In America today there is an obsession with youth
perpetuated by the media that emphasizes the successful young. News stories
highlight young people’s early accomplishments, youthful talent, (real or
fabricated) and the impression is being conveyed that if someone is to succeed
then it should be done before the age of thirty. The message is that once a people
have reached their forties then the opportunity for success has passed them by.
However in his book Late Bloomers, Rich Karlgaard underlines
the fact that the majority people who have made the greatest contributions to
business, science, art, history, politics and to the world in general did so
later in life and many well past the traditional age of retirement. Countless
numbers of late bloomers tempered by the ordeals of living, don’t find their
stride until after years of invaluable experience when they find their life’s
purpose.
This is refreshing information to those of us who have
wandered through the dessert of our lives in search of a promised land we’ve
believed to have missed. We baby boomers who live in a world that worships
youth and high scores on standardized testing have much, much more invaluable
contributions to make in our own right which can only be realized through
well-earned insights.
I now in my fifties, have set out to pursue my
life’s work in cartooning. The art world in general is considered a realm for
the young; creative minds who have a firm understanding on the latest technology
that is in high demand. Many hold a forgone conclusion that the artist’s
persona is one of flighty interpretations of life, holds a specific political
and social view and most of all are young. This in an incorrect presumption. I personally know many artists who
in no way fit this mold and I am one of them.
Let the insanity begin.
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