Creativity in midlife can sometimes feel harder to access than it once did. Between caregiving, career responsibilities, changing family roles, and the everyday demands of what Kimberly Conrad calls “Super Adulting,” many women begin to wonder if their creative spark has quietly faded. The truth is, creativity rarely disappears—it simply waits for an invitation to return. In this heartfelt reflection, Kimberly shares how playful experimentation, art journaling, and reconnecting with childlike joy can help rekindle inspiration and remind us that creating is always within reach.
Do you feel like your gifts and talents have faded? Do you feel like inspiration and motivation have abandoned you? At 61, I can tell you that I have experienced these thoughts multiple times in the past two decades, and can assure you that neither is true. What likely IS true is that you are suffering from
Super Adulting! I kid you, not my friend, it is a real thing:):):)
What comes to your mind when you hear the word Super Adulting?
Super adulting is like adulting on steroids. Just to name a few things, in midlife, many of us are a bit worn out from raising our children. Some have completed a 20-plus-year career, while others are transitioning into grandparenthood, which, although wonderful, arrives with new territory to navigate and boundaries to set. We often navigate hormonal and health changes.
Then there’s the big one, CAREGIVING! Many in midlife are caring for ill spouses and aging parents, and some have children and grandchildren move back in as they navigate their own life challenges. Are you experiencing any of these at this time?
Let’s face it…Super Adulting is exhausting. As I write this, it is 2:54 a.m. I am back in the caregiving mode, as my 80-year-old Mom has now come to live with us permanently. Her health is poor, and she recently took a bad fall. Though I deem it a privilege, caring for her has been a full-time job on top of my full time job. The only time I have to myself, is when she is sleeping, which rarely happens before 2:00 a.m.
I’ll bet many of you reading this are in the exact same place, or have been.
If not, you likely will be at some point.
So, what do we do to rekindle our excitement for creating? How do we get inspired to show up for this beautiful creative life? How do we make the time?
For me, it was returning to playful, childlike joy in creating.
Allowing myself to experiment with no agenda at all. I moved heavily into art journaling again, creating daily, and believe it or not, I started by painting crayon portraits with Mom. How can you have any expectations when you are coloring? Coloring is so therapeutic!!
It’s just FUN! I also LOVE to paint with the grandkids. It’s easy to create like a child when you’re creating WITH a child. Don’t have one? Borrow a child to paint with! Their parents will be elated, you will have a partner in crime, and everyone will have fun.
Can you remember what it felt like to create as a child? Did you sit at your family dining room table creating with siblings or neighborhood kids, or was it a private, sacred experience you saved for time alone in your room? For me, it was sacred private time.
There is so much satisfaction in allowing yourself to create for giggles. I purposely created silly things initially, I wanted to laugh, I NEEDED to laugh. You should have seen some of those crayon portraits! Mom and I literally shouted with laughter!!
An art journal is a safe place to paint with zero agenda. All pressure to sell is abandoned, as you create entirely for yourself, free to express ALL of your emotions through color and brushstrokes. I truly believe every human being old enough to hold a crayon should have an art journal and work in it every single day!
I highly recommend creating a beautiful, luxurious one. There’s just something magical about the smell of a leather journal and handmade papers that elevates the whole experience. You can find a variety of them on Amazon, and if you want something SUPER luxurious, Dionne Woods at theturquoiseiris.com offers stunning leather journals with hand-painted covers. You get a luxurious journal and her artwork!! I LOVE mine!
Another thing to inspire is experimenting with new art supplies. Art supplies are my favorite thing to purchase or be gifted. I told the Amazon driver just yesterday that he is one of my favorite people!!:) I asked him if he hears that a lot, and he said: “Actually, yes”!! Too funny!
Choose a new medium to explore, or combine multiple media in a way you never have. Savor the unboxing!!!!
Creating (including painting) regulates the nervous system. A beautiful and very therapeutic thing to do when you’re feeling stuck or too stressed to think of what to paint is to swatch some of your supplies in your journal. It’s a calming and sacred practice within itself, as every color is given a special place in your beautiful book.
If you are in a caregiving role, swatching and doodling are excellent for your ward. It stimulates the brain while at the same time soothing their nervous system, and is a great distraction for them as well- AND the beautiful thing is, while they’re creating, you have permission to create right alongside them. Suddenly, the window of time you’ve been searching for appears.
I would be remiss if I did not mention BEAUTY, which is so critical in my own art practice. If you’re able, set up a beautiful, inviting space to paint, even if it’s just a tiny corner of a room.
If you’re someone who paints on your lap (like I often do), even something as simple as using a lovely cup or mug for your paint water can enhance the whole experience.
Whatever it is that motivates and inspires you, DO IT.
Do something every single day that ignites the flame and keeps it burning.
If you can’t paint one day, watch something that inspires you to create, and if you can’t do that, listen to something that inspires you to create. AND… invite your 6-year-old self to join you. She will love you for it!!
Until Next Time, Stay Splendid
All My Love,
Kimberly
