Creativity Found: Finding Creativity Later in Life

How coloured pencils changed Bonny's life.
World-renowned artist and teacher Bonny Snowdon shares how a stressful period in her life and a gift of coloured pencils from her daughter led to a profound creative awakening that helped her manage anxiety and navigate personal challenges.
We explore Bonny’s horse-mad childhood in North Yorkshire, her early experiences in the advertising and graphic design industries, a challenging '360' management review and her transition into executive coaching. Bonny discusses the 'leap of faith' required to turn her artistic passion into a thriving business, including the launch of the Bonny Snowdon Academy.
We discuss the importance of self-belief, Bonny offers insight into her restorative daily rituals involving journalling and sketching, and provides encouraging advice for anyone looking to start their own creative journey.
In this episode:
The role of creativity in Bonny’s childhood and her early love of horses.
Navigating the shift from traditional graphic design to managerial roles.
How coloured pencils provided a meditative escape during difficult times.
The transition from executive coach to full-time professional artist.
Building a successful creative membership and online academy.
The importance of daily journalling and sketching for mental wellbeing.
Practical advice for beginners: starting small and embracing the learning curve – don't be afraid to produce 'rubbish' work while you learn.
You might also like:
Blossoming in Art with Bianca Giarola
Medicine to Masterpieces with Dr Vasu Tolia
The Listening Eye with Ashton Rodenhiser
Click here to buy Samantha EJ Button's poetry collection Not Wholesome Content
I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound
Support the show
Follow @CreativityFoundPodcast on Instagram
Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here
Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

Finding a balance between career and creativity. 
Have you ever built a "successful" career only to realize it was draining the very creativity you intended to nurture? 
Artist Emily-Jane Sarroff spent a decade navigating the worlds of architecture and high-level business consulting before realizing that her most important work was the art she made for herself. 
Emily-Jane shares her journey of deconstructing the "societal programming" that linked her worth to her career and explains why she recently pivoted to real estate to provide her nervous system the safety it needed to create again.
In this episode, we discuss:
The "Disappointment" Narrative: How the internal pressure to succeed led Emily-Jane away from her creative roots after high school.
The Architecture Trap: Why a "creative" degree can sometimes feel more technical than expressive, and the brave decision to "leap" away from a career that wasn't fuelling her soul.
Choosing Self over Scale: Why Emily-Jane closed a successful, six-figure business to stop "proving herself" and start living from a heart space.
“Weird and Woo Woo” Art: A look into Emily-Jane’s spiritual, abstract style and why she prioritizes creating for her own healing and expression rather than for commissions.
Practical Creativity: How to set up a permanent art space (even in a garage corner!) and the importance of scheduling “buffer zones” to transition your brain from logical work to creative flow.
You might also like:
Rediscovering the Inner Artist with Kerry Lyons
Peonies, Paint and Personal Growth with Sally Jean Fox
Society, Stereotypes and Sparkle with Jessie Elliott

Click here to buy Samantha EJ Button's poetry collection Not Wholesome Content
I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound
Support the show
Follow @CreativityFoundPodcast on Instagram
Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here
Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

Physiological peace and rewiring a creative soul. 
Creative pursuits helped my guest, Jaime Townzen, to overcome years of grief and caregiving stress to complete and publish her first novel, but it's not all about writing!
In this episode Jaime shares her journey from high-achieving, people-pleasing pre-med student to embracing her passion for storytelling, a transition sparked by a pivotal moment of encouragement from a college professor. 
A period of caregiving and loss stalled Jaime's writing career, but a spontaneous decision to try watercolour painting during the pandemic provided her with a sense of physiological peace that years of traditional self-care could not reach, while also serving as a bridge to transport her back to writing. 
Her Masters' thesis became the springboard for her novel, Absorbed, a coming-of-age story that explores themes of 1990s nostalgia, teen identity and the complexities of consent. 
The conversation also touches on the importance of granting oneself grace during seasons of emotional exhaustion and the value of following the 'spark''of excitement to reignite inspiration. 
Jaime’s story serves as a powerful reminder that creative outlets are not just hobbies, but vital tools for navigating life's most difficult transitions.
You might also like:
Blossoming in Art with Bianca Giarola
Tech, Translations and Storytelling with John Guiver
Adventures in all Dimensions with Gina Farrar

Click here to buy Samantha EJ Button's poetry collection Not Wholesome Content
I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound
Support the show
Follow @CreativityFoundPodcast on Instagram
Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here
Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

From statistics to sustainability via collaboration, community and creativity. 
Kathy Kyle is an illustrator and entrepreneur who successfully pivoted from a 25-year career in marketing and statistics to launching her own sustainable art business. 
In this episode Kathy shares her journey of finding her creative voice later in life and the courage it took to prioritize joy and beauty over utilitarianism.
Throughout our conversation, we explore:
The intersection of data and art in effective communication.
How a background in statistics and sociology informed Kathy’s approach to community building.
The personal and professional catalysts for her move from the US to the UK.
Overcoming stress-related health challenges by returning to a childhood passion for painting.
The creation of her brand, featuring hand-painted silk scarves and sustainably sourced products.
The importance of collaboration and supporting women-owned independent businesses.
Kathy offers a professional perspective on why it is never too late to "bet on yourself" and how embracing creativity can lead to a more fulfilling and relaxed lifestyle.
Find Kathy's art here.
You might also like:
Tricia Duffy: Planning for Creativity
Rachel Peru: From Retail to Runway
Joanne Robinson: From Armed Forces to Art Classes

Click here to buy Samantha EJ Button's poetry collection Not Wholesome Content
I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound
Support the show
Follow @CreativityFoundPodcast on Instagram
Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here
Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

Creativity as a necessity in the age of AI. 
Steve Goldberg is a passionate advocate for the role of creativity in a rapidly changing world, and in this episode he shares his conviction that finding meaning and purpose beyond professional life will become increasingly vital as artificial intelligence reshapes the future of work. 
Steve, a former tenured professor and global consultant, shares his philosophy of "following my nose" and staying "awake to possibilities," which has led him down some truly "magical and unexpected paths".

In this episode, we explore:
The Power of Synchronicity: How a spontaneous bicycle ride led Steve to a Harvard scholarship, and how an overbooked flight resulted in him meeting Nelson Mandela the day after his release from prison.
The Late Bloom: Steve’s journey to becoming a composer of "healing piano for a noisy world", despite being convinced for decades that he "did not have a creative bone in my body". He didn't start playing the piano until he was 50 years old.
The Goosebump Compass: Steve reveals his unique method of improvisation and composition – working without reading music and instead relying on his "goosebump compass" to guide the emotional impact and structure of his work.
Leaving Stability for Opportunity: Why Steve resigned from a tenured college position at age 28 to pursue a consulting job that took him "literally around the world" for four decades.
Creativity as a Necessity, Not a Luxury: Steve argues that with artificial intelligence accelerating job changes and disappearances, creative expression and finding purpose outside of professional life will become vital for society.
Languishing or Blossoming: Discussing the concept behind Steve’s book, which encourages people to choose a continuous "blossoming" process over a fixed mindset, particularly in the face of life's challenges.
Find Steve's music and book here.

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Click here to buy Samantha EJ Button's poetry collection Not Wholesome Content
I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound
Support the show
Follow @CreativityFoundPodcast on Instagram
Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here
Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout