ReThinking Creative collaboration with Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad
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Apr 14, 2026 
Suleika Jaouad, an Emmy-winning writer who writes about illness and creativity; Jon Batiste, a Grammy-winning musician known for genre-crossing music and healing through sound. They recount meeting at band camp. They describe each other’s creative routines, critique styles, shared journaling, touring as intimate performance, and creativity as a restorative practice.
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Band Camp Origin Story
- Jon and Suleika met at an upstate New York band camp when they were 13–14, a formative place that shaped their creative connection.
- Jon remembered Suleika carrying a huge double bass and books; Suleika recalls Jon's early awkwardness and budding genius.
Polymath Creativity Fueled By Rabbit Holes
- Suleika describes Jon as a polymath whose late-night deep dives and pattern recognition power his creativity across mediums.
- She notes his YouTube-history habit: thousands of open tabs and rapid obsessions that feed musical and intellectual work.
Integrity And Rigor Define Creative Excellence
- Jon praises Suleika's integrity and rigor: her creative choices prioritize intention over fame or trends.
- He emphasizes years of quiet excavation undergirding everything she publishes, making her work deeply human.
