A sense of humor is essential.

I’m the youngest of four. I hated being the baby and seeing my siblings have all the fun. I couldn’t wait to be grown up and on equal footing with them. Truth is, I still feel like the baby; my siblings are all in their 70s and I’m still in my (late) 60s.

A few months ago, my heart went into A-Flutter. I had no idea what was going on and didn’t go immediately to see my doctor. I waited over five days to go in (lesson learned: don’t wait) and ended up in the hospital for four nights waiting for the procedure to zap my heart back to a normal beat. The whole thing scared the bejesus out of me. I had never been in the hospital before. That incident made me feel old for sure. But I feel encouraged by my body’s resilience. I’ve started a cardio program to build strength and endurance. I would love to be one of those old people they write about in AARP who have completely transformed themselves into health heroes.

I’m in my studio most days creating art. I like to think that seeing my art brings joy to those who look at it. I love when a piece sells and becomes a part of someone’s daily experience. But I also sing. In fact, for many years singing was my sole means of self-expression. I pretty much gave it up when I became a visual artist, but now I’m singing again with some friends in NYC and that feels so good.

Hopes & Dreams: I hope to keep my sense of humor. I hope to be able to continue making visual art that pleases me. I’d like to get my house cleaned up one of these days, but no hurry.