Every Artist struggles with insecurity, and those of us who started making art in our 60s, suffer from it even more.

Inner self-talk often includes thoughts like: Who am I to think I can be an Artist? What if people hate my work? Can I actually make a living doing something I enjoy? Can I hide while making my work visible?

Even before we put pen to paper or dip a paintbrush in a pot of paint, we hesitate because it just might not be good enough.

Good Enough for Who?

Every Artist needs to start somewhere. It’s rare to see an individual who pops out of the womb composing a symphony or dancing across the change table to the opening notes of Swan Lake.

And yet, we expect perfection from our first attempt at Art. Of course, some of us are naturally more gifted with eye-hand co-ordination, drawing perspective or telling a story – but the rest of us can learn.

Mindfulness Makes a Difference

Mindfulness is a growing trend that encourages us to pay attention to our thoughts in present time. What do you say to yourself about your life and work? Is pursuing creativity for its own sake enough?

Do you enjoy expressing your inner thoughts through your creativity? Then, take the next step. 60, 70 and even 80 is as good an age as any.

Find Your Voice

Finding your voice can take a lifetime. Expressing it is your life’s journey. There is no final destination. It’s a way to discover who you are.

Exploring our creativity helps us find a tribe of like-minded folks who appreciate what we’re doing and separates us from others on a different path. They, too, are searching for a place to belong. Are you wanting to write, paint, weave, work with clay – or something else? You can experiment with all of them.

Critical Voices

Critics are nothing to fear. They’re simply disappointed to have not yet found a tribe to belong to. Release attachment to their words and wish them well on their way.

Paying too much attention to the distraction of other voices is how we avoid hearing our own. Do your best to ignore your own Inner Critic and carry on, even if doubt walks along beside you.

Go into the quiet and listen within. Even if all you hear is a whisper or a tiny squeak – know that your creativity is scratching to escape. Let her out and marvel and what she can do.

How to Begin

The first step I suggest when starting on your artistic journey is to use your favourite colours. As a writer, I have pens with hot pink, lime green and teal blue ink. I still write longhand because I love the feel of pen on paper. For a painter, select your favourite pots of paint.

Just for fun, decide to write nonsense or paint with abandon. Keep doing that until your natural voice emerges in a more developed way. Keep in mind, we all have different tastes. One man’s garbage is often an Artist’s treasure. Our local recycling depot is a constant muse for local Artists.

Find a journal that attracts you. Carry it with you to record random thoughts and observations. Poets often capture random snippets of conversation to weave into a future poem. Other artists also do this. You can do it too.

Put on the cape and hat of an Undercover Art Detective – searching for clues to your own creative voice. Carry a magnifying glass, if you like. This can lead to interesting conversations with strangers intrigued with what you’re up to.

Your creative voice is the mystery you want to solve. Follow every clue you meet. Make a game of it.

Search for Clues

Take your magnifying glass on a Senses Walk. Find a place in nature – a city park or wilderness area. Explore the place using each of your five senses. You are creating a personal recipe to help you release your Inner Artist who was in hiding for 50 years.

Sight

Look for something that is visually appealing. Jot down what it is you see or do a rough drawing of it. Record why you’re attracted to it. How does it speak to who you are?

Sound

Add a pinch of sound to the mix. Listen for a sound that appeals to you. Jot down what it is you hear or record a visual representation of the sound and why you’re attracted to it. How does it speak to who you are?

Taste

Babies like to taste everything. As a newbie artist – search for something edible you can lick or take a bite out of, though only choose things you know are not poisonous.

You might choose to chew on a blade of grass or eat a wild blackberry. Jot down what it is you taste or record a visual representation of this taste and how you respond to it. How does it speak to who you are?

Touch

Add a light touch. Feel the bark of a tree, the petals of a flower, roll a smooth pebble through your fingers or dip your toes in a stream. Jot down what it is you touch or record a visual representation of what you felt and how you respond to it. How does it speak to who you are?

