Never Too Late to Bloom
theendgame.substack.com
Aug 17, 2022 • 21M
Never Too Late to Bloom
Michelle Spiziri's art career waited until midlife to take off.
Appears in this episode
Don Akchin
The EndGame podcast discusses every aspect of positive aging. Geared to listeners who are "chronologically gifted," it gives voice to authors, experts, and ordinary people who have helpful perspectives and advice for elders. The focus is on aging with joy and purpose.
Episode details
4 comments
After being advised that a full-time career in art was folly, Michelle Spiziri pursued work in sales and started a successful home-services company. But eventually she could not resist the siren call of art, closing her company to devote herself fully to painting and other creative outlets. In this interview, Michelle discusses:
Whether a late-blooming career has disadvantages
What are the financial rewards of an art career
Is making art fun or an obsession?
You can see examples of Michelle’s creative work on her website, MichelleSpiziri.com.
Never Too Late to Bloom
Thanks, Annette, for that additional perspective.
Enjoyed this, Don. There are two separate issues I see in Michelle's experience, which are, first, taking up art as a form of creative expression, and, second, taking up art as a career.
Class is the elephant in the room: Most lower middle class and working class young people are, like Michellle, discouraged by family, friends, and even mentors from seeking a living in creative fields, and I think art in particular, which certainly contributes to the "imposter syndrome" Michelle mentions. What compounds the problem is that the naysayers aren't wrong: The art establishment , like book publishing, favors money and connections in determining who gets recognized. Young artists have to have one or the other, or preferably both, to be launched on a "successful" trajectory toward a high or even sustainable income, with the recognition and endorsement of the establishment .As Michelle notes, however, older artists can create full time, and sell their work, if they have assets accrued from a career (one, in Michelle's case at least did allow for creativity) and/or the financial support of a partner. Even then, without Art World patronage, they aren't going to be millionaires any time soon, no matter how talented. But making a fortune isn't the goal for most artists anyway, and there's a successful career to be had outside of the "system": Creating full time, and selling your work to the public, can both be very fulfilling, and even modest retirement income provides the necessary support to many more people as they age. Not to mention that age often brings confidence: Michelle's quite right to urge people to just do it!