59 and Reflecting on Art and Life
After years of navigating health challenges and life transitions, art has become a steady companion in my late 50s. In this post, I share how creativity continues to guide me as I rethink my direction at 59, and how painting helps me move forward with softness and honesty.
Rose Mallee (Eucalyptus rhodantha): A striking Western Australian eucalyptus with soft, silvery leaves.
Photographed in Kings Park, Perth by MM.
There are moments in life when everything becomes quiet enough for us to hear our own thoughts again.
At 59, I feel as though I am standing in one of those moments — a gentle turning point.
My journey with art began some time ago, after health challenges forced me to step away from my previous work.
Even after my body recovered, my heart needed more time.
There were days when the future felt blurry, and I wasn’t sure where I belonged anymore.
During that period, a friend gave me a paint‑by‑numbers kit. It was such a small thing, yet it opened a door I had forgotten about.
Paint‑by‑numbers artwork — the beginning of my art journey.
These pieces helped me reconnect with creativity during a difficult time.
Painted by MM.
Painting helped me breathe again.
Colors and shapes held my emotions when words couldn’t.
Little by little, I began creating my own work, encouraged by kind words from family and friends.
Since then, art has become a steady part of my life — not just as a practice, but as a way of living.
And now, at 59, I find myself looking at art and life with new eyes. This age brings a different kind of clarity
It makes me ask deeper questions about how I want to spend my time, what I want to express, and how I want to move forward.
Living as an artist is not easy.
There are days when ideas don’t come, days when everything feels heavy, days when I wonder if I’m doing enough.
But even on those days, I don’t want to put down my brush.
Art has become a quiet companion — something that stays with me, even when I feel lost.
At this stage of my life, I want to honor that.
I want to choose a path that feels true, gentle, and meaningful.
Art is one of the ways I do that.
Thank you for reading my story.