From Complacency to Creativity: A Retirement Surprise

The Lull of Daydreaming

Just like in any stage of life, we can use the time on our hands to envision things that will make us happy or daydream about the future. While this can be useful—or even helpful—in the first half of life, it’s easy to get caught in a loop of dreaming without actually doing anything that feels meaningful or contributes in a significant way to our lives.

Why Retirement Can Feel Unsatisfying

In retirement, it’s easy to coast. Days fill with familiar activities and comfortable rhythms: pickleball on Fridays, coffee group on Tuesdays, and supper on Wednesdays at a favorite restