Your Creative Midlife

How to Write an Authentic Memoir and Tell a Good Story, with Sarah Saffian, Writing Coach

There are many reasons to write a memoir.  You may find it cathartic to “get it all out there” or maybe you have a life story that you think readers will find entertaining.  Either way, says memoirist and writing workshop leader Sarah Saffian, there is a difference between therapeutic writing for its own sake and writing for publication. Working through these distinctions in a workshop setting with an experienced teacher can help you get your memoir writing to the place you want it to be. Covered in the podcast: * How Sarah Saffian helps students craft a compelling story that will engage an audience. * Approaching your life story with necessary emotional distance and perspective * Receiving and giving feedback in a workshop setting is a valuable learning experience that helps writers improve their own craft. * Why it's important In a workshop to "critique the work and not the life” to keep the focus on the craft of writing * Why Sarah encourages students to read extensively in the memoir genre to deepen their understanding of the craft. * Sarah's strategies for managing concerns about family members, should your memoir be published. Sarah Saffian is a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and author. Her memoir, "Ithaka: A Daughter's Memoir of Being Found," about her experience as an adoptee reconnecting with her birth family, has been called a classic of the adoption genre. She teaches memoir and profile writing at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival and uses a "Therapeutic Writing" approach that combines her expertise in psychology and creative writing. Links: saffian.com [http://saffian.com/]  https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/writing-institute/courses/ [https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/writing-institute/courses/]  https://www.writerscenter.org/ [https://www.writerscenter.org/]  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

How a Painter Found Community at The Art Students League of New York

In this episode, I reflect on my trip to The Art Students League and how it influenced my friend and podcast guest John Kneapler’s journey as an artist.  The Art Students League has been making art education and studio space accessible in New York City. This kind of community is important for making art and also for improving our health. In her book Art Cure, Daisy Fancourt says social prescribing as the practice of referring patients to “community-based activities that can support their health, with arts being one of the most popular.”  John Kneapler is an artist who grew up in Miami, Florida, with an early talent for art. Discouraged by his parents from pursuing fine art as a career, he studied at Pratt Institute and founded John Kneaper Design, a prominent graphic design and branding company in New York. His firm worked with high-profile clients such as MoMA and Citerella. Following significant life events, including the loss of his parents and the closure of his business during the pandemic, he retired from graphic design to pursue his lifelong passion for painting.   He serves on the board of the Art Students League in New York City. Links: Full interview with John Kneapler: https://youtu.be/V2OwR--129U?si=SBj224Ac3aV9jeQM [https://youtu.be/V2OwR--129U?si=SBj224Ac3aV9jeQM]  The Art Students League: https://www.artstudentsleague.org/why [https://www.artstudentsleague.org/why]  John Kneapler’s website: https://johnkneaplerpaintings.com/ [https://johnkneaplerpaintings.com/]  Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Saves Lives by Daisy Fancourt: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250364531/artcure/ [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250364531/artcure/] Webinar on social prescribing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocnv9rzJeYY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocnv9rzJeYY]  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

If You Want to Try Collage, This Episode is for You

I’ve explored collage a lot this past year. In fact, my collage roommate has become an exceptional collage artist after retiring from her career in corporate communications. Her creative pivot has been a huge inspiration. This episode is a compilation of my interview with Lela and my own journey into the world of collage.  Links: Watch the full interview with Lela: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2vc2HvS2zo&t=793s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2vc2HvS2zo&t=793s]  Collage Lab: https://explore.collage-lab.com/join2026 [https://explore.collage-lab.com/join2026]  Kolaj Magazine: https://kolajmagazine.com/content/ [https://kolajmagazine.com/content/]  How to Make a Collage: https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com/resources-for-creativity-midlife/how-to-make-collage [https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com/resources-for-creativity-midlife/how-to-make-collage-8pln8] Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

This Book is Taking Over the Art World: Reflections on Art Cure by Dr. Daisy Fancourt

I met Dr. Daisy Fancourt in May, when she was a featured speaker at a longevity conference. If you’ve heard of her, it’s because her latest book Art Cure, has taken over the art world on social media.  In this special solo episode, I share my thoughts on this revelatory book, the questions it asks, and what I think needs to happen next.  Resources: Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives: https://bookshop.org/p/books/art-cure-the-science-of-how-the-arts-save-lives-daisy-fancour [https://bookshop.org/p/books/art-cure-the-science-of-how-the-arts-save-lives-daisy-fancourt/5ba7caef8f2663d1?ean=9781250364531&next=t] Learn more about Dr. Daisy Fancourt: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/44526-daisy-fancourt [https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/44526-daisy-fancourt]  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!

You’re Not Stuck with Your Professional Identity: Betsy Bush and Flora White on Evolution Now

You can have a whole new identity if you want. You can pick up something new or pursue that creative impulse that has been in the back of your mind.  This week on Your Creative Midlife, I am in the hot seat! I sat down with my friend and fellow podcaster, Flora White, who is the CEO of Evolution Content.  We talk about the inspiration behind Your Creative Midlife, what it was like to go back to school in my mid-fifties, and why creativity is essential for long-term wellbeing.  Links: Columbia School of General Studies: https://www.gs.columbia.edu/ [https://www.gs.columbia.edu/]  Older Adult Auditing Program, Purchase College: https://www.purchase.edu/offices/registrar/older-adult-auditing-program/ Juilliard Extension School: https://www.juilliard.edu/stage-beyond/juilliard-extension  Art Cure: The Science Behind Why Art Saves Lives by Daisy Fancourt: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250364531/artcure/ [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250364531/artcure/] About Evolution Content: https://www.evolutioncontent.co/ [https://www.evolutioncontent.co/] Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  And see more about Betsy Bush and her guests at www.yourcreativemidlife.com.  Are you on your own artistic or creative journey?  We want to know about you!  Please contact us through the website.  Dare to follow your muse!