Lodestar with Tamzin and Finola

Why do we chase creative sparks that burn bright and hot one moment, only to flicker and die the next?In this debut episode of Lodestar, sisters Finola Merivale (composer / musician) and Tamzin Merivale ( writer/visual artist) introduce the podcast’s mission: to explore the messy yet magical relationship we all have with our creativity. They share why they decided to begin this podcast and how they’ve created a space to interview writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers and more about how they navigate the highs and lows, feast and famine of a life in the arts.In this episode, you can learn more about Tamzin and Finola and hear about their own eclectic careers in music, visual art and writing. Drawing on their diverse experiences, spanning across continents, they set the stage for candid conversations about what it’s really like to have a creative job.About your hosts:Finola Merivale is a composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music, based between France and Ireland. She is currently a 2025–26 Fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris. Her music has been described as “edgy and discomforting, yet exciting and distinctive," by The Wire and "a wild ride," by The Washington Post. Finola completed her DMA in Composition at Columbia University. Tamzin Merivale is a visual artist and writer, on a mission to explore diverse stories and to guide people to process their life experiences through art. Tamzin’s visual art facilitates people in their quest to unearth their true, powerful selves — work which is unique and transformational. Tamzin’s writing was recently published in the New York Times best-selling memoir The Book of Alchemy (2025) by Suleika Jaouad, alongside Gloria Steinem, Elizabeth Gilbert, Salman Rushdie and more. Subscribe now, leave a review, send it to your friends and join the conversation on social — #lodestarpodcast. Got a story about creative resilience or want to jump in on a challenge? Get in touch on Instagram @tamzinmerivale and @finolamerivaleProduction and audio editing by Finola MerivaleTheme music by Finola Merivale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.