Creativity Found: Finding Creativity Later in Life

• Joseph Bolton: The soldier, the shawl and the trickster animals

  From combat engineer to creative conjurer, discover how Joseph Bolton merges magic, ancestry and the northern lights in his new-found love for writing folklore and fantasy.Joseph joined the US Army straight out of high school, and in his 25 years of service graduated from West Point and Ranger School and worked as a combat engineer (a role that involved building bridges and blowing things up), an infantry officer, and even a space operations officer. After the passing of his younger brother from ALS in 2013, Joseph felt a profound need to reflect on the value of time and growing older. This led him first to an expressive blog and eventually to the highly unusual creative project that would define his next chapter.The Old Grandmother’s Tree collection of stories began life as a charming French Canadian folktale about farm animals (who surprisingly 'smoke cigars and drink wine'), and soon became a series of highly illustrated tales rooted in Joseph's ancestry and featuring magic, ghosts, and trickster animal characters – a magic shawl with the colour of the northern lights was a feature of the first short story and later became the genesis for the entire series. Joseph is a highly visual writer who sees stories unfold 'as a movie within my mind', and collaborates with artists Masami Kiyono and Natasha Pelley-Smith to create this unique hybrid format – a series so heavily illustrated it features close to 700 images across its first three volumes, blurring the line between a traditional novel and a graphic novel.This episode offers a compelling look at how creativity can emerge in unexpected moments and how personal loss can spark artistic expression. It's a must-listen for anyone interested in family history, creative late-blooming, and the surprising ways our life experiences shape our storytelling.Find the Old Grandmother's Tree books herecreativityfound.co.ukResearched, edited and produced by Claire Waite BrownMusic: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day TripsAffordably advertise on this podcast by emailing [email protected], or book a call here. I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfoundSupport the showWant to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

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• Jennifer Roig-Francolí: Strings, Spirituality and Stillness

  Jennifer Roig-Francolí shares her journey from a young violinist finding solace in her art, to a place of spiritual exploration and self-discovery. We discuss the challenges she faced in her artistic life, including a pivotal moment when she realized she was not using her creativity in a healthy way, and the profound neck pain that changed her path. Through the Alexander Technique, Jennifer found not just relief from her physical discomfort, but also a new way to reconnect with her creativity. Jennifer discusses her creative childhood, Suzuki training and meteoric run of competitions and solo work, before the ambition dissolved, orchestra life set in, and her relationship with music dimmed. When no treatment could alleviate her stubborn neck pain, a friend urged Jennifer to revisit the Alexander Technique. Within a few lessons, the pain vanished and something deeper shifted – mood, movement, and a sense of ease that didn’t require effort.Together, we unpack what Alexander work actually is beyond posture, and Jennifer shares a simple on-air exercise that anyone can try in seconds, demonstrating how noticing without fixing often melts strain and steadies the voice. Jennifer is the creator of the Art of Freedom Method built around five pillars – purpose, mind, body, spirit, artistry – to help musicians and non-musicians create from presence rather than pressure, and author of Make Great Music with Ease: The Secret to Smarter Practice, Confident Performance, and Living a Happier Life.Find out more about The Art of Freedom and Jennifer herecreativityfound.co.ukResearched, edited and produced by Claire Waite BrownMusic: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day TripsAffordably advertise on this podcast by emailing [email protected], or book a call here. I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfoundSupport the showWant to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

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• Dr Vasu Tolia: Medicine to Masterpieces

