Meet my friend Beth—a retired architect who didn’t stop creating when she closed the office door. Instead, she picked up her sketchbook and paintbrush and kept going. Beth is a beautiful example of what reinvention can look like: curious, creative, and quietly bold. These days, she explores life through her artistic toolbox, teaching and painting with a spirit that’s anything but “retired.” I’m so delighted to share this short glimpse into her world.
I wouldn’t say I’ve retired. I’ve retuned—sometimes daily. By nightfall, I might be hitting sour notes, but by morning—with coffee, quiet, and a clean sketchbook—I slowly tune back in.
I’m a Projector in Human Design. A seer. I don’t hustle. I wait. I watch. I receive. And then I draw—awkwardly at first, usually. My tight, scratchy lines are rarely masterpieces. They’re warm-ups. Soul stretches. Little rebellions against the old noise that once told me what art should be.
Sometimes I catch a vibe. Sometimes I just catch my breath. But I keep advancing.
Thoreau said, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams… he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
A Course in Miracles reminds me daily, “Let no idle thought go unchallenged.”
That’s what reinvention looks like for me now: not a finished picture, but a process of seeing again. Of sketching what most folks rush past. Of offering joy, humor, and honesty—even if the ink runs or the perspective tilts.
I’m forever either warming up or hitting my stride. Either way, it’s all an adventure.
No, I’m not retired. I’m retuned. Revisioned. Still becoming.
Every wrinkle and dimple, a proud Crack/Snack in the grand cosmic buffet.
Crone. Seer. I carry both the knowing and the nonsense.
(And maybe a little “Practical Magic” energy—alas, no midnight margaritas… yet.)
Follow Beth the sketch, here: https://substack.com/@bethwrightart
I too “see differently “ I just don’t know what it shows up as in expression… thank you for your perspective!❤️