Sandra, Age 70
I turned 70 in January. I had never been concerned with age but all of a sudden I felt almost desperate. I am running out of time.
Five years ago my husband died after having been ill and needing constant in home care for twelve years. I shut down. No job, no purpose, no husband, no life. I found the sofa and we became close inseparable friends.
Two years ago it occurred to me that the sofa might become the center of my life for the next twenty years. Ouch. I determined to get up and start to move. I started to walk. I lost 100 pounds and now walk five miles daily. I have made a list for myself of everything I want to do everyday, from cleaning the litter box to reading an hour a day. I paint everyday. I read and post on Facebook everyday. I post my art on several sites daily. I pray in our church prayer ministry twice weekly, attend a widows group monthly. I have joined an artists guild last month and have placed twelve paintings for viewing in a doctors office. I volunteer at my church helping to make plastic mats for the homeless. Then today I was looking at a site for selling artwork suggestions and they asked me to answer the question “Where do you want to be in ten years?” That question is what brought me to this blog.
Do I really want to start an art business at 70? Is it my time? When are we no longer relevant?
I have two daughters who are very loving and supportive and three grandsons who live three doors from me. I am very blessed with prefect health and a few good friends. Several of my friends have died in the last 5 years and some of them were in their 70s.
I was looking for an answer from some of your stories. I guess I want to be alive in ten years and active. Does it matter what I choose to do with my time? From your stories it seems not too much. I wish I could be more content to relax but I need to be busy. Do I need an art career? Maybe I just need to do the work and show it but the challenge of building a business in my 70s seems kind of fun in a strange sort of way. It is helping me to learn the computer.
I wish you all peace and contentment and fulfillment.
Go for it girlfriend.
My sister is 68 and has had more ideas for businesses to start than I have had in my entire life. She is working on them all so I say Go For It! No age is too old to do what you want to do with the rest of your life! You sound focused and motivated so why not?
Sandra! Do whatever makes you happy! I started sketching and watercolor at 70 also. I’m pretty good ~ Grandma Moses! I thought about trying to sell my work and decided I was getting so much joy from just creating that I didn’t want the pressure. I loved reading your transformation ….. five miles a day ….. lost 100 pounds! You’ve inspired me! Keep going!
I agree that happiness is the goal. Our nearby large hospital site added a new building and I wondered if they wanted a gift of one of my larger acyriclic paintings. They did. Charities sometimes like paintings to auction off. Coffee shops often will display and sell paintings. I haven’t tried selling through a cafe yet, if I do it would be to make more wall space for my own art in my condo.