Your Creative Midlife

Betsy Bush
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Arts
  • Updated Daily

Your Creative Midlife. With host Betsy Bush. I’m talking to people who are exploring the creative life post-career or as empty nesters:  painting, writing, making music, theater, and film making.  What about you?  Is this the time to write that book?  Return to arts you enjoyed as a kid or teen?  Curious to try something new?Here’s the thing:  It’s never too late to bring a creative practice into your life.  My guests talk about the satisfaction they find as they develop their new skills.  They also share the uncertainty and fear they felt when they started and the confidence they gained as they kept at it and their skills developed.  Even better:  their definition of success is their own.  Where do you want to go?  Dare to follow your muse. Have a creative journey to share?  Please get in touch via our website contact page, www.yourcreativemidlife.com

  1. Oct 3

    Can Art Prevent Burnout in Healthcare? | Larissa Trinder of Arts in Medicine Thinks So

    Have you been following the new research about the importance of art and music in healthcare settings? This is such an important part of bringing art and music back into our lives, both as practitioners and also just being in a world where we are listening to music and seeing art, especially in healthcare settings.  On this episode of Your Creative Midlife, I talk with Larissa Trinder, the Executive Director of Arts and Medicine for New York City Health and Hospitals. This program has been doing some really interesting work that brings music and art not only to patients and caregivers in a hospital setting, but also doctors and hospital staff. In This Episode You'll Learn:   → What the new research says about the impacts of visual art and music on our health    → How the NYC hospital system built a collection of over 8,000 pieces of art   → How the arts can be used to prevent burnout for healthcare workers About Larissa Trinder: Larissa Trinder is responsible for stewarding NYC Health + Hospitals’ collection of more than 8,000 works of art, the largest such collection in New York City, as well as creating and implementing programs for patients, staff and the community that utilize the arts as a tool in healing. She is a staunch advocate for the importance of the arts and humanities within a healthcare system to advance patient health outcomes, enhance staff engagement, morale and retention and to empower communities. Resources mentioned: “A Dazzling Art Collection Hiding in Plain Sight”: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/08/nyregion/nyc-hospitals-public-art.html Learn more about NYC Health + Hospitals: https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/artsinmedicine/art-collection/ Learn more about the Arts and Medicine Team: https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/artsinmedicine/team/ Listen to my interview with John Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension School: https://youtu.be/m-6R15awqJM   Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

  2. Sep 24

    Dierdre Wolownick climbed El Capitan at 66. Melissa Davey Documented Her Story.

    You may know Alex Honnold, the only person to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan rock cliff without any gear. But did you know that Honnold’s mother, Dierdre Wolownick, is the oldest woman to climb the same mountain (with gear)? Or that she only started training in her 60s?  Melissa Davey, a documentary filmmaker, wanted to share Diedre’s story. Her film Climbing into Life is now available to stream on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube Movies, among others.  In this re-released episode of Your Creative Midlife,  I talk with Melissa Davey about Dierdre's story and Melissa’s own journey into filmmaking in mid-life.  In This Episode You'll Learn:   → How Dierdre trained for her climb to El Capitan    → How Melissa Davey approached the documentary   → Why this documentary is different from Melissa’s first film If you've ever dreamed of pushing yourself beyond your limits or starting a new creative chapter later in life, this episode will inspire you to begin.  About Melissa Davey Melissa Davey, age 75, retired from a lengthy corporate career in 2016 to pursue her second act and dream of becoming a filmmaker. At age 65, after a day on the set with a famous Director, she decided to take a risk and left her career to jump into the unknown.  Pursuing her dream of becoming a filmmaker became a reality in late 2018 when Melissa completed her first film, Beyond Sixty, a feature-length documentary about women over the age of sixty. During 2019 Melissa’s film was accepted by and screened at 8 film festivals throughout the United States and Canada, winning awards and confirming that it is never too late to learn something new.  Melissa recently completed her second documentary, Climbing into Life, the story of Dierdre Wolownick, the mother of Alex Honnold. The film has been accepted into nineteen film festivals so far and has won numerous awards. 📖 Watch Climbing Into Life YouTube TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wShg2R_kuXw Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-into-life-Melissa-Davey  📖 Resources Mentioned Learn more about Dierdre: https://www.instagram.com/dierdre_wolownick_honnold/ Learn more about Melissa Davey: https://melissadavey.com/climbing-into-life/ Listen to Betsy’s earlier interview with Melissa Davey: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-dismiss-your-dreams-melissa-davey-on-becoming/id1556317668?i=1000552662832 Learn more about Alex Honnold: https://www.alexhonnold.com/#bio Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

