Exploring and developing my creativity in my 6th decade
Frankly, I’m trepidatious of not being able to do what I am yearning to do. What if it isn’t possible? What is IT? What if I can’t develop and nurture something that is simply ME in my 60’s? Did I miss the boat? Being a stay at home mother for the past 35+ years has been many wonderful things, but self-definition has not been one of them. Can I start now, please? Where do I begin? I’ve already started…
Sixtee_isthenew_fortee is the Instagram account I started on my sixtieth birthday. Every decade birthday I reflect on my life just a little deeper than an in between decades birthday. As each decade passes that thought process goes deeper still. My new Instagram account was my way to share my life and my gratitude for it. I used to hashtag every image with #grateful but I stopped doing that as I’ve learned more about hashtags. (Look up the SNL skit with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake #hashtag!)
I love creating and sharing images on Instagram. My passion was further ignited when I got an Olympus Pen epl7 camera for Christmas in 2015. Best. Gift. Ever. I googled for instruction videos on how to use my new little beauty of a camera and found Makelight.com, an online wonderland of photography instruction and so much more. I promptly signed up for a course and I discovered a world of creative inspiration and most of all, direction! I can’t tell you how much that has helped me and how supportive and informative the community is. It just makes me want more. My confidence has grown and perhaps I can find my creative niche after all, at the age of 62.
Being a stay at home mum I’ve struggled at times to find my own structure. I had structure in how it related to our home and our worlds. I could structure my children’s school days and extracurricular activities and pursuits. I could fill in the blanks created by my husband’s work schedule, which has him travelling 200+ days a year but I have struggled to have a structure in my own life. It has always been a hit and miss. I embarked on several things, sometimes successful, often unsuccessful, and have often struggled to find that balance. Now that my youngest daughter is 18 and finding her own way, I realize I’m in need of a plan. I need a plan to help me grow.
How convenient that social media is what it is today. I don’t have a one-year or five-year plan but I can be creative and be curious and see where that takes me with no timeline in mind. I need to be sure to join the conversation. At this point in my life, I believe that to be vibrant and relevant into the golden years is a choice. Being in my 60’s is nothing like I thought it would be! I mean that in a very positive way. There is always so much to learn. I want to make sure I’m not out of the loop of the world today and on into my future decades.
What is my plan? I would like to find a home for more of my imagery than the squares on Instagram provide. I’d like to share my passions and dare I say wisdom as a 60 something mother, wife, homemaker, gardener and world traveller. I wish to share my gratitude for living the life I live and embrace my 6th decade. I’d love to fly the flag that says there is no best before date on living your best life.
I want to start a blog. I’m whispering those words now but I’m curious and I’m learning and I want to grow. If this blog is simply a scrapbook of my life, solely for my own pleasure it would be worth it. My dear Granny kept a daily diary/journal and made scrapbooks of trips she and my Grandad took. Maybe she is my inspiration. I like the pretty picture part of my life and I think others might as well. My wheels are turning. Stay tuned.
