Creativity Found: Finding Creativity Later in Life

My players are my plot twists. You never know what you're going to get until you play it – it's chaos, but it's the good kind of chaos.
From childhood radio plays recorded on a tape recorder to navigating a whirlwind of survival day jobs, Hem Brewster has worn almost every hat imaginable. In this episode, Hem joins Claire to discuss how she brought her life full circle by stepping into full-time creative production at Blighthouse Studio, an Icelandic audio production hub dedicated to creating escapist fiction podcasts, audio dramas and actual play shows.
Hem shares how she uses real-world Icelandic settings to ground dark audio fiction, how continuous creation serves as a vital anchor for her mental health, and what it takes to trade 16-hour corporate workdays for full-time storytelling. From the emotional finish line of a ten-year Dungeons and Dragons campaign to launching Varúd, a 48-episode winter zombie apocalypse series set across Iceland, Hem demonstrates that pursuing your creative passion is worth every leap of faith.
In this episode we explore:
From Caregiving to MRI Coil Engineering: Hem discusses taking care of her parents and working in nursing roles, before pivoting to a five-year mechanical engineering apprenticeship designing gradient coils for MRI machines while teaching herself sound editing on the side.
Belugas, Electricians and the Icelandic Pivot: The wild journey of moving to Iceland, managing operations at the Beluga Whale Sanctuary and pulling electrical wires with her electrician husband to buy time for podcasting.
The Craft of Actual Play and ‘My Players Are My Plot Twists’: How role-playing games use dice rolls to generate spontaneous drama, and why a game master must always be ready for when players ‘invent a skylight’ instead of taking the door.
Mental Health and ‘GM Blues’: How storytelling keeps depression at bay and the emotional release of completing a 10-year podcasting campaign. 
You might also like:
Rom-Com Lessons for Real Life with Sheila Kazan
Puzzled About Everything with Monica Marlatt
Satellites to Stationery with Florrie de Havilland

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Follow @CreativityFoundPodcast on Instagram
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Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

‘I realized I was playing what I thought was expected of me, rather than playing music because I loved it.’
Irish traditional folk musician Tara Connaghan shares how inheriting her late sister’s fiddle sparked her musical path, how a blunt wake-up call from her teacher cured her ‘lazy practicing’ habits, and how a semester abroad in Finland reminded her never to let her repertoire slip.
We explore the social rules and unspoken courtesies of traditional Irish music sessions, the fear of embarrassment that holds adult learners back and how a profound conversation with traditional music elder Danny Meehan inspired Tara to stop playing for approval and start enjoying her own music. 
Tara also introduces her project and podcast, In Tune with Tradition, created to help adult learners navigate session etiquette, overcome performance anxiety and find community in group music-making.
The 60-Second Practice: Trying to fake practice during 60-second car rides and how her teacher’s tough love sparked a fierce, lifelong dedication to mastering tunes.
University Repertoire Shock and The Finnish Pub Session: Feeling like ‘the weakest link’ during her early days at university, going on a 20-year quest to learn every tune, and how a St Patrick’s Day gig in Finland taught Tara that unused tunes quickly evaporate.
From Construction Company to Creative Calling: Parachuting in to manage her late father’s essential electrical services construction firm for ten years before stepping away to preserve her sanity and return to music.
Danny Meehan’s Wisdom and Playing Your Own Music: How a gentle observation from an 80-year-old traditional fiddle legend helped Tara realize she was playing to meet external expectations rather than for pure joy.
Demystifying Session Etiquette and In Tune with Tradition: Why adult learners are risk-averse to embarrassment, and how Tara’s podcast and framework help musicians understand the unspoken customs, courtesies and teamwork of session playing.

