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Lately I’ve started writing much more than years past (have you noticed this blog?) It feels like the right creative outlet especially as I explore this new period in my life, Act Three.
Creative expression has always been a driving force for me. When I was a kid I dreamed of singing and dancing on Broadway – heck, I’ll say it, I wanted to be a star. My mother schlepped me to auditions all the time, each with the same heartbreaking result – CHORUS! Evidently my voice sounded great to me and had I been the casting director I’d have won the lead hands down. But – c’est la vie. As each heartbreak gave way to the next bout of courage and the next resounding NO THANKS I finally figured it out. My future wasn’t going to be on stage. Time to move on … and then I discovered… back stage!
Voila! Back stage became the perfect fit — stage manager, show producer – change to radio producer, on to TV producer, then into management, and on to departmental leadership. Once I set my new sights I started hearing yes yes yes yes, which is a lot more fun than a childhood filled with no’s.
A passion was ignited and my drive was born. I couldn’t get enough of work – it’s all I wanted and the only thing I did. Weekdays consisted of a minimum of 12 hour days and weekends were spent perusing magazines, newspapers, books or watching TV – all in search of the next great idea for a show or a promotion or a special or a series. And I never got tired of it until … I did. More than 30 years later.
Shockingly my drive has let me go. It no longer consumes my waking hours, nor does it deprive me of sleep. I’m blissfully free of its grasp. And I don’t miss nor mourn it. I’m enjoying the sense of freedom from the need to keep pushing.
Equally surprising is that my interest in making a creative contribution hasn’t waned. In fact it’s starting to blossom again. But it’s not associated with need to do. It’s more like inspired to do.
Is it possible that I’ve actually kissed my drive goodbye? I guess time will tell.
How about you? What drives you?
These days I experience freedom on my bike and I feel youthful and vibrant. The rides are no longer destination oriented, they’re experiential and offer a slice of life in the slower lane. There’s plenty to see by moving more slowly; just like the freedom of the road offered by 
actthreedotnet 
What Is Talent?
Posted in baby boomers, boomers/aging, mid-life, Uncategorized, writing, tagged Annie Liebowitz, Arts and Entertainment, baby boomer, baby boomers, boomer women, commentary, Creative writing, Dominique Browning, Non-fiction, personal growth, self improvement, Thomas Friedman, women over 50 on November 1, 2011| 1 Comment »
She was looking for a way to nurture her creativity in a new raw, rather primal testament to where she stands in her life now – and she photographed objects instead of people.
For some reason the thought of Annie Liebowitz experiencing a creative crisis is anathema to me. She’s certainly among the most well-known photographers of this era, amassing a healthy livelihood along the way. And yet she reached a point in her life where she questioned, what’s next?
Her talent is photography; more importantly, she’s able to communicate a mood, attitude of a subject that transcends the page and penetrates our soul.
What is this nebulous noun, talent, and how is it recognized and, ultimately, grown? According to Liebowitz it can disappear. “It needs to be nurtured, taken care of.” And that’s why she’s forging experimental terrain with her “Pilgrimage” subject matter.
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Oprah’s talent is communication and empathy.
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Steve Jobs married intuition with innovation to realize his blazing talent.
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Thomas Friedman blends the gift of writing with insight and intellect to manifest his talent.
What about the rest of us? How do we grow our talent, help it to blossom and bear fruit?
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