  3. Sep 18

    Inside Nantucket's Heritage Craft Program, with Mary Lacoursiere

    What happens to a craft when there aren't enough people left making a living at it? In this episode of Your Creative Midlife, I'm recording from the podcast studio at the Nantucket Historical Association with Mary Lacoursiere, artistic director of its Heritage Craft Program. I then go behind the scenes with Mary at the program headquarters.   In This Episode You'll Learn:   → What are heritage crafts (and why they’re not just for hobbyists)   → The evolution of the program on Nantucket  →  Why making in community is more important than ever. If you've ever dreamed of creating in community or starting a new creative chapter later in life, this episode will inspire you to begin. 📖 About Mary Lacoursiere Mary Lacoursiere graduated from Pratt Institute with an M.F.A. in printmaking and painting. She had a studio in New York City for fifteen years, specializing in hand-painted sisal rugs, murals, and restoring historical paintings. A member of the Historical Society of Early American Decoration since 1978, Mary has been a contributing artist for Lifetime Television and Hearst Entertainment and currently owns and operates Emery Design here on Nantucket. She is also the director of Education at the Nantucket Historical Association. 📖 Resources Mentioned: Learn more about the Heritage Craft program: https://nha.org/whats-on/programs/heritage-craft/  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

  4. Aug 20

    Needlework, Toile, and What You're Not Good At

    What happens when you sign up for something you might turn out to be bad at? In this episode of Your Creative Midlife, I'm exploring embroidery on Nantucket, in its different forms. It's the part of this island the influencers aren't telling you about. What I didn't expect was how much this experience would end up being about limits. I learned that I am not good at everything (and how to be ok with that). In This Episode You'll Learn   → On being a beginner in midlife     → The history of The Nantucket School of Needlery   → The legacy of Erica Wilson, the Julia Child of needlework    → The surprising health benefits of participating in the arts   → Richard Saja's avant-garde needlework  If you’re interested in learning about needlework and how to manage a creative project when you meet your limit, this episode is for you. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction and needlekeep  02:38 – RIchard Saja and avant-garde toile  04:47 – Erica Wilson, the Julia Child of Needlework  06:00 – The Nantucket School of Needlery  08:00 – Sip and Stitch at Erica Wilson  09:20 – The story of Nantucket’s Airport code, why it is ACK 10:30 – Resources from the 1800 House   Learn More About Needlework    • Listen to The GAM episode on needlework https://thenantucketgam.podbean.com/e/11/    • Visit Erica Wilson’s store for a class on Nantucket https://ericawilson.com/pages/60years   - Connect with Richard Saja    •  https://www.instagram.com/richardsaja/  About Your Creative Midlife Your Creative Midlife is a podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Betsy Bush, featuring inspiring conversations with artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and makers who discovered new creative paths after 50. Whether you're retired, an empty nester, or simply ready to explore a new passion, you'll find practical advice, encouragement, and real stories that prove it's never too late to create. 🌐 Website: https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com 📩 Share Your Creative Story: https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com/contact Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

  5. Aug 6

    This is the Value of Process Over Product: What I Learned in a Four-Day Collage Workshop on Nantucket

