Shows / Your Creative Midlife
Your Creative Midlife
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…
Episodes
- Your Creative Midlife
Can You Write a Novel in 15 Minutes a Day? Kim Purcell on What Writing Workshops Don’t Teach
Have you been waiting for the right moment to write that novel? In this episode of Your Creative Midlife, I talk with Kim Purcell, author of Write a Novel in…
- Your Creative Midlife
Can Making Music Keep You Vital? Inside Christine La Monte’s Viva Verdi!
What if retirement was a time to create, to be in a community with fellow artists? In this episode of Your Creative Midlife, I talk with producer Christine La…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
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…
- Your Creative Midlife
How to Write an Authentic Memoir and Tell a Good Story, with Sarah Saffian, Writing Coach
There are many reasons to write a memoir. You may find it cathartic to “get it all out there” or maybe you have a life story that you think readers will find…
- Your Creative Midlife
How a Painter Found Community at The Art Students League of New York
In this episode, I reflect on my trip to The Art Students League and how it influenced my friend and podcast guest John Kneapler’s journey as an artist. The…
- Your Creative Midlife
If You Want to Try Collage, This Episode is for You
I’ve explored collage a lot this past year. In fact, my collage roommate has become an exceptional collage artist after retiring from her career in corporate…
- Your Creative Midlife
This Book is Taking Over the Art World: Reflections on Art Cure by Dr. Daisy Fancourt
I met Dr. Daisy Fancourt in May, when she was a featured speaker at a longevity conference. If you’ve heard of her, it’s because her latest book Art Cure, has…
- Your Creative Midlife
You’re Not Stuck with Your Professional Identity: Betsy Bush and Flora White on Evolution Now
You can have a whole new identity if you want. You can pick up something new or pursue that creative impulse that has been in the back of your mind. This week…
- Your Creative Midlife
Don’t Wait for Retirement to Write That Book, with Chris Shirley, Award-Winning Fiction Writer
Do you want to write a book, either now or in retirement? Rather than put off his writing dreams until retirement, Chris embraced the challenges through…
- Your Creative Midlife
Make a Movie on Your Own Terms and Navigate Life as an Artist, with Brooke Berman
This week on Your Creative Midlife, I talk with Brooke Berman about her latest film, "Ramona at Midlife," which explores the central challenge of reconciling…
- Your Creative Midlife
From Medicine to Painting and Finding New Forms of Expression in Retirement, with Bob Veselis
What do doctors and scientists do in retirement? In this week’s episode, Betsy speaks with Bob Veselis, a former anesthesiologist, about his art practice and…
- Your Creative Midlife
Why Music and Performing Arts are Key to Creative Aging, with John-Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension School
I am thrilled to share my conversation with John-Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension. We talk about creative aging, Juilliard Extension, and how music and…
- Your Creative Midlife
From Lawyer to Model & TV Extra, with Deidre Michael
When you watch a movie, do you ever wonder about the people in the background? What would it be like to work as an extra in the movie business and how do you…
- Your Creative Midlife
What Is Your Creative Midlife Going To Be? My Biggest Lessons From One Year Of Podcasting
While you're learning to be creative, I'm learning how to do a podcast. In this episode, I reflect on the fantastic first year of the show, podcasting as an…
- Your Creative Midlife
She Made Her First Film at 65: Now, at 75, Melissa Davey’s Documentary "Climbing Into Life" is Winning Awards
Few of us would dare attempt to become a filmmaker at 65, but that is exactly what Melissa Davey did when she retired from corporate life. Her second…
- Your Creative Midlife
“I was actually just a storyteller my whole career”: Live from Graham Broyd’s Book Launch for Backpack, Jacket, Surfboard at Scarsdale Golf Club
We've been following the journey that my guest, Graham Broyd, has taken as a first time author from developing a personal story into a manuscript that was…
- Your Creative Midlife
Nobody Pays to See Normal, with Stand-up Comedian Jane Condon
What does it take to be a stand-up comedian in midlife? Jane Condon has been at it for several decades and gives us the inside scoop of what it really takes to…
- Your Creative Midlife
His first book is in the top 10% of books sold in 2025: How Graham Broyd Did It.
Graham Broyd was a popular guest when I interviewed him back in February, as his book, Backpack, Jacket, Surfboard was in the final editing stages. Now his…
Your Creative MidlifeDid a Family Ghost Lure Me to Nantucket? A Special Episode with Betsy Bush
For the last Nantucket edition of the year, I’m sharing a personal story that kind of fits with the spooky season of Halloween. It’s the story of my first…
- Your Creative Midlife
Enjoy this Replay with Astrologer and Tarot Reader Suzanne Keating!
