There was a profile recently in "Artists & Illustrators" magazine of painter Gillian Ayres--80 this year and looking forward to an exhibition of her new work. She says:
"Old age is a bastard, really. I don't feel any different inside to how I did when I was 15. I hobble about and look old in the mirror, but inside I feel exactly the same as I always did." She adds: "Creativity increases all one's life and you can never have enough...I know that I won't be here in another 78 years and that does increase the pressure, but I just carry on."
She has a supremely healthy attitude to what she does: "It is really for other people to decide what they think about the new work. I just want to paint."
The next time some 40, 50 or 60 year old asks whether they're too old to start writing, I'm going to point them in Gillian's direction!
(If you lack the confidence to get started writing, you'll find my book, "Your Writing Coach," a supportive guide. You can find it at Amazon and other online and offline retailers.)
