Creativity Found: Finding Creativity Later in Life

"I know what it feels like to be the bird in the cage that doesn't sing. I know that feeling and I don't want to go back to that again."
Sheila Kazan, creator of the podcast Small Talk with Sheila chats with me about navigating the expectations of her Iranian immigrant parents – who envisioned her becoming a lawyer – and her own desire for creative expression. 
From discovering the power of acting in a sixth-grade English class to dropping out of law school and working in the heart of Hollywood, Sheila discusses the 'messiness' of a creative life. 
Now balancing a career in tech with her passion for storytelling, she explains why we should give ourselves the same grace we afford our favourite rom-com characters and why perfectionism is the greatest barrier to artistic fulfilment.
The Law School Dropout: Sheila recounts the 'messy and dark' moment she realized she was living someone else's life and her bold move to Arizona to discover who she actually was.
Creativity in Corporate Spaces: How Sheila carves out room for her expressive self while working for tech giants like Meta and Slack.
The 'Bird in the Cage' Warning: A powerful discussion on the emotional price of suppressing your creative side and why 'just doing it' is the only cure for perfectionism.
Ambition vs. Burnout: Practical advice on managing the 'pendulum swing' of a multi-passionate life and recognizing when you’re steering towards a crash.
You might also like:
From Serving Fries to Performing Stand-Up with Rabiah Coon
Cakes, Crochet and Connecting in the Metaverse with Shawna Curee
From Law to Literature with Mary Adkins

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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

'I was unaware that it wasn't normal to fall asleep when you're sat still.'
This episode was first released in April 2023.
Ruth Chipperfield, a goldsmith and jewellery designer, had always experienced excessive tiredness, but didn’t think anything more of it until a chat with a friend at uni revealed to her that not everyone struggled to stay awake at their desk in the same way she did. 
With the advice of her great uncle in Australia – where the condition was more recognised – Ruth was diagnosed with narcolepsy, an autoimmune disease that affects the brain’s ability to regulate the sleep-wake cycle: when wanting to sleep a sufferer can wake up every second, and when awake they will want to sleep.
At its worst for Ruth this meant collapsing up to 30 times a day, and needing constant care from her husband and mum. 
Ruth took time out from studying chemistry at university to apply for funding for the medication she needed to improve her life – with the help of her mother – and then to get used to it and the fundamental physiological and emotional effects that had on her. 
During those three years Ruth was able to visit antique fairs – always accompanied, for obvious reasons – where she was inspired to take her childhood love of junk modelling to new heights, and taught herself to work with precious metals and gems, as well as how to solder, make moulds, cast metal, and more, to create her own jewellery designs. 
Ruth was determined to return to uni, and completed her chemistry degree and Masters, which she is rightly very proud of, even though she had already decided that jewellery designing was the field she wanted to pursue.

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Researched, edited and produced by Claire Waite Brown
Music: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day Trips
Artworks: Emily Portnoi emilyportnoi.co.uk
Photo: Ella Pallet

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

The transformative power of words and music.
Singer-songwriter Dennis Welch shares his journey from a Texas childhood filled with libraries and country music to a creative renaissance that has earned him multiple Grammy ballot considerations in his 60s and 70s. 
We discuss the pivotal teachers who changed his life path, the moment he almost walked away from music forever, and how dinner with friends in a Mexican restaurant reignited his passion for recording. 
Dennis offers heartfelt advice on why adult creators should ignore cultural expectations regarding age, the benefits of creative pursuits for mental wellbeing, and the importance of perseverance in the face of uncertainty.
You might also like: 
Purpose, Piano and the Goosebump Compass with Steve Goldberg
Strings, Spirituality and Stillness with Jennifer Roig-Francolí
Rich Chambers keeps rocking

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

Merging professional expertise with a lifelong passion for ocean conservation.
Jessica Adanich shares her journey from a childhood immersed in creativity to founding Fuzzy Sharks and Sharkapalooza, a non-profit art and conservation festival in Florida.
Jessica chats with Claire about the challenges of art school, the resilience required to pivot careers during economic downturns, and the importance of separating personal identity from professional critique. We touch on the scientific theory of biophilia and how Jessica's 'fuzzy shark' soft sculptures help people connect with misunderstood marine life. 
Hear about the bravery involved in moving across the country to follow a dream, the realities of balancing a design agency with passion projects, and why taking a chance on yourself is the ultimate creative act, as well as:
How art can hit differently than verbal communication in conservation efforts.
The transition from corporate marketing at Mace to launching an independent design studio.
Overcoming the fear of failure and the importance of pushing out of your comfort zone.
The growth of Sharkapalooza from a microbrewery event to a city-wide festival featuring major aquariums and OSEARCH.
Connect with Jessica here.
Find Fuzzy Sharks here.
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

Blending filmmaking and fiction: Neil Laird is a veteran documentary filmmaker and television executive who rediscovered a new creative spark in midlife through writing fiction. 
In this episode Neil shares his journey from a small steel town in Pennsylvania to directing documentaries for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic, and eventually finding the courage to self-publish his own novels at the age of 50.
Inspired by the fearless reinvention of David Bowie, Neil discusses the transition from the 'tedious' corporate side of television back to the joy of making things up. 
He delves into his Prime Time Travelers series of novels, which blends his deep knowledge of ancient history with satirical takes on the chaos of TV production, and offers inspiring advice for adults looking to reignite their own passions: stop waiting for the stars to align, don't be afraid of the first 'rubbish' draft, and surround yourself with cheerleaders rather than naysayers.
Finding Inspiration in the Unexpected: Neil recounts how a period of unemployment led him to the New York Public Library, where a chance encounter with a book on ancient history completely shifted his creative trajectory and led to his first documentary on the Great Sphinx.
The Midlife Creative Shift: Turning 50 served as a catalyst for Neil to explore fiction. Inspired by the fearless innovation of David Bowie, he decided to move beyond the constraints of documentary filmmaking to imagine historical worlds with a fresh coat of paint.
Blending Expertise with Satire: After struggling to find an agent for a traditional historical novel, Neil found his unique voice by blending his professional background with fiction in his Prime Time Travelers series – a satirical look at a film crew messing up history.
The Power of Creative Independence: Neil discusses his decision to self-publish, allowing him to maintain creative control over his characters and storylines, including diverse and LGBTQ+ representation that might have been lost in traditional publishing.
Advice for Aspiring Creatives: Neil emphasises the importance of starting now, surrounding yourself with cheerleaders rather than naysayers, and not being afraid of the inevitable first draft being a load of rubbish.

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