Enjoy this Replay with Astrologer and Tarot Reader Suzanne Keating! Summer can offer us time to contemplate the future and imagine life changes. If you are on…
Your Creative MidlifeSupporting Midlife Creativity in a Judgement Free Zone: Nantucket Island School of Design and Art
Is there a connection between the relaxed vibe of Nantucket Island School of Design and Art (NISDA) and its way of inspiring creativity in midlife? This…
Your Creative MidlifeWriting with Purpose and the Magic of Nantucket: How Nancy Thayer Published 35 Bestsellers
Why is Nantucket such a powerful setting for novels about renewal and reinvention? The island seems to be a place where life can change in the course of a…
Your Creative Midlife50 Years of Nantucket Arts and Creativity with Charley Walters
Charley Walters proves that you don’t have to create art to be immersed in it. Over the 50 years he has lived on Nantucket, Charley has become a guiding…
Your Creative MidlifeThe Joys of Rock Music in Midlife: The Story of Cranberry Alarm Clock, Beatles Cover Band
How many of you out there have dreams of forming a rock group with your pals playing the music you love? In this episode, members of the Nantucket-based…
- Your Creative Midlife
Write Your Memoir So That Others Will Read It with Sarah Saffian
“What an interesting life you’ve led. You should write a book.” Has anyone ever told you that? Or maybe you’ve thought this about your own life? There are many…
- Your Creative Midlife
Your Midlife Is Vibrant – Write About It! with Stella Fosse
Stella Fosse retired from her biotech career ten years ago and started writing. Her work encompasses a surprising range, from blogs to novels to non-fiction…
- Your Creative Midlife
Blending Business and Art with John Kneapler, Painter
Discovering your creative outlet can be beneficial on many levels. Just ask John Kneapler, who found that painting helped him through the death of both…
Your Creative MidlifeA Different Way of Knowing with Astrologer Suzanne Keating
Summer can offer us time to contemplate the future and imagine life changes. If you are on Nantucket, you might consider consulting Suzanne Keating. She's an…
- Your Creative Midlife
No Rules, Endless Possibilities: Collage Artist Lela Goldstein
Sometimes the first step in your midlife creative journey is to look back at the things you loved as a kid. For Lela Goldstein, it was building on her love of…
Your Creative MidlifeReliving Nantucket’s nautical past with the Shanty Singers
The popular Shanty Cruise offers a unique experience for visitors and locals alike—evoking the spirit of long-ago ship crews who sang these working songs as…
- Your Creative Midlife
Finding Joy in the Creative Process with Photographer Lynn Savarese
Lynn Savarese, a Harvard-trained lawyer, discovered her love of photography when she took a beginner's photography class at Manhattan’s 92nd Street Y. Soon…
Your Creative MidlifeOn the Isle Community Theater with Kathi Loughlin
Your Creative Midlife – Nantucket Edition Your Creative Midlife is visiting Nantucket for special episodes this summer. Nantucket is a beautiful wedge of sand…
- Your Creative Midlife
From Lawyer to Playwright: How Dan Moretti Got His Plays Produced
Dan Moretti is a lawyer in New York City who is finding success as a playwright. During COVID, Dan started writing one-act plays, which have since been…
- Your Creative Midlife
Share your passion for art: how a retired dentist became a docent at the Met with Deborah Pilla, DDS
After a 33-year career as a pediatric dentist, Manhattan-based Dr. Deborah Pilla took on a challenge that rewards her love of art and of learning: becoming a…
- Your Creative Midlife
Revive Your Theater Career: One couple shares how in their 60’s they are landing parts and directing plays. With Steve Taylor and Kathleen Mahan. Ep.4
They met in tap dancing class in NYC as young theater hopefuls. Marriage, babies and a move to the suburbs followed. But they never lost their love of theater…
- Your Creative Midlife
Pick up your childhood violin again – seriously! Join the “late starters” finding joy in making music with Elena Rahona Ep.3
For anyone who regrets quitting their music lessons when they were little and assumes it’s too late to go back, please listen to Elena Rahona talk about…
- Your Creative Midlife
Graham Broyd (Extended Version), the unexpected author: How youthful adventures caught a publisher’s eye and turned a banker into a writer
Extended Version of Episode 2 Graham Broyd thought he’d write down the stories of his adventures as a 20-year-old from the UK hitchhiking across the United…
- Your Creative Midlife
Cherie Corso: Getting out there with her artwork—and selling successfully
After many turns as a marketing and media entrepreneur, Cherie Corso turned her energy and talent to abstract painting, with great results. Just two years in…
- Your Creative Midlife
Graham Broyd, the unexpected author: How youthful adventures caught a publisher’s eye and turned a banker into a writer
Graham Broyd thought he’d write down the stories of his adventures as a 20-year-old from the UK hitchhiking across the United States, stories he’d been telling…