Post Title

        In this blog post, you will hear the story of  a human being who maintained creative power till she passed away at the age of 101 ! Her very life challenges the ageism of our culture that makes people doubt themselves as they grow old. 

It is society that teaches us false ideas about who can create. Only the youthful and beautiful, it tells us. Aging people should step back, take anti-depressants and stay silent.

        This belief, gets me angry and sad. In my spiritual work and writing, I often do research until I find  remarkable  human beings so connected to their inner life forces that as the years speed by they become more creative. Let me share what I have discovered about one of America's most famous painters. The latest bloomer in American history, Grandma Moses!

When you read about people like her, you will take big steps forward to give voice to your creative life now.

          Only at 78 years old,  eleven years into her widowhood did she start painting seriously!  From that point on, she made a practice of expressing her experiences in paints on hard boards. For the rest of her twenty-three years, her creative skills, originality and imagination simply intensified!

        Every week, she completed at least two paintings . When she had too many paintings cluttering her room, the owner of the country drugstore near her home consented to put some in the window of his store. 

         In 1938 a NYC art collector passing through this back woods town saw her paintings and bought up the whole lot.  Then he rushed to her farmhouse and begged her to paint more.

           This collector spent the next year finding a venue to show the world her pieces.  He discovered that the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan was planning a group exhibition on America's folk art as part of the Modern movement.

           Three of her paintings were displayed there!

           There, an art dealer was awed by them. He organized a solo show for her at his prestigious art gallery in Manhattan.

       Too old to become creative?

           At 80 years old, she had her first solo exhibition! It was titled "What A  Farm Wife Painted."

            From one solo exhibition, this elderly widowed farmwife was rocketed to great fame and fortune. Her paintings figured on greeting cards, and plates and US postage stamps. Her bespectacled face figured on the cover of Time Magazine. At 100 years old, to celebrate her centennial, she adorned the cover of Life Magazine. 

            25 of her pieces were painted after she turned 100!

           At 101 years old, she did her last masterful work titled "The Rainbow." She died, leaving 1500 paintings in galleries, museums, and private collections. At auctions, paintings of hers generally go for over a million dollars.

        The most inspiring lessons you can learn from Grandma Moses!

         Never did this widowed woman think “I am too old or pained or disempowered to create.”

          Grandma Moses, turned to painting in her late 70’s after arthritis hit her hands. No longer able to do the needlework she loved,  she picked up cans of farmhouse paint and brushes.

        She made a practice of expressing herself every day in the way that was comfortable for her. 

         And in a place that was right for her. She painted in her bedroom on a table that she could tilt!

     She created because it gave her personal meaning in life. She connected to her inner purpose. She did not intend to be famous and rich.

        She even declined attending her  solo premier, claiming that she already had seen her paintings!

        She painted from her memories and from impressions of her experiences that touched her deeply.

         She looked upon her paintings as sketches of her life. She wrote in her autobiography, “A little today, a little yesterday, as I thought of it, as I remembered all the things from childhood on through the years, good ones and unpleasant ones…”

          Her mind and heart were kept vitally young by her dedicated practice and passion of creating. 

           At the age of 88, Mademoiselle Magazine ran a story on her called :Young Woman of the Year."

         You are never too old to become creative. It is never too late for you. Whether it be with paint or words, get in the practice of creatively expressing your experiences as you mature and grow old! 

         Here is a plan (for those of you who choose writing)

1.    Dedicate a new Notebook or File to expressing your Life Experiences

2.   Dedicate times to do this every week

3.   Begin with a phrase like, “I remember this from my childhood.”

4.    Even one strong sound can incite memories. An example:  Say the word FLICK aloud. Then like a movie, watch memories, thought and feelings play in your mind. Write them down!

        Outcomes if you keep up this practice

1. You will keep your life juices flowing

2.  You will keep your creative life alive

3.  You will find fulfillment in connecting to a deep inner purpose

Work with me to help you uncover a creative practice  meant just for you!

Schedule a Consult