When’s the last time you did something truly creative? Rally explores why creativity isn’t just for kids, and how picking up that paintbrush, pen, or whatever catches your fancy might be exactly what your brain (and soul) needs right now. Get ready to unleash your inner creative beast!
Episode Transcript
Hello Beautiful People!
How are ya today?
I’m your 70-years-young host, Rally Preston. Welcome to The Silver Beast Podcast, where age is just a number and passion never retires.
So yeah, 70 years on this rock in space. Might be more for you, maybe less. But I bet what we have in common is we want to make the most out of every day. Some days, yeah, it might be harder than others, you got to really reach deep down for it – it might take a good Jack LaLane stretch to seize the day, right? I have friends and relatives and acquaintances who don’t do that. Or won’t do it. And many of them, sadly, aren’t even mature adults like us. And that’s, I think, too bad. That’s mainly why I started this podcast – I knew way too many people just slogging through life. Not a lot of carpe diem going on there. So the purpose of every 10-minute or so episode of the Silver Beast podcast is to hopefully reignite a spark for us, a passion for life. And if you’ve already got that, awesome, I’ll do my best to keep that fire burning bright. So what you’ll find here are longevity insights, aging hacks, healthy ideas – just all kinds of good things to help you lead a more vibrant life whatever your age. So enough of that, let’s rock and roll with the show today, okay?
So I have a question for you…
Now fair warning…it might stump you – probably a lot of you. Well, let’s see.
So answer me this: When was the last time you did something really, truly, purely, undeniably …creative?
Now I’m not talking about sharing cat memes with the grandkids on Facebook…that’s nice, but not quite what I’m looking for here.
I’m talking about any creative project you’ve put your heart and soul into lately. You know, something that was creative and fun – and you got totally lost in whatever you’re creating. The kind of thing where time just seems to disappear, you’re having so much fun.
Can you remember the last time you did something like that? Hmm…
Well here’s some helpful hints: maybe you were painting a picture, doing some creative writing, dancing, shooting photographs, redecorating the living room, scrapbooking, acting in a community play, uh, doing decoupage (does anybody still do that, my Mom did that!) …uh or how about putting nail polish on your dog’s toenails – I do know somebody who does that.
So if it’s been a while since you took the time to do something creative, that’s OK. I get it. It’s like we hit a certain age and think, creativity? Seriously. I ain’t got time for that. That’s like kid’s stuff. Nonsense stuff. I don’t do nonsense.
Well, maybe you should.
I bet you wore tie-dyed T-shirts back in the day, right? I did — they went perfect with my bell-bottom pants. Well, okay, maybe you didn’t. You were probably a better dresser than me. Anyway, point is, maybe you should be adding a little more color to your life here in the 21st century and express yourself by doing something creative!
And why not? I mean, c’mon, what’s being creative once in a while gonna hurt? Unless of course you’re somebody like Van Gogh, then yeah, being creative could be painful.
So OK, why am I making such a big deal about doing creative things?
Well, I’ve got some pretty great reasons why making time to do creative things offers some real benefits, especially, I think, the older we get.
So here are just some reasons. Four, in fact, for starters:
First point, creativity is like a crossfit session for your brain. Doodling, gardening, strumming that old guitar tucked away in the closet— things like that really flex those neurons in your noggin. Studies say creativity can help keep your mind sharp and maybe even blow away some of that foggy-brain stuff none of us like. Brain health is a big plus, right?
Second, doing something creative is a real stress-buster. When you’re messing around with a paintbrush, cooking up a new recipe, uhm, writing a funny story – those worries? I think you’ll find they disappear – at least for a while.
Third, creativity can get you moving. Ever try dancing like nobody’s watching? Or, or maybe planting a garden? Or uh, how about refinishing an old side table. That’s creativity in action – and bonus – you get a little physical workout in the process. Good of course for your health and longevity.
And last on my short list here – and this is a biggie – creativity keeps you growing. It keeps you curious. It keeps you learning about yourself, exploring what’s inside you – challenging yourself in new ways that can ignite some real passion in your life; maybe that you never knew you had in you before. That’s pretty cool, right?
