The act of creating…

Another friend of mine recently announced his retirement. He had spent nearly fifty years in the creative world yet when asked what his plans were for the future he could only answer he had a lot of reading to catch up on. Beyond that, he confessed not to know what would come next. As someone who tries to capture every spare moment creatively, working on my photography or writing, I found the answer to be both surprising and disheartening. We are all creative beings. Yet, often, life gets in the way of our creativity. We yearn for time to travel, read books, enjoy our family. Many people yearn for time to paint, write, draw, take photographs, knit, sew, or explore a new art form. Many times I’ve heard friends say, I’ll do that when I retire. That may never happen. Retirement may never come. Life is what happens when you’re planning something else. The message is clear: there is no time like the present. Pull out that pencil and sketch pad. Find your old camera at the bottom of a closet where you last saw it. Sign up for a class at your local arts center, college or museum. Don’t wait. The creative spirit within is struggling to emerge. Find it and enjoy every day as a creative being. You’ll fall in love with the act of creating again, or for the first time, and you’ll be glad you did.

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