You might also like 
Strings, Spirituality and Stillness with Jennifer Roig-Francolí
Purpose, Piano and the Goosebump Compass with Steve Goldberg
Healing Through Song with Alexandra Walker

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

'Actors are emotional athletes. Taking on all this emotion and processing it in a safe container is like an emotional shower for the soul.'
Actress and American Sign Language interpreter Sharon Pierre-Louis (Django Unchained, Switched at Birth) joins Claire to discuss her journey through the performing arts, from church plays in her Haitian-American upbringing to Hollywood sets and Deaf theater. 
Sharon shares how a sixth-grade crush initially led her to the stage, how learning ASL to communicate with her brother opened new career pathways, and how she navigated systemic barriers as a Black actress in university and Los Angeles.
We explore the therapeutic power of acting as an emotional release, the challenges of balancing motherhood, self-tapes, and industry strikes, and what happened when Sharon realized her 'joy reservoir' was running on empty. 
Sharon also introduces Pepli, a digital platform she created as a 'LinkedIn for creatives' to help artists collaborate, book work, and build genuine community without chasing social media algorithms.
Bridging Worlds with ASL: Discovering her deaf brother as a child, learning American Sign Language, and later combining her passions on camera in Switched at Birth and on stage with Deaf West Theater.
Breaking Casting Barriers: How Sharon proactively sought out auditions at FAMU (a historically Black university) while at Florida State to ensure she was never limited by industry stereotypes.
The 'Emotional Athlete' and  The Joy Reservoir: Why acting acts as an emotional shower for processing complex feelings, and how stepping away during motherhood inspired Sharon to replenish her creative energy.
Pepli: A Digital Haven for Artists: The story behind Sharon's new app designed for performers, visual artists, and arts organizations to collaborate, find auditions, and share their artistic process without bottomless feeds or algorithm pressure.
Find Pepli in the App or Play Store, or find out more at pepliapp.com.
Pepli on Instagram.

You might also like:
When Law Isn't Right, But Theatre is with Tara L Lacey
Silence and the Creative Spark with Marneta Viegas
Science to Sound with Liz Drury

Join Pepli, the all-in-one app for creatives to monetize, build community and grow.
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

A conservative New York mortgage banker turns his hand to performing cabaret solos and tap-dancing in Manhattan's Times Square. 
In this episode, Norman Calvo shares how a devastating childhood choir audition silenced his voice for decades, and how an unexpected encounter with an opera singer client in his 60s allowed him to find his voice once more.
We explore the power of starting from scratch as an adult, the vulnerability of freezing during your first public solo, and how embracing a creative outlet can completely redefine your social life and personal identity. 
Norman also offers advice for anyone afraid of putting themselves out there, emphasizing that when it comes to finding joy in retirement, you truly have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The Choir Audition Scar: Norman shares the devastating childhood experience of being rejected from his seventh-grade choir, which sidelined his artistic confidence for decades.
The Hand-Written Mortgage Magic: How a face-to-face meeting with opera singer clients in his 60s sparked a late-in-life journey into singing lessons at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Falling on Your Face to Learn: Norman recounts freezing on stage during his first-ever solo and explains why making mistakes is the ultimate way to grow as an adult.
Tuxedos, Top Hats, and Tap Dancing: From a conservative Wall Street uniform to performing 'Putting on the Ritz' with a cane, Norman describes the pure fun of adding physical performance and tap lessons to his creative toolkit.
The Holistic Banker: How performing cabaret completely transformed Norman's social life, broadened his conversations, and led to a heartwarming joint talent show with his granddaughter.

You might also like:
Dirty Blues and Dorothy Fields with Suzanne Noble
From Corporate Career to Paris Playwright with Cecilia Poullain
From Serving Fries to Performing Stand-Up with Rabiah Coon
Join Pepli, the all-in-one app for creatives to monetize, build community and grow.
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

Engineering a life of colour.
Justine Guillermou transitioned from a rigid career in space engineering to the vibrant world of professional interior design. 
In this episode Justine shares how her childhood experiences of home renovation in France planted the seeds for her future, despite being pushed towards more traditional academic paths. 
We explore the therapeutic benefits of colour, Justine’s experience as a contestant on a Channel 4 interior design show, and how embracing a creative outlet helped her manage the challenges of living with endometriosis. 
Justine also provides insight into her signature Rainbow Shaker style, and offers advice for those who believe they lack a creative spark, emphasizing the importance of the process over the final outcome.

You might also like:
Dreaming, Planning and Painting with Annie Sloan
Art You Can Touch with Furrah Syed
Making Creatures Great and Small with Emma Brassfield

Join Pepli, the all-in-one app for creatives to monetize, build community and grow.
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