176. How to Keep Expanding Your World

From The Modern Creative Woman · 20:51

Show by Dr. Amy Backos

Ask me a question or let me know what you think!As we get older, some of the things that once nourished us can quietly disappear from our lives. We socialize less because staying home feels easier. We move less. We stop taking classes, going to events, getting dressed for the day, seeing friends, or making time for the things that once brought us joy.Life changes, of course. Our families change, our work changes, our friendships change, and our priorities change. But there is a difference between intentionally changing our lives and allowing our world to gradually become smaller because we are tired, busy, unengaged, or simply accustomed to doing less.In this episode, I talk about the importance of adding things back into our lives as we move through different seasons of adulthood. I share a recent experience of traveling without my computer or even my paper planner and what it reminded me about being fully present. I also talk about what developmental psychology can teach us about the different needs we have across the lifespan, including how my own priorities shifted as I moved through my 40s and into my 50s.Creativity and art can play an important role here. An art class can give us creativity, social connection, movement, novelty, learning, and a reason to engage with the world. The point is not to keep everything exactly as it was. It is to notice what matters now and make room for it.In This Episode• Why healthy habits and meaningful activities can gradually slip away as we get older• The difference between changing intentionally and being a passive recipient of change• Why our lives need to evolve as we move through different developmental stages• What developmental psychology and Carl Jung suggest about the changing needs of adulthood• How my own priorities shifted in my 40s and 50s• Why staying socially and creatively engaged matters• How art making and creativity can fill multiple needs at once• What happened when I traveled without my computer or planner• Why we need to add things back into our lives after periods of intense responsibility• The connection between values, daily action, meaning, and purpose• A simple challenge for identifying one thing that deserves more space in your lifeQuestions This Episode ExploresAre you staying engaged with the things that matter most to you?Has your world gotten smaller in any areas of your life?What have you gradually stopped doing that once brought you energy, connection, creativity, or joy?What does this particular season of your life require from you?What might you need to add back in?And perhaps most importantly: What is one thing that is deeply important to you that you are not currently making enough time for?Your Creative ChallengeChoose one thing that feels deeply important to you.Not three things. Not a complete life overhaul. Just one.It might be friendship, family, art, gardening, cooking, museums, movement, learning, travel, service, or something else that gives your life meaning.Then ask yourself:Am I engaging with this regularly enough for it to actually be part of my life?If drawing matters to you, perhaps you make a one-minute drawing each morning. If health matters to you, perhaps you take an evening walk. If friendship matters, perhaps you make a regular plan instead of waiting until you happen to have time.The action can be small. What matters is that you consistently show up for something you value.Why This MattersOur lives are going to change. We are going to age. Our relationships, families, work, bodies, communities, interests, and responsibilities will change with us.The question is what we do with those changes.There are seasons when we need to close things down and focus on what requires our attention. There are also seasons when it is time to begin adding things back in.Meaning and purpose continue to matter throughout our lives. When something is important to us but our actions do not reflect that importance, we can feel the disconnect.Creativity offers one way to stay engaged. It gives us opportunities for learning, connection, novelty, expression, and presence. Sometimes making room for something new is exactly what helps us continue creating a life that feels like our own.A Few Things to Think About This WeekWhat have you let go of that you might want to bring back?What is one thing you want to experience more regularly?Where could you replace “I don't have time” with one very small action?And what will you create?Keywordsaging and creativity, women over 40, women over 50, meaningful living, meaning and purpose, creativity and aging, art and aging, developmental psychology, psychological flexibility, values and committed action, creative living, social connection, staying engaged, creativity as a human need, Modern Creative Woman, art therapy, creative aging, intentional livingSummary DescriptionAs we get older, it can be easy to let friendships, creativity, movement, social activities, and other things that nourish us…

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