MARC AGRONIN: Once upon a time the great American psychiatrist Gene Cohen made an interesting discovery while perusing the extraordinary works of 20 of the greatest African-American folk artists from 1930 to 1980 at an exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC: 80{9b8438f5bc691300781eae7abc85395c1261bdad65db9476774cd2cf5af6cbf6} of the artists had either started their craft or reached a mature phase after the age of 65, and 30{9b8438f5bc691300781eae7abc85395c1261bdad65db9476774cd2cf5af6cbf6} of them did so after the age of 80.
Cohen’s observation teaches us a keen lesson about the potential for finding and developing one’s passion in life: Age is not a barrier but more often the trigger and sustaining fire for creative and meaningful passions in retirement.