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/mindfulartforrenewal

and discover how your own creative awakening might be waiting just around the corner.

Download Fire From the Earth from Liminal Coaching here. Reconnect with your creative energy.

I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here

Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

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.uk

Researched, edited and produced by Claire Waite Brown
Music: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day Trips

Download Fire From the Earth from Liminal Coaching here. Reconnect with your creative energy.

Affordably advertise on this podcast by emailing claire@creativityfound.co.uk, or book a call here.

I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here

Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout

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.uk

Researched, edited and produced by Claire Waite Brown
Music: Day Trips by Ketsa Undercover / Ketsa Creative Commons License Free Music Archive - Ketsa - Day Trips

Download Fire From the Earth from Liminal Coaching here. Reconnect with your creative energy.

Affordably advertise on this podcast by emailing claire@creativityfound.co.uk, or book a call here.

I would love some financial support to help me to keep making this podcast. Visit buymeacoffee.com/creativityfound

Support the show

Want to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, here

Podcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout