Finding Your Purpose After 50
As women get older, there is an emptiness.
The kids are gone to college, work is decreasing, and you are sitting at the dinner table with your partner or yourself – looking at your life, questioning your purpose or what makes you happy.
It may sound like a big question, but the reality is that women are not valued as they age. They are not always listened to; for many, their identity comes from caring for children or their partners. There is a realization that this void means you must look closer at what makes you happy.
At the core of constructing our lives comes the search for purpose.
If you need a guide for this purpose, the key is to return to when you were young.
What drove you when you were in your 20s? What thrilled you and brought you joy that you can do now?
Using art as a voice drove my purpose.
As a young woman, I had the talent to be a visual artist, which was a blessing. I wanted to use my art to change the world, to make people realize that women have a place in our culture and should be seen and heard.
This desire stemmed from the realization that women had no voice as artists. In the 1980s, women’s representation in galleries and museums was practically nonexistent. During this time, women’s art and the definition of women’s voices in art began to take shape. The male voice and representation had overwhelmingly overshadowed female representation.
Even today, finding women’s art in notable museums can be challenging.
Art is a journey.
I began my art journey by showing my work at juried outdoor art fairs, where I could find clients who related to my style. At these venues, the collectors could choose the art that spoke to them without interference from an art dealer representing only male artists.
I traveled throughout Canada and the U.S., showing my work to the people and building a market and clientele that spans North America.
Eventually, galleries began to support the work, and through a combination of dealers and art fairs, I supported myself and my family with my art. As the digital age developed in the mid-2000s, I created my “Memory Art Girl” brand.
The images from the mid-2000s are like those from 30 years ago—interiors with a mid-century theme, women walking together on the beach or in a city, and strident women with attitude and strength. The men in the images are supportive, bringing flowers and clapping in appreciation.
The materials I use connect to women’s domesticity through vintage wallpapers, old family photos, and classic film and magazine images. They also connect to scrapbooking and women’s role in preserving family histories.
There is a feminist theme, but it is subtle. The goal is not to be anti-male but to celebrate the female voice by using the past as a lens on the present-day experience.
Purpose and its effect on your wider life.
The female-empowered voice that drives my artistic life has also motivated me for the rest of my life.
I have been actively involved in the Toronto Sailing community on Lake Ontario for the last 10 years. We purchased a 30-foot keelboat, our kids went through junior sailing school, and we experienced the challenges and fun of this sport.
However, sailing was primarily a male sport and social club. The yacht club has an active DIY culture where the boat owners and members would fix the club’s infrastructure. Women were the partners but were not involved in the work parties. A few women participate, but for the most part, this is primarily a male-defined social area.
Find your Tribe After 50. Open Your Mind.
When asked to participate on the Board of Directors of the sailing club during COVID-19, I introduced the idea that a women’s sailing group should exist. We now have 75 members who meet regularly.
At the same time, a girls’ sailing program was developed in our junior sailing school, which promoted inclusivity and diversity and supported those who did not think sailing was a sport they could do.
Actively creating a female community speaks to being represented and feeds my resolve to improve the world. It emphasizes the need for women to be seen and to give a voice to those who feel unheard or unrepresented.
Your purpose may be helping others, but you should also help yourself become stronger and happier and discover what you need to do to enjoy your life – particularly after 50.
