Podcast: Creative Bones S1, Ep 5 - McComas Taylor

McComas Taylor is a professor of Sanskrit at the Australian National University. As a life-long learner of languages, he’s had previous careers in publishing, Chinese and Tibetan studies, and Ornithology (the studying of birds). He’s the author of many books ranging from a dictionary of ridiculous words, to a guide to birds of the Australian Capital Territory, to serious Indological academic texts.

I first met McComas when he answered the front door. His son and my high school friend Patrick, had invited our group of friends over for a spaghetti dinner. I was 16 at the time, and little did I know that McComas wasn’t a regular Dad… he was a cool Dad.

McComas was one of the first names that came to mind when I was putting a guest list together. After years of hearing him speak passionately on everything from veggie gardens to Sanskrit literature, I knew he’d have something to say about creativity. He shared how he makes learning an ancient and complex language engaging and memorable, and he also challenged my belief that I wasn’t good at languages. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole way through this interview, and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.