Middle Aged Crazy

When you go on vacation from Orlando it is time to get away from theme parks. My merry little band is in Costa Rica, on an “adventure tour” and it’s nice and more than a little jarring to be reminded that the Jungle Ride at the Magic Kingdom isn’t real ... Continue reading →

Sometimes, it is a good idea to pay attention. They told me we were going to have a day of zip lines, a day of white water rafting and a day of something called canyoneering. That was today. Now, I know what a canyon is, how hard could walking around ... Continue reading →

I got an interesting E Mail from Scott Horwitz this weekend, a very funny guy. Like me, after a career in finance, he set out to release his creative side. Scott chose to find his through stand up comedy, a medium of which I am a big fan. As a ... Continue reading →

I’m reading a new book this weekend called “Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” and it is really speaking to me. Despite an epically busy week I am finding myself reading it at every free moment I can muster (bathroom breaks, red lights etc.). ... Continue reading →

There are trained, professional artists out there. And then there are the rest of us. My life’s mission is that of encouraging people who have forgotten they were born creative to remember their natural state. Have you uttered the dooming phrase, “I am not creative”? Shame on you. You are ... Continue reading →

You wouldn’t think we could out do Christmas as a consumer orgy, but, OMG, did you see the Super Bowl last night? I’m beginning to think the Amish might be on to something. Yes, the commercials were amazing, creative, technically brilliant, especially the girl in the Fiat ad. (wow). Do ... Continue reading →

What is it about art that forces us to put impossible pressure on it? “Yea, I’d like to quit my job and paint, but that won’t pay the bills.” You know what, it probably won’t. You have two courses of action then, get rid of your bills and then quit ... Continue reading →

In the seventies I used to play a unique form of chess with a friend. I was a good player and he was a relative beginner, so I would talk him though his moves; and mine. We looked at all the possibilities each move created and we were often discussing ... Continue reading →

You wouldn’t expect a commercial about an American truck to capture the simplicity of a Zen master or teach us about living a life of creativity, but it does. (No, Middle Aged Crazy is not sponsored by Chevrolet now, I did embed the commercial, in case you haven’t seen it:) ... Continue reading →

Found a quote last week that summed a few things up for me: A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.  D. Elton Trueblood We celebrate “self”. We are ... Continue reading →

As a creative, I’m sure you have a “process”, a series of behaviors that helps you produce your best work. You might not have defined your process but I bet it is there, something you find yourself doing. The process is worth examining; tweaking it might help you to recognize ... Continue reading →

Vanity: I am ridiculously vain about my hair. At 55 I have a mostly full, mostly non-grey head of wavy hair. No male pattern baldness, wasn’t prematurely grey, I can slick it back after the shower and I am good to go all day. No blowdryer, no bad hair days. ... Continue reading →