Smell

Walk in the woods just after a rainstorm and breathe deeply or smell the salty air by the sea or the perfume of a rose garden. Jot down what it is you smell or record a visual representation of that aroma and how you respond to it. How does it speak to who you are?

Next step is to put all the ingredients together. Create a collage with words and images to remind you of who you were that day and why. Repeat often. You are creating a body of work. Keeping a journal of words and images is how Michelangelo explored his creativity.

On another day, visit a thrift store or garage sale. Find an item that intrigues you. Explore it. Write about it. Sketch it. Paint it. Tell its story. Create 10 versions of it. Then choose your favourite.

Explore it further – 10 more times, if you like. This is how you practice being an Artist. In fact, in the practice, you already are one. Welcome to Art in your 60s.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is the most recent artistic project you were involved in? Do you think of yourself as an artist? What’s stopping you from exploring your creativity? Let’s have a chat about it!

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Thursday night was Ralph Lauren’s SS23 fashion show in Los Angeles, the first time the designer had a West Coast show. LA’s hottest stars came out decked out in classic Ralph Lauren, including Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Although we were supposed to be looking at clothes, we couldn’t help but notice how glossy, shiny and stunning J.Lo’s Old Hollywood-style waves were. Not to mention, her subtle glam makeup and fall-ready nails. Don’t worry — we got all the scoop.

Lopez’s glam team came out to do their thing, with Chris Appleton on hair, as usual. “Dream shine this evening with jlo,” he wrote on Instagram and shine is right. We’re dying to know how her strands got so glossy. It could be his favorite Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray ($44.93 at Amazon), which wraps hair in a water-resistant barrier so strands are silky, glossy and frizz-free. He also enlisted Violet Teriti, a Russian hair/extension expert to add length and volume.

Source: Instagram

Makeup artist Scott Barnes was responsible for the glam, which consisted of bold lashes, glowy skin and a nude lip from his own brand — the J.Lo special. She knows what works and she sticks to it. She did switch up her nails, though. She traded in her nude and grey shades for a fall-ready wine color. Nail artist Tom Bachik shared his inspo:

“Last night’s look, pure Ralph Lauren. Makeup was clean and fresh. Hair perfection in glamorous waves,” he said. “Beautiful, classic, minimalist was the vibe and nails needed to complete the look. We went with Essie’s #424 Bordeaux to do just that! Short, strong, natural-shaped nails help the color pop. Paired with the Ralph Lauren black pinstripe dress and gold jewelry gave us timeless strength, sophistication, and style.”

Source: Instagram

You know what that means? Thanks to Essie, you can get J.Lo’s exact nail look for just $7 on Amazon.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

Thursday night was Ralph Lauren’s SS23 fashion show in Los Angeles, the first time the designer had a West Coast show. LA’s hottest stars came out decked out in classic Ralph Lauren, including Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Although we were supposed to be looking at clothes, we couldn’t help but notice how glossy, shiny and stunning J.Lo’s Old Hollywood-style waves were. Not to mention, her subtle glam makeup and fall-ready nails. Don’t worry — we got all the scoop.

Lopez’s glam team came out to do their thing, with Chris Appleton on hair, as usual. “Dream shine this evening with jlo,” he wrote on Instagram and shine is right. We’re dying to know how her strands got so glossy. It could be his favorite Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray ($44.93 at Amazon), which wraps hair in a water-resistant barrier so strands are silky, glossy and frizz-free. He also enlisted Violet Teriti, a Russian hair/extension expert to add length and volume.

Source: Instagram

Makeup artist Scott Barnes was responsible for the glam, which consisted of bold lashes, glowy skin and a nude lip from his own brand — the J.Lo special. She knows what works and she sticks to it. She did switch up her nails, though. She traded in her nude and grey shades for a fall-ready wine color. Nail artist Tom Bachik shared his inspo:

“Last night’s look, pure Ralph Lauren. Makeup was clean and fresh. Hair perfection in glamorous waves,” he said. “Beautiful, classic, minimalist was the vibe and nails needed to complete the look. We went with Essie’s #424 Bordeaux to do just that! Short, strong, natural-shaped nails help the color pop. Paired with the Ralph Lauren black pinstripe dress and gold jewelry gave us timeless strength, sophistication, and style.”

