The Groove Issue 36 - The Art of Late Starts

Welcome to the 36th issue of The Groove.

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THE ART OF LATE STARTS

Have you ever thought about changing careers, reinventing yourself, or opening your own business and not doing it because it is “too late”? I was once also trapped in this dilemma 12 years ago, when I quit my stable and secure job as a corporate attorney in a big New York City law firm to open an art advisory business without any previous experience in the industry or any clients to engage. It was probably one of the scariest things I have ever done, but the pain of staying in a miserable job for the rest of my life was worse than jumping into the unknown after giving so much blood, sweat and tears to the practice of law.

Do What Lights You Up

When people are too busy doing things they don’t necessarily enjoy, they forget about their dreams and aspirations and give up on their creative pursuits. By creative pursuits, I mean putting your best and most original ideas out in the world to serve others. Doing what lights you up.

The more time goes by, the more people talk themselves out of whatever it is that they want to do and finally convince themselves that “it is too late.” Nobody is really judging you, except yourself. That, I know. The trick here is to forget what people think and to go with what you feel.

Life is What We Make It

Grandma Moses painting in upstate New York in the 1940s.

Grandma Moses painting in upstate New York in the 1940s.

Anna Mary Robertson Moses (better known as Grandma Moses) started her professional career as an artist when she was 76. After years of working on farms and then owning one with her husband, Grandma Moses developed arthritis and her sister suggested that she switched her hobby from embroidery to painting, which was much easier on her hands. And she did; Grandma Moses started selling her paintings to friends, who bought more and told others, and through word-of-mouth, important collectors started acquiring her work.

Then in 1939, because of those collectors and their ties to curators and institutions, three Grandma Moses paintings were included in a Museum of Modern Art exhibition called “Contemporary Unknown American Painters.” The following year she had her first solo show with Galerie St. Etienne in New York, which started representing her exclusively. She became a sought-after artist, and her work was exhibited throughout Europe and the United States.

Grandma Moses, Sugaring Off, 1943, mixed media on canvas, sold at Christie’s in 2006 for $1,360,000.

Grandma Moses, Sugaring Off, 1943, mixed media on canvas, sold at Christie’s in 2006 for $1,360,000.

Besides receiving excellent reviews from The New York Times, in 1949 President Harry S. Truman presented her with the Women's National Press Club Trophy Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Art. In 1950, Jerome Hill directed the documentary of her life, which was nominated for an Academy Award. And when she turned 88, Mademoiselle Magazine named her a “Young Woman of the Year.” Grandma Moses died in 1961 at the age of 101. In her three decades as an artist, she painted more than 1500 canvases, and her work continued to get acquired by important collectors and museums all over the United States. In 2006, her painting “Sugaring Off” sold at Christie’s for $1,360,000.

When we look back in history, it’s unthinkable that Grandma Moses would have ever thought that it was too late for her second act. She was good at something; it gave her a lot of joy and she ran with it. As a painter, her accomplishments are astounding, and it all happened in the later part of her life. In her 1952 autobiography, My Life's History, one of her most encouraging but also truthful lines reads: “And life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” This is a truth that has no endpoint.

Take a Chance on You

Carolina Herrera by Andy Warhol. Acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen, 1979.

Carolina Herrera by Andy Warhol. Acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen, 1979.

So many people take chances on others, put money on risky investments, but forget to bet on themselves. Carolina Herrera was a publicist for Emilio Pucci for many years working out of his boutique in Caracas, Venezuela. Diana Vreeland, the iconic Vogue Editor-In-Chief, was friends with her and convinced Herrera to design some pieces to launch a clothing line. She did, and in 1981 at the age of 42, Carolina Herrera, the brand, was born.

The success of the first fashion presentation gave her the impetus to move with her family to New York. She didn’t have any formal design training or previous experience running a company. But that didn’t deter her. She said, reminiscing of that time: “I thought maybe I was going to design a collection and go back to my house or go traveling or whatever; I didn’t know how it would work out.” Herrera had taken a chance on herself without keeping the outcome on a chokehold.

She raised money from a few investors and never looked back. 41 years later, the company is still going strong. Now owned by the Puig Group, the clothes and accessories are distributed all over the world, the perfumes are available in more than 25,000 points of sales across the globe, while the ready-to-wear CH brand includes more than 129 freestanding stores.

Creativity Has No Expiration Date

In the times we are living in, sometimes it feels as if we have had many lives in a short period of time. We learn new skills fast, and algorithms then learn how to do it faster. What is never in shortage is people’s desire to consume new products or services. Or to hear your story. Or to use your own invention. Or to see your art.

The constraints, the timeframes and deadlines against life’s ticking clock are usually self-imposed and not something that comes from an audience or a marketplace. Next time you talk yourself out of your own great idea, kindly tell your inner critic to go take a hike. Because really, it’s never too late.

Thank you for reading this far. Looking forward to hearing from you anytime.

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The GrooveMaria BritoGrandma Moses, Carolina Herrera