    I’m sharing the results of a collage workshop I took at the Visual Arts Center of the Artists Association of Nantucket, one of the island's major art centers. As a budding collage artist, this was an amazing experience, and it really gave me a chance to do a deep dive for four days in a row with a great instructor and great classmates.  I talk about the different techniques I used in each collage and how I’m discovering the value of process over getting a finished product. Here are my takeaways: 1. It really is about process over product. If you focus on having something "worthy" to bring home to show people, the experience is less fun. 2. Use materials that you already have (my favorite stop is the Nantucket Dump -- more on this later) 3. Collage is really problem solving; not everything on the canvas has to be paper (you can also use paint). 4. Making art every day is exhausting; so much respect for the professionals. I hope you've had a summer that's been productive, relaxing, and maybe you've tried something different, maybe you've taken up something new, some ex exploration or some play, because that's what we need to be doing to stay healthy and happy as we continue our creative midlives. Links:  Learn more about the Artists Association of Nantucket: https://www.nantucketarts.org/  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

  6. Jul 23

    Inside the 500 Year Old Craft of Paper Marbling

    How would you like to try something completely new? That's what I'm doing with my summer, calling it Nantucket Camp. How about paper marbling? It's a heritage craft, which means, in some ways, it's considered endangered.  Here’s how I learned to make marbled paper, just like Renaissance Florence or Venice! I took the workshop run by The Nantucket Historical Association. They have a heritage crafts department where you can learn many different things. We made our papers and then used the paper to cover a clamshell box, inside and out. It was so much fun. I can’t wait to try paper marbling again!  Links:  The Nantucket Historical Association Heritage Crafts: https://nha.org/learn/heritage-craft/  The Nantucket Historical Association Gam Podcast: https://nha.org/the-nantucket-gam-podcast/  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

  7. Jul 23

    Introducing a New Summer Series: Camp Nantucket!

    This summer I'm treating Nantucket Island like summer camp, exploring new activities like pottery, collage, paper marbling, and so much more. You can try so many artistic pursuits on this island. So if you see something new that you want to try, join me for Camp Nantucket. The first episode drops Thursday, July 23rd! Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

  8. Jul 16

    Yes, You Can Learn to Play the Violin as an Adult

    Do you wish you had taken (or stuck with) music lessons as a kid? Or maybe you didn’t have the opportunity for lessons and now wonder if it is too late. In this episode, I talk with Elle Littlefield, an entrepreneur and classical music lover. Elle Littlefield grew up playing violin through the Suzuki method. But like so many of us, she put music aside for other things. Now she is returning to the instrument as an adult, playing alongside her kids. Elle and I sit down to talk about her relearning classical music as an adult, music and brain health, and so much more.  About the guest: Elle Littlefield is the founder of CareerWell, a company that teaches job seekers how to master their job search to promote career growth and reduce career stress. She holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Columbia University. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Columbia Alumni Association, the university-wide association across all 18 schools, where she also chairs the Mentorship and Networking Committee. Elle is a lifelong lover of violin, which she has returned to playing in adulthood.  Music in this episode: La Campanella by Paganini. Links: International Suzuki Association: https://internationalsuzuki.org/method  Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Saves Lives by Daisy Fancourt: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250364531/artcure/ Interview with John-Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension School: https://youtu.be/m-6R15awqJM?si=lrpF_E3wzqyOf15X  Columbia School of General Studies: https://www.gs.columbia.edu/  Learn more about Elle Littlefield https://mycareerwell.com/about  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

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Your Creative Midlife. With host Betsy Bush. I’m talking to people who are exploring the creative life post-career or as empty nesters:  painting, writing, making music, theater, and film making.  What about you?  Is this the time to write that book?  Return to arts you enjoyed as a kid or teen?  Curious to try something new?Here’s the thing:  It’s never too late to bring a creative practice into your life.  My guests talk about the satisfaction they find as they develop their new skills.  They also share the uncertainty and fear they felt when they started and the confidence they gained as they kept at it and their skills developed.  Even better:  their definition of success is their own.  Where do you want to go?  Dare to follow your muse. Have a creative journey to share?  Please get in touch via our website contact page, www.yourcreativemidlife.com

Information

  • Creator
    Betsy Bush
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Your Creative Midlife
  • Show Website
    Your Creative Midlife

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