Creativity Found: Finding Creativity Later in Life

Ancient Worlds and New Chapters with Neil Laird

Claire Waite Brown Episode 143

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 27:38

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.


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

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


People on this episode

Podcasts we love

Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.

Multispective Artwork

Multispective

Jennica Sadhwani
Podcasting 2.0 in Practice Artwork

Podcasting 2.0 in Practice

Claire Waite Brown
The Adult Ballet Studio Artwork

The Adult Ballet Studio

Elizabeth Blosfield
The Late Bloomer Actor Artwork

The Late Bloomer Actor

David John Clark
In Ten Years Time Artwork

In Ten Years Time

Tricia Duffy
More Than Work Artwork

More Than Work

Rabiah Coon
The Story of Woman Artwork

The Story of Woman

Anna Stoecklein
Conning the Con Artwork

Conning the Con

Evergreen Podcasts & Sarah Ferris Media
Watching Two Detectives Artwork

Watching Two Detectives

Evergreen Podcasts & Sarah Ferris Media
Podnews Weekly Review Artwork

Podnews Weekly Review

James Cridland and Sam Sethi
Buzzcast Artwork

Buzzcast

Buzzsprout