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grad school at fifty

updated wed 17 jan 01

 

Joyce Lee on tue 16 jan 01


Well, of course, you should get on with it! I've always been a "late
bloomer," in every life change I've made .... never regretted any of it.
Didn't touch a wad of clay until sixty .... never grasped an artist's
brush, nor even a pencil for anything but taking notes ... little
artistic talent.... and I'm just now learning to say "little" natural
talent .... for much of anything except being a professional student.
Used to decry "no" talent, rather than "little" until clayarters kept
punching it out with me on that one. I give. You're right. I do have a
bit of natural awareness, at least.

After fifty.... due to the condition of being an educator in California
which requires another course of study for ANY change in job
situations... I completed several new credentials etc... so many that I
figured I'd have to start a new one before they'd let me retire!

Inspired my son to upgrade/downgrade (according to your perspective)
from government intelligence to fulltime poet. Scary. However, he does
possess talent! He brings in a living working with mentally challenged
adults ..... lives in a tiny house ..... drives a beatup vehicle....
major change from his former lifestyle of dashing out on worldwide
assignments .... happy as can be. Or seems to be... what does a mother
know?

Now, how did I get here from the subject line? Anyway, my point is that
there are dozens, maybe hundreds, of claybuds who entered art and clay
after fifty.... and many who've enrolled in formal programs at so-called
"advanced" ages ... haven't yet heard any regrets expressed here so far.
They may have figured, as I did: I hope to be alive in another however
many years it'll be for you, why not make it mean something???

I think, too, that the Mayor mentioned that he enrolled in an MFA after
fifty, also.

Joyce
In the Mojave off to Bakersfield, but I'll be checking back in tonight.

Lizacat29@AOL.COM on tue 16 jan 01


To paraphrase Julia Cameron: If you are worrying about how old you'll be
when you finally get finished with that grad school degree, the answer is:
the same age you'll be if you don't ever start. Go for it!

Elca Branman on tue 16 jan 01


As the old adage goes, you'll still be fifty even if you don't go to grad
school.

Go already!!

Elca Branman
elcab1@juno.com
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