Right on time bloomers

The renowned folk artist Grandma Moses began painting seriously at 78 years of age. She became more than a successful artist, she was an inspiration; if anyone said they were too old to start something new, the knee jerk response was “Grandma Moses.”

I don’t consider hers to be an unusual case. Her achievement of fame was, perhaps, but not the fact that she excelled creatively in her later years. Many artists start their creative pursuits after retiring from full-time careers.

In “One Man’s Meat,” writer E.B. White mused: “…I think a literary artist has a better chance of producing something great if he spends the first forty years of his life doing something else— grinding a lens or surveying a wilderness…”

The logic behind it is simple. All artists, literary and visual included, use their personal experiences to inform their work. It’s much easier to fill a canvas, or the pages of a novel, when there’s a lifetime of inspirations to draw from.

Contact Kathy with story ideas: kathydean@atlantaseniorlife.com