Source: Instagram

You know what that means? Thanks to Essie, you can get J.Lo’s exact nail look for just $7 on Amazon.

I recently went with my wife to visit her mom who is in a memory care unit. It was late in the day, and they were getting the residents ready for dinner. Most are fairly mobile, some can easily manage on their own, while others have walkers and a few need to be transported in wheelchairs.

However, all are generally able to make it to the dining room and sit at tables with other residents. The conversations are sometimes very clear while others take time to interpret.

When my wife went to sit down, the aides instructed her to sit across from the man who was sitting with them. He was a very pleasant man, in his early 90s, with advanced dementia, but could communicate somewhat with staff and other residents. Sometimes it made sense and other times not.

He looked at my wife and said that it was very hot today. She agreed, and then he said, “You would be much cooler if you unbuttoned your blouse.” At that, my wife began to blush, and the aides chuckled. When that did not work, he added, “You would also be prettier if you unbuttoned your blouse.”

My wife then totally turned red and was left speechless. The aide then changed the subject and dinner went on without any additional comments.

Let’s Talk About Sex

Are men the only ones who think about sex even when they are totally incapacitated?

Let’s step back for a moment. The book Fifty Shades of Grey became a best seller, and the buyers were mostly women.

There was even a movie called the Book Club starring well-known actresses who represented retired women with much to say about the book and their own personal feelings about sex.

Does this indicate that women think about sex as much as men? Or is it that women think about sex very differently than men?

Men and Sex

From a guy’s perspective, the biggest difference here is that many men were taught at a young age that women don’t really think about sex – or even like it, and that they ‘give in’ to the man’s request only to keep the marriage or relationship healthy.

You probably think I must be 90 years old and that these thoughts and ideas are from the 1940s and 50s. That they do not concern the modern man or woman.

You might be surprised to learn, however, that many retired men have not resolved these issues. In fact, this is one cause for disagreements in the bedroom of many aging couples.

The Female Perspective, Maybe

Were you taught that sex was fun or that it was your duty to please your husband? If you came of age in the 1960s and later, you are likely a baby boomer and survived the relationship crisis of the 1970s as women were becoming more independent.

Do you remember when Gloria Steinem said, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”? If you were married in the years between the late 1960s and 1970s, you are most likely also divorced – at least once!

The times were changing and the relationships between men and women were undergoing a separate revolution.

I was one of the fortunate men who had sisters. I also dated women in the 1970s who educated me about sex and taught me that many women enjoy sex just as much as men do. And yes, I got married early and also was divorced. The sexual revolution was eye-opening!

Sex and Aging

So, men and women are very different. Some are from Venus and some are from Mars, but for many of us who are aging gracefully – men and women – sex continues to be an important part of our lives. It just needs to be discussed more openly with your partner to find out what works best for each of you.

Some men have found help with Viagra, but that is not the whole story. You might find it hard to believe, but men do have feelings – we just don’t always know how to express them!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you have open and honest conversations with your significant other about how you feel about sex, your wishes and desires? If not, why not? But the real question may be, is sex important to you as you age? Please share in the comments below; no shame, no judgment.

Madison LeCroy’s Blue Bell Sleeve Dress at Bravocon

Southern Charm 2022 Instagram Fashion

Bravocon 2022 Instagram Fashion

Bravocon 2022 kicked off last night with a reality star studded Direct TV event. One of those stars being Madison LeCroy wearing an adorable blue bell sleeve dress. And since it’s Bravocon day 1 I have a lot of work to do on grabbing all the looks. So I’ll keep this post short and sweet and direct you too the links below to shop this fab dress.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Self Portrait Dress

Click Here for Additional Stock

Click Here to Shop it in Black

Photo Credit: @madison.lecroy

Originally posted at: Madison LeCroy’s Blue Bell Sleeve Dress