As seasons change in one’s life, as it did in mine with retirement, new opportunities present themselves such as discovering new hobbies and adventures, or as in my case, tapping into a once dormant artistic talent. Years ago, I had taken an art class in college at which time my God-given talent was revealed and recognized at an art exhibit. After a thirty-year career in Training and Development, the creativity expressed in my training programs was an indication that my artistic skill was still being applied but in the classroom. Now that my focus is no longer training, but the art world, I easily transferred that passion once again and rediscovered the artist in me.
A recognized artist friend of mine saw my ability and encouraged me to continue to develop my artistic expression. I started by sketching every night for a few months which then led to transferring drawings to canvas (medium: acrylics, mixed medium, gold/silver/copper leaf). My line drawings take on various shapes as I let my emotions influence the shapes and dimensions of my expressions in abstract and impressionistic shapes and images. My love for animals is another subject area that I’m creating artistic interpretations from family photos of furry companions and members of the family.
This creative outlet has given me a new outlook on my retirement years and has inspired me to encourage other retirees to do the same. By tapping into a once dormant artistic talent, retirement can be the beginning of a re awakening of the artist within.
