Future?

I am still adjusting to being a graduate instead of student. I am not sure if a Masters is the right direction for me. Part of the difficulty is my age. If I were in my twenties or even forties I could afford to take my time but I will be 63 this year. I feel the pressure of the clock ticking. The financial side is also a pressure because I can't predict income to repay the student loan. I have very specific goals around my art practice but not a specific plan to achieve them. Retirement isn't the bowl of cherries investment ads portray. A fixed income is the reality without the same avenues for future income. I know this because when I was laid off from my last employer I wasn't able to get even an interview despite my rich work experience. Either a younger person or someone with a Masters was preferred and most often than not a young Masters. However it is this circumstance that brought me into the world of creating art. This I do not regret.

So back to the here and now. I am encouraged by my first juried show," Mirror, Mirror". I am painting three 8"x8" paintings for a local Community Arts Council's fundraiser next month and another 4'x3' encaustic for a 2013 show called Earth which is juried next month. It feels good to be focussed and working. I ignore the "what ifs" by paying attention to what is emerging on the canvas. This is good for now but I'm a person who likes to see her ducks in a row and right now I don't even know what ducks they will be.