Creativity Found: finding creativity later in life Claire Waite Brown

Growing up, Joanne Robinson was creatively encouraged in primary school and loved to draw for hours at home. However, her passion for art was dampened when she entered secondary school and was told by an art teacher that she wasn't very good. This negative feedback led Joanne to believe that she didn't have a talent for art, and she abandoned her artistic pursuits. Joanne joined the Royal Air Force and years later, while recuperating with a broken back, learned to paint and rediscovered her l...

Adventures with yarn, needles and hookDelve into the colourful world of crochet with my guest Jane Crowfoot, also known as Janie Crow, as she shares her journey from average student to renowned crochet designer, author and the founder of her own brand.Jane opens up about her early creative experiences, her education in textiles, and the pivotal moments that led her to discover her passion for crochet. She discusses the challenges she faced in her career, including a stressful managerial role ...

Portraying and valuing everyday family life As a film photographer Rachel Larsen Weaver captures authentic and imperfect moments, particularly highlighting the nuances of motherhood and family life. Her work showcases the real and raw aspects of these experiences, steering away from the facade of perfection often portrayed in mainstream media and on social platforms.In this episode Rachel talks about her journey from being academically focused to embracing her creative side amidst the chaos o...

Helping everyone to find their sparkleFrom a young age, Jessie Elliott struggled with the idea of being her authentic self, feeling the pressure to conform to certain preconceived roles and expectations. She felt the need to shrink herself in order to fit in, stifling her creativity and inner voice. After the tragic loss of her father, Jessie took a bold step to move from Australia to Scotland, seeking a fresh start where no one knew her past, a period of her life marked by numbing her emotio...

Corrie Legge was following Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, and during reading deprivation week – which she expanded to include other external distractions such as TV and social media – was at a bit of a loose end, having put the children to bed at her babysitting job. This period of quiet reflection resulted in a flurry of writing, something that Corrie hadn’t done for many years, having been put off by other people’s comments in her school years.Despite her creative inclinations as a child...

Navigating life's ups and downs by embracing creativity. In this episode Gaelle Jolly shares her journey from feeling unfulfilled in her job and struggling to find her place in a competitive sector, to discovering a passion for creativity that provided solace during difficult times.Despite previously not seeing herself as creative, Gaelle has found an outlet in hobbies including photography and calligraphy, which eventually turned into a small business. We talk about Gaelle's love for pa...