Advice for Creativity Later in Life
Lessons from art history on why it’s never too late
As a culture, we cherish the new.
We like the gleaming promise offered by fresh talent and untarnished creativity.
In art, this tendency is compounded by the centuries-old stereotype of great artists having a predestined pathway. As far back as the Greeks, stories have been told of the child prodigy whose talent was recognised in juvenescence.
Unfortunately, these cultural caricatures have the effect of persuading some people that, when it comes to creativity, they may have missed the boat.
But this is nonsense. As many artists in the history of art illustrate — creative success can happen at any age…
Artists Who Claimed Success Later in Life
It’s worth recalling that Edward Hopper didn’t sell his first artwork until he was aged 31. The painting, Sailing (1911), was displayed at the seminal Armory Show in 1913. This seemed to fit with the fact that Hopper’s pictures came on gradually. In a recorded interview in 1961, he described, “a long process of gestation in the mind and arising emotion.” He would choose his subjects carefully, then in preparation for the painting, make numerous small sketches, some dealing with the…
