Comments on: Art a Key to Happy Life for the Aging http://quiltsandcreativity.com/artistdates/aging-artists Fine art to funky traditional: life and quilting Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:04:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: mariapeagler http://quiltsandcreativity.com/artistdates/aging-artists#comment-920 mariapeagler Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:07:59 +0000 http://quiltsandcreativity.com/learning-from-the-masters/aging-artists#comment-920 Karoda - How wonderful that you've turned such an enormous health challenge into an opportunity for art. Your experience in working with the disabled and mentally retarded is similar to the findings of this study: art makes a marked difference in people's lives. One of the fascinating parts of the study was it was done in NYC, where it's almost impossible to live as an aging artist on a pittance of an income. But it didn't stop these artists: they were delighted with their lives and had learned how to very happily live within their means. Thanks Karoda for sharing your experience, and I wish you good health and happy quilting. Karoda -
How wonderful that you’ve turned such an enormous health challenge into an opportunity for art. Your experience in working with the disabled and mentally retarded is similar to the findings of this study: art makes a marked difference in people’s lives.

One of the fascinating parts of the study was it was done in NYC, where it’s almost impossible to live as an aging artist on a pittance of an income. But it didn’t stop these artists: they were delighted with their lives and had learned how to very happily live within their means.

Thanks Karoda for sharing your experience, and I wish you good health and happy quilting.

]]> By: karoda http://quiltsandcreativity.com/artistdates/aging-artists#comment-905 karoda Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:08:42 +0000 http://quiltsandcreativity.com/learning-from-the-masters/aging-artists#comment-905 the past weeks i've found myself thinking over my aging/disability issues an how it does and may impact my art. first, let me share that for 7 years i worked with adults with severe physical disabilities and mental retardation primarily maintaining and maximizing their quality of life by introducing fine arts programming so my awareness of this comes by way of the former employment as well as where i find myself. after dyeing and painting a few yards of fabric last month my body was hurting from head to toe and i kept thinking what if i couldn't do this anymore, what if i loose my eyesight, etc...how would i adjust or adapt...etc. i've become almost one track in my obsession with my quilting in the last 3 years after discontinuing employment due to health...at first i was upset about the loss of identity, etc...but have for awhile now made peace with it and am thoroughly grateful and see it as a blessing now to be able to have the time and now space...i feel it keeps me healthy even with the physical pain i endure to do it. in a way that i seldom question, i feel my art extends my life. the past weeks i’ve found myself thinking over my aging/disability issues an how it does and may impact my art. first, let me share that for 7 years i worked with adults with severe physical disabilities and mental retardation primarily maintaining and maximizing their quality of life by introducing fine arts programming so my awareness of this comes by way of the former employment as well as where i find myself.

after dyeing and painting a few yards of fabric last month my body was hurting from head to toe and i kept thinking what if i couldn’t do this anymore, what if i loose my eyesight, etc…how would i adjust or adapt…etc. i’ve become almost one track in my obsession with my quilting in the last 3 years after discontinuing employment due to health…at first i was upset about the loss of identity, etc…but have for awhile now made peace with it and am thoroughly grateful and see it as a blessing now to be able to have the time and now space…i feel it keeps me healthy even with the physical pain i endure to do it. in a way that i seldom question, i feel my art extends my life.

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