So okay, exactly how can you start expressing yourself in some creative way? Well, what works for me is simply this: being open to whatever creative idea catches my fancy.
Now call me crazy – and it’s okay if you do, my wife does that all the time – but I happen to believe there’s something out there in the Universe that gives us a little nudge in the right creative direction. Just be open to anything, OK? And maybe your next creative project will find you.
Now I know what some of you are thinking… “I’m not creative,” “I can’t do anything creative,” “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.” Well c’mon, is that really true? I’m gonna go way out on a limb and say: no, no it’s not.
And here’s why:
Creativity isn’t about being a genius, or being talented, or being a polymath, or, or thinking you need Bob Ross showing you how to paint happy little trees to be creative.
Again, it’s just you expressing yourself in some fun way. Oh, and it’s not about being perfect or anything close to it. Very important point. Perfection not required for sure.
Uh still not convinced? OK. Well, maybe what’s stopping you is you need to give yourself permission to be creative in the first place.
That does stop a lot of people…people do struggle with that, I get it. So go ahead, right now, give yourself permission to play. To goof around. Permission to just express yourself creatively, whatever that looks like.
Okay, so maybe I’ve sort of, kinda, sold you on trying some new and exciting things.
Well the next step is to actually do something.
Take me, for example. I’m a writer professionally, but sometimes I get the urge to grab my buckets of cheap acrylic paints and particle boards I got from Home Depot and go to town in my garage creating masterpieces.
Are my paintings any good? Nope! No, they’re not that good, they’re pretty bad truth be told.
But here’s the thing: I tell myself one of these days I just might come up with something that’s not half-bad. But what counts the most for me is I love every second I’m swirling that paint around. Just feels good.
Now, let me tell you a quick story Silver Beasties – and this is a true story by the way – that I think it might inspire you a bit… especially if whatever limitations you may think you have are stopping you from being creative.
Ok storytime, so picture this:
A woman named Anna, pushing 80 years old, living on a quiet farm in the 1930s.
Now Anna loved embroidering, but arthritis made it too tough to needlepoint and cross-stitch. Did she give up? Nope not Anna. She grabbed a paintbrush that she thought would be a lot easier on her fingers, her joints, and she tried painting instead.
Not because she was some natural-born, uhm, art prodigy, but because she just couldn’t stop creating things that she thought would be beautiful to her.
So Anna’s painting away in upstate New York; and she painted simple scenes— uh farms, festivals, harvests – the kind of life she grew up with. So after a few years, an art collector stumbled across her work, and boom—her paintings started showing up in museums. By 90, Anna was world-famous. And at the age of 101, she was still at it. Have you guessed who I’m talking about?
Well if the name Anna doesn’t ring a bell, she was best known as… Grandma Moses. And now you know the rest of the story… as Paul Harvey used to say.
See, that’s the magic of creativity, Beasties. You don’t need to be perfect or talented or trained at Juilliard. You just need to get inspired – and you just need to get started.
So here’s your mission, should you choose to accept it: pick one small creative thing to try this week. Write a goofy poem. Dance to your favorite old tune. Sketch a uh cartoon character. Start your memoir if you’re really ambitious… Do whatever you feel like in the moment.
Now the only thing you can’t do is paint a masterpiece because that would make me extremely jealous. Kidding, just kidding…sort of.
Just do something – anything – creative, will you? I promise, it’ll feel like a little gift to yourself.
And who knows? You might surprise yourself just how creative you actually are.
That’s it for today, friends. Go unleash that creative beast – it’s good for you – do it, and you’ll see.
Oh! And here’s your Silver Beast tip of the day: remember to be grateful for one thing in your life today. Maybe it’s your grandkids, it’s a sunny day, there’s good food on the table, you’re healthy, whatever –. Find that one thing and let it lift you up. Do that today and every day. If you practice gratitude consistently, it will level up your life so much – and those around you too.
One more thing, if you’re loving this podcast, please hit that subscribe or follow button for more Silver Beast Podcast episodes, where we’ll explore all kinds of ways together to turn our silver years into golden opportunities.
Hey thanks for hanging out with me—you’re the best. I will catch you next time!