  Discovering and sharing the healing power of art.What happens when a distinguished physician with over 150 published papers walks away from a 40-year medical career? For Dr Vasu Tolia, an unexpected artistic awakening filled the void.Dr Tolia's story begins in Calcutta, where she grew up in an academically-driven household with little exposure to the arts. Her path to medicine was serendipitous, influenced by a friend who convinced her to take biology despite her inclination toward humanities. This "accidental doctor" went on to build an impressive career as a paediatric gastroenterologist in the United States, mentoring over 20 fellows and serving as principal investigator in more than 50 clinical trials.When a toxic work environment forced her to leave medicine, Dr Tolia faced a profound identity crisis: "I had been a doctor for more than 40 years and then suddenly I was no one." Her journey into art began tentatively, with early frustrations as she compared her beginner efforts to accomplished artists. Everything changed during the pandemic when she found her voice through abstract and semi-abstract painting. Recognition followed swiftly, with her work being selected by the Washington Post among the nation's top 20, and solicited by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for journal covers.The connection between her two careers runs deeper than coincidence. Dr Tolia's medical training taught her to observe "the body's incredible capacity for renewal," an energy she now captures in flowing forms and organic shapes that echo natural healing processes. She explains how art triggers the release of dopamine and reduces stress hormones, providing neurological evidence for creativity's healing power.Today, Dr Tolia creates "visual sanctuaries" that promote wellness in hospitals, corporate spaces and homes while supporting causes like women's empowerment and autism advocacy. Her message is clear: don't wait for burnout to engage in creative practices that can heal your mind and spirit.Explore Dr. Tolia's artwork and download a free creativity resource for Creativity Found listeners at https://www.vasutolia.art/mindfulartforrenewaland discover how your own creative awakening might be waiting just around the corner.creativityfound.co.ukResearched, edited and produced by Claire Waite BrownMusic: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day TripsAffordably advertise on this podcast by emailing [email protected], or book a call here. I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfoundSupport the showWant to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

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• Alexandra Walker: Healing Through Song

  Outward success can mask profound inner turmoil.Alexandra Walker talks to me about her path from mathematical prodigy to trauma-informed coach, revealing along the way how creative expression can be hindered by psychological struggles, but also become a pathway to healing. From an early age, Alexandra displayed dual talents in mathematics and creative arts. A perceptive art teacher recognized abilities she couldn't see in herself, encouraging her artistic development alongside her academic pursuits. This duality continued at university, where she performed Grieg's Piano Concerto with the University Symphony Orchestra and wrote a musical while completing her mathematics degree.Despite her accomplishments, Alexandra struggled with insomnia and two types of OCD that stifled her creativity for years. 'When you're dealing with problems, they can just become so all-encompassing,' she explains. Through counselling, Alexandra gradually recognized these mental health challenges stemmed from childhood emotional abuse – a reality her mind had carefully shielded her from acknowledging.The healing journey took an unexpected turn when Alexandra and her husband relocated to Scotland during the pandemic. What began as a temporary move became permanent as she found space to process her experiences and envision a new path forward. This transformation led to the creation of Damsel Not In Distress, her trauma-informed coaching business helping others 'sing after the storm' of difficult life experiences.Perhaps most powerfully, Alexandra discovered that songs she'd written sporadically over the years formed a chronicle of her healing journey – from fear to hope, caterpillar to butterfly. These creative expressions now inform her coaching work and upcoming book, embodying her realization that 'we can't just solve everything with logic... I also needed more of the creative side, expressing emotions.'creativityfound.co.ukResearched, edited and produced by Claire Waite BrownMusic: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day TripsAffordably advertise on this podcast by emailing [email protected], or book a call here. I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfoundSupport the showWant to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

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• Florrie de Havilland: Satellites to Stationery

  What happens when a satellite engineer's hands stop working, and how can creativity emerge from constraint?For Florrie de Havilland, a period of debilitating ill health  meant reimagining her entire career and discovering unexpected joy in the delicate art of calligraphy and the mechanical precision of letterpress printing.Having had a successful career in mechanical engineering, including testing satellites for space missions, Florrie's neurological condition – affecting her hands and arms – forced her to eventually reconsider her career path and find a new way to balance her energy. During a two-year recovery period, Florrie had turned to watercolour painting and calligraphy, finding that these artistic pursuits offered something her illness had taken away: control. The conversation reveals fascinating parallels between Florrie's engineering background and her current creative practice. The same precision and problem-solving mindset that helped her test rocket thrusters and solar panels now informs her approach to calligraphy and her operation of "Penelope," a 1.25-ton vintage printing press from 1960 that dominates her studio.Today, Florrie creates bespoke wedding stationery that tells each couple's unique story, and beyond the commercial aspects of her business she finds profound fulfilment in volunteering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, creating materials for children's wish events.Perhaps most touching is Florrie's description of finding her tribe among fellow letterpress enthusiasts: "When you meet some letterpress friends it's fantastic because they're just as crazy as you are." Florrie's story reminds us that creativity isn't just about making beautiful things – it's about finding new paths forward when traditional ones become inaccessible, and discovering community in unexpected places.creativityfound.co.ukResearched, edited and produced by Claire Waite BrownMusic: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day TripsAffordably advertise on this podcast by emailing [email protected], or book a call here. I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfoundSupport the showWant to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

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