The New York Times Reader’s Center is looking for inspiring people who prove it’s never too late to switch gears, change lifestyles and pursue dreams. They want to hear from people of all ages who are living according to their own timeline — in regards to career, education, athletic pursuits, family, friendships or another calling: People who learned to drive after the age of 40, found love after age 75 or finished a marathon at age 99.
Art is a good field to switch gears into, it doesn’t require the physical optimum, only time and wishes. Regular life is that busy, being a relief at certain age to move into another field, a more relaxing and creative one. It is never to late to use experience or knowledge; to face different issues; or to learn different skills. If there is free time and patience, he or she could become a good artist. For example I made this painting in acrylic, using a 47 X 31.5in canvas:
Leaving alone the easel along with my initial inspiration, I then switched to my licensing knowledge: and holding the legal right of this artwork, transformed it into a product. So a painting originally in canvas, became a design ready in the computer, available to be replicated in products. As you saw in the canvas above, its theme was a sun with cactuses, which then were manufactured in this apron:
You can see that the main theme corresponds to the figures in the canvas. There is the same sun and cactuses. This new way of making products its called POD (Print On Demand), meaning that there is no inventory. Whenever someone orders, the apron is cut and printed at that moment with the digital image, and sent to the buyer who already payed online. Products are good quality, totally new, without handling deterioration, nor transfer damages. It is a different business with thousand of artists around the globe making very interesting products…
Being satisfied with the final outcome, why not use my other paintings to make more aprons. As an artist, I paint every day and have many finished canvases in my studio. We photographed each one, caring about lighting and reflections, digitalized them, and made aprons, of varied sizes:
Aprons, clocks, cell cases, masks, mugs, and many products can be manufactured this way. Redbubble, the australian company, helps designers to promote their work. However one may not be interested in making business after all. OKay forget the money for a second, and focus on what we were talking about: changing gears.
I have switched gears in religion too, shifting again, my purpose of living. It is not the same to go to mass as a weekly routine, than to be an individualistic new-age practitioner (and I passed through both of them in this order). As an inherited catholic, I did duties because I had to: I used to forgive incidents but only with my voice, not in the heart.
I saw advantages in dropping church while I was a Buddhist and later switched to a Taoist; however I never founded satisfaction in these doctrines. I felt no peace and was running all the time, from one goal to the other. Of course, physical surgeries made me reflect on my acting, and a trip I took to Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to Israel. I definitely turned back to The religion of love, to the same Jesus I knew as child, with a deeper understanding and embracing the faith. I have been in peace since then, and never regret of returning. I wish you good luck in switching Years, hahaha I mean GEARS…. Thanks for reading, I see you later 🖐🏻
LINKS
Did You Switch Gears Later in Life? We Want to Hear from You.
June 16, 2021
Switching Gears to Retirement
If retirement looks like a vast wasteland awaiting you, here are some ways to find your bearings.
By Kerry Hannon, Sep 12, 2019
At Midcareer, an Artist Switches Gears
Article on and interview with painter Susan Rothenberg, whose 11 new paintings are on view at Sperone Westwater; photos by Amei Wallach, Oct 26, 1997,
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