influences, and enriches us all. We are not isolated beings.
Louise Sommer
Jan 20, 20255 min read
Living Creatively: Lessons from Julie & Julia on Inner Leadership and Authentic Living
The film Julie & Julia, directed by Nora Ephron, is more than a culinary tale. It is a wonderful portrait of creative courage, cultural discovery, and the quiet evolution of inner leadership. It reminds us that creativity isn’t only about what we make, but who we become in the process of making it. Across two timelines, we encounter the real stories of Julie Powell and Julia Child, two women who, in different cultures and eras, found their way to authenticity through curiosit
Louise Sommer
Nov 14, 20243 min read
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