Why Creative, Unusual and Weird Passions Are the Best

In one of his famous TED talks Sir Ken Robinson tells a story about a boy who loves to do handstands. His passion becomes so intense that he eventually spends much of his day walking around the house upside down. His mother, exasperated, eventually yells, “Ok, we got it! Can’t you just cut it out with the ‘hand thing’?”

We start our lives filled with crazy ideas and weird passions. Unfortunately, over time, we are pushed down more “sensible” paths by our teachers, parents and friends. To a certain extent, this is understandable, perhaps even inevitable. The world is a tough place and our loved ones want to protect us and give us the best chance of success.

As we reach our 60s, we are presented with a new opportunity to explore our passions, no matter how “silly,” “useless,” or “weird.” In fact, I would argue that these are the best kinds of hobbies to explore after 60!

Talking with other members of our community, it occurs to me that the hardest part of this process is undoing the programming that others gave us. We need to convince ourselves that it really is ok to live life on our terms and explore our dreams, no matter how strange they seem to the outside world.

What new skills have you always wanted to learn? Perhaps, like 77-year-old Willie Murphy, you want to start weightlifting? Do you want to try kite-surfing? What about following your childhood dream to build the ultimate model train set-up? Or, like Cindy Joseph, maybe you want to start a company around one of your passions?

Let your dreams run wild and don’t pay any attention to practical considerations. By now, you have earned the right to live on your terms.

What creative, unusual or weird passions do you plan on exploring after 60? Please join the conversation.