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Youth is a state of mind. You're not old until your mind gets old. And your mind doesn't get old until you stop learning. How can you tell if you've stopped learning?

You regularly say things like:

• "I could never do that" (before you've tried)
• "It's too late for me to..." (fill in random activity that has nothing to do with physical strength)
• "Back in the day, people used to..." (fill in negative comparison of the present to the past). Etc., etc.

In other words, your mind is old when it lives in the past, thinks it knows everything, and anticipates failure and rejection before it tries. 

Yes, age discrimination exists. But, just like with all forms of discrimination, you shouldn't count yourself out on the front end. If someone is going to reject you, let them reject you. Don't reject yourself first. You're taking yourself out of the oven before you're cooked! Stay in there and fight. Let the bigots reveal themselves. Make them work hard to defeat you. Don't do their job for them by quitting before you've even started!

One major way to fight and keep your mind young is to play and experiment. No one has to tell a child to play. That's their job. We don't teach them to create characters and role play, make imaginary friends, build forts out of couch cushions (God, I loved forts!), or spray their enemies with imaginary spider webs. They just do that stuff.

We can take a lesson and do that stuff too. I don't mean you need to set up a tea party with your imaginary friends. Just do something (anything!) differently than how you normally do it. Whatever your excuse is - I. don't. care!  It doesn't have to be practical. It doesn't have to make sense. And you don't have to keep doing it. Just try it! Whatever it is. 

Walk backwards to your mail box. Have a slice of cake BEFORE dinner one day. Put an action figure on your desk at work and play with it when no one's looking. Watch cartoons instead of the news one morning. You get the idea.

Breaking up our routines not only makes us feel better in the moment, it actually helps us do the adult stuff better too. We crack open our dusty minds and fill them with new energy and inspiration. Don't be surprised if you come up with a solution to a problem that's been plaguing you for weeks! That is the power of creative thinking. It spills over into every area of life.

In my own life as an artist, I am not immune to stale-mind syndrome. It's all too easy to fall into a rut, even in a creative profession. Yesterday, I went to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston for my orientation as a volunteer. Afterwards, I stayed behind and explored the museum. I usually go straight to the contemporary art section, but I happened to be in the historical art section, so I just stayed there.

Inspiration began overflowing like hot lava as my greedy eye balls soaked in all that mastery. I started with the grand majesty of classical Renaissance art. By the time I reached the Impressionists, I thought I would burst into a 5 foot 4-inch flame. I am already familiar with most of the significant paintings of these eras, but there's something magical about seeing art in person. It's nothing like seeing it in a book or online. And I learned about quite a few Impressionist painters or paintings that were new to me.  In particular, a painting by Paul Signac called "The Bonaventure Pine" set my little heart a-flutter.  I knew about Signac, but I had never seen this piece in person.

NOW I need to experiment with Pointillism in order to be happy with my life. Unfortunately, I already have two paintings in progress in my current style. But the second they are done, I'm going to experiment by bringing in some elements of Impressionism and Pointillism. Wish me luck!

And this leads me to why we allow our brains to grow old in the first place. It's because we start feeling a certain type of way about "failure." When we're young, we're expected to fail. People think it's charming. By the time we are of a certain age, we're supposed to have it together. We don't want to be called an "old fool."  This fear starts to scare us into submission (especially if we're not old enough to get away with being "eccentric!").

But insults be damned! The only way to stay young is to act young. And I don't mean going to the club. I mean having the audacity to try stuff and risk looking stupid until we master it. Because master it we WILL -  IF we keep trying!

You can still learn stuff, no matter how old you are. We "lose it" because we don't "use it." If you practice, you will get better, just like somebody 26, 16, or 6. And the beauty is that your power of concentration is better when you're older, and you have fewer distractions in general. So, if you put your mind to it, you can do it!

The Beginner's Mind is a young, sexy supermodel mind, and it can live inside of any one of us, regardless of chronological age.

So, what will you be experimenting with this week? Hmmm???

Join the VIP list to enter this month's raffle for a free sketch from me, along with a personal blessing. I appreciate you!

Till next time,

Raven