We know that an awful lot of people over 60 are taking up art.
And we know that many of them are thriving. So why isn’t more being written about this phenomenon. Or discussed for that matter?
I tried to find answers in Nell Painter’s memoir Old in Art School (2018), which is about her experience going back to art school at age 64—more than 3 decades after receiving her PhD in history from Harvard. But regardless of that title, it wasn’t very enlightening about the topic of being a late-blooming artist.
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In this episode of The Art Biz, we’re going to talk about coming to art later in life.
My guest is Janice Mason Steeves, author of Bloom: On Becoming An Artist Later in Life. Which, as I say in our interview, is “a lovely mix of insights from a questionnaire, gentle guidance from someone who teaches and leads artist workshops all over the world, and wisdom from academics, professionals, and spiritual advisors.”
Janice will share her background and the realization that the students in her workshops tended to be in the 60 to 80 age group. This piqued her curiosity about taking up art later in life.
We spend the first half of our conversation talking about how the book came to be. Then we discuss the advantages, benefits and challenges of becoming an artist after age 60.
I, of course, want to know about how artists over 60 approach the business of art, but that’s not Janice’s concern.
I have some experience that perhaps will lead to a future episode. Hearing from you in the comments will help.
Janice has been in my orbit for a long time and I have been dying to talk with her about this book, the seeds of which she mentioned to me about 4 years ago. It’s a book that needed to be written and proves that we have a lot more to talk about this topic.
But let’s kick off the conversation.
Listen
Janice Mason Steeves Quotes
“These were people who were being ignored in society.”
“All of us want to sell the art we make. It’s important to your self-esteem to be able to sell it.”
“I think a huge part of developing yourself is figuring out how to sell.”
“Nobody takes you seriously, whatever you say as an artist at the beginning, because nobody believes you know anything.”
“There's a a point at which you say, okay, well I'm not gonna get any better unless I give myself some kind of space to work at home.”
“Go ahead and do it no matter what age you are.”
“Calling yourself an artist is changing identity.”
[ How Do You Know When You’re an Artist? with James Holmes ]
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About My Guest
Born in Saskatchewan, Janice Mason Steeves has an M.A. in Clinical Psychology. Her inspiration comes from her experiences in wild and remote places where she has spent time painting and teaching.
Janice is passionate about helping artists form a deeper connection to the earth. She has developed an art program called Workshops in Wild Places where students travel to remote locations worldwide to experience and paint the power of wild landscapes.
Her recent book, Bloom: On Becoming an Artist Later in Life, is an inspirational look at how our older years can be a time of inner soul work and continued growth through creativity.
Follow her on Instagram @janicemasonsteeves
2 thoughts on “Spotlighting Artists Who Bloom Later in Life with Janice Mason Steeves (ep. 181)”
I absolutely loved the interview with Janice Steeves. I’m 63, and started painting about 10 years ago, am self taught other than taking a few online classes here and there. I loved art as a child but never pursued it. Life happens! Now that I’m older I have time and a studio to do it in, but sometimes I feel it’s pointless when I think about age. However I keep trying. Thank you and I can’t wait to read this book
Thanks for listening, Terri! I know you’ll enjoy the book.