Your Creative Midlife

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!

Don’t Wait for Retirement to Write That Book, with Chris Shirley, Award-Winning Fiction Writer

Do you want to write a book, either now or in retirement? Rather than put off his writing dreams until retirement, Chris embraced the challenges through courses, mentorship, community, and self-education. He went on to write a debut novel and is working on his third book.  Chris’s story offers inspiration, empathy, and encouragement for anyone who dreams of writing but doesn’t know where to start. About the guest: Chris Shirley writes contemporary fiction that blends emotional depth with high-stakes storytelling. His debut novel, Playing by the Book (Magnus Books), won a National IPPY Award in religious fiction, becoming the first LGBTQ coming-out novel to receive that distinction. His current novel, Bloody Hell, is an upmarket thriller set in the world of global pharmaceuticals. Before turning to fiction full-time, Chris Shirley led executive communications teams at three Fortune 500 companies—experience that informs the corporate realism of his work. Links: About Chris Shirley: https://www.schrisshirley.com/ [https://www.schrisshirley.com/]  Chris’ recommendations for books on writing: https://www.schrisshirley.com/books-on-writing [https://www.schrisshirley.com/books-on-writing]  The Writer’s Institute, CUNY: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/writers-institute [https://www.gc.cuny.edu/writers-institute]  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!

Make a Movie on Your Own Terms and Navigate Life as an Artist, with Brooke Berman

This week on Your Creative Midlife, I talk with Brooke Berman about her latest film, "Ramona at Midlife," which explores the central challenge of reconciling one's youthful aspirations with the reality of how life actually unfolds.  The film follows Ramona, a former essayist turned animal shelter worker, as she grapples with the gap between her 25-year-old self, the person she expected to become, and who she actually became—a struggle shaped by both personal choices and broader cultural shifts.  Brooke shares how she made the film on her own terms, how artists at any stage of life can pursue creative ambitions, and the top skills and resources for anyone who wants to make a movie.  About the guest: Brooke Berman is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, and memoirist whose work has been produced and published across the US and abroad. Originally trained as an actor and solo performer, Brooke began performing her own work on the Lower East Side of Manhattan before receiving formal training in playwriting from the Juilliard School and Maria Irene Fornes. Her latest film, “Ramona at Midlife,” is available on Apple, Amazon, and other streaming platforms.  Links: Watch "Ramona at Midlife" on Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/ramona-at-midlife/umc.cmc.7b4qpx8ldhzghe90ziw599t74 [https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/ramona-at-midlife/umc.cmc.7b4qpx8ldhzghe90ziw599t74]  Watch "Ramona at Midlife" on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Ramona-at-Midlife-Brooke-Berman [https://www.amazon.com/Ramona-at-Midlife-Brooke-Berman]  About Ramoa At Midlife: https://www.ramonaatmidlife.com/ [https://www.ramonaatmidlife.com/] About Brooke Berman: https://brookeberman.net/ [https://brookeberman.net/]  Brooke Berman on Substack: https://substack.com/@brookeberman [https://substack.com/@brookeberman]  “In Anna Quindlen’s Latest Novel, Hardship Is Relative” by Jennifer Weiner, The New York Times:https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/books/review/more-than-enough-anna-quindlen.htm [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/books/review/more-than-enough-anna-quindlen.html] “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All” by Anne-Marie Slaughter, The Atlantic, 2012: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/ [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/]  Resources mentioned by Brooke: SunDance Collab: https://collab.sundance.org/About-Collab [https://collab.sundance.org/About-Collab]  Film Fatales: https://www.filmfatales.org/ [https://www.filmfatales.org/]  Film Stack Substack: https://filmstackdailydigest.substack.com/ [https://filmstackdailydigest.substack.com/] No Film School: https://nofilmschool.com/ [https://nofilmschool.com/]  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!

From Medicine to Painting and Finding New Forms of Expression in Retirement, with Bob Veselis

What do doctors and scientists do in retirement? In this week’s episode, Betsy speaks with Bob Veselis, a former anesthesiologist, about his art practice and how he transitioned from medicine to becoming an artist. About the guest: Bob Veselis, a retired anesthesiologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has returned to painting, collage, and piano playing in his retirement. His artistic work has evolved from more traditional, representational painting to a more abstract, intuitive approach, where he starts without a fixed plan and lets the work develop organically. Bob sees his artistic practice as a way to tap into his creativity and find new channels of self-expression, similar to how he found research and problem-solving in his medical work to be a creative outlet. Resources: The Failure Of Success Creativity Study, Dr. George Land  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFD5UdGTOmw&t=70s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFD5UdGTOmw&t=70s] Do Schools Kill Creativity? Sir Ken Robinson, TED Talk  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY]  Values: Building a Better World For All  by Mark Carney: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61965810-values   Follow the show: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your_creative_midlife/ [https://www.instagram.com/your_creative_midlife/]  Website: https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com [https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com/contact] 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!

Why Music and Performing Arts are Key to Creative Aging, with John-Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension School

I am thrilled to share my conversation with John-Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension. We talk about creative aging, Juilliard Extension, and how music and the performing arts can help us live more enriched lives. John-Morgan advocates for the importance of lifelong engagement with the arts, explaining that older adults bring a unique depth of emotional experience to their creative pursuits. He highlights how arts participation can combat loneliness, provide a sense of agency and choice, and significantly enhance quality of life. He tells why the word “amateur” has been banned at the Extension and how they are working to bring these ideas to senior living communities. About the guest: John Morgan Bush is the Dean of Juilliard Extension. He is a professional classical musician (French horn) with extensive teaching experience, having worked with students ranging from 6 to 102 years old. He served as the Director of Learning and Learning Programs for the  League of American Orchestras and previously taught at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Featured Show Music: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony Performed by Purchase Symphony Orchestra, March 6, 2026. Resources: * Learn More About Juilliard Extension: https://www.juilliard.edu/stage-beyond/juilliard-extension [https://www.juilliard.edu/stage-beyond/juilliard-extension] * Read US Surgeon General Report on Loneliness (2023): https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf?ueid=a6a91c99b86e9539783269cb1d6db6fe [https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf?ueid=a6a91c99b86e9539783269cb1d6db6fe]  * Can Art Therapies Become Public Policy? Learn from the Jameel Arts and Health Lab https://www.jameelartshealthlab.org/ [https://www.jameelartshealthlab.org/]  * NYT Article on Amsterdam’s Singing Circle: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/arts/music/amsterdam-concertgebouw-singing-circle.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/arts/music/amsterdam-concertgebouw-singing-circle.html] * Connect with John-Morgan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-morgan-bush/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-morgan-bush/]  Follow the show: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your_creative_midlife/ Website: https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com [https://www.yourcreativemidlife.com/contact] 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!