New Horizons: Embracing the Creative Power of Midlife

Being a middle-aged artist comes with a strange kind of clarity:  a  place where all that is left is what’s real and true. Here, in this space, many illusions have fallen away, replaced with  something truer - and a whole lot lighter. 

As I sit here now at 45, I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to be middle-aged—and how it feels in my mind and body.  It’s not about trying to be who I was. I don’t need to compete with the 25-year-old version of me, or anyone else for that matter. My art, my words, my work—they carry the weight and richness of everything I’ve lived through. 

This season is a  new horizon of sorts. One where authenticity, vulnerability and all of my past mistakes, pains, joys and wins are converging with my future hopes and dreams. This season reminds me of those moments when the sky is beautifully colored with shades of purples, pinks and oranges - casting an ethereal glow over everything. It makes you stand still and take note in wonder and awe. 

Admittedly though,  some days I feel completely clear, while other days I feel untethered— which reminds me to sit in acceptance and surrender to the  unknowable and the perfectly balanced chaos that is life. I’ve come to value those moments of raw honesty, not as weakness—but as strength and a powerful part of my creative process. It helps me stay open to growth! 

The only real question that matters now is: Did I show up honestly today?

So I remind myself that midlife does not mean I’m late, behind lost or need to “arrive” anywhere. All I have to do is keep showing up, keep listening, keep creating new horizons, and allow myself to keep becoming.

 And honestly—that’s not just enough. That’s everything.