There’s a quote from poet Mary Oliver that has always stayed with me:
“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”
One of the many reasons people shelve their creative aspirations is the belief that they’re too old, or their time has passed. But I really believe it’s never too late to reclaim your creativity.
That’s one of the main messages I hope to convey at an event I’m running next week with Brave Starts - an amazing non-profit community that supports people 45+ to have thriving work lives.
So I thought I'd share a preview of several inspiring examples of people who found or followed their creative passions after 40.
One of the most extreme examples is artist Grandma Moses. After picking up a paintbrush at 76. Moses painted more than 1,500 pieces before her death in 1961 at age 101. Her art now hangs in the Smithsonian.
Grandma Moses, Grandma Moses Goes to the Big City, 1946, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Another folk artist, Clementine Hunter only started painting in her 50s. The granddaughter of slaves and self-taught, she was the first black woman to have a solo show at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Clementine Hunter on the front porch of her home at Melrose, Louisiana, circa 1975. Photograph by Thomas Whitehead. Detail: Clementine Hunter (1887-1988), Funeral at St. Augustine, early 1970s.
A few more recent examples.
Previously an editor at Vogue, Vera Wang only started designing dresses at 40, inspired by her own search for a wedding dress at 39. In an HBR interview she said, “I didn’t feel very qualified or secure. I never thought I deserved to found a company.” She credits her father with helping her overcome her impostor syndrome and encouraging her to start her own business.
Michelle Williams wearing a stunning Vera Wang gown to the 2007 Oscars where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Brokeback Mountain
Martha Stewart, previously a model and stockbroker, started a small catering business out of her basement at 36 and only published her first cookbook at 41. In the subsequent four decades her creativity expanded to include television shows, a magazine, a line of home furnishings, a podcast (and some "creative" investment choices which we don't need to go into here), becoming America's first female self-made billionaire in the process.
But only looking at famous or exceptionally successful creatives can reinforce the pressure many people feel to professionalize their creativity at a high level. So I want to share a few more accessible examples.
After a video of him demonstrating his son’s perfect pitch went viral, Rick Beato started his YouTube channel at the age of 54. Seven years later he now has 3.5 million subscribers!
I found my final example on an episode of the Second Act Stories podcast. Russell Brent's mother taught him how to knit as a child, but he set it aside after being told “boys don’t knit.” He picked up knitting again as a hobby in his thirties, and at 51, he opened a yarn shop in New Jersey.
When asked if it was scary to make the jump he said:
"No. It was one of those things where, I've landed. This is where I belong in this moment in this time...I get home at the end of the day and I'm tired, I'm physically tired. And at the same time I'm also like, "Ooh, we had a good day." I work in a yarn shop. How can you not be happy working in a yarn shop! You get to touch cashmere and alpaca and silk and marino all day long. You are surrounded by the most beautiful colors on the planet. How can you not be happy working in a space that you have created, an environment you have created, with people you respect and admire. Surrounded by really pretty things."
(cue mic drop)
I hope you feel inspired that your most creative days are ahead of you! And I'd love to hear in the comments if you have other examples of people connecting with their creativity later in life.
PS: If you'd like to attend my workshop on Boosting Your Creative Confidence, Wednesday May 10, 5-6pm UK, but are not a Brave Starts member, send me a message and I'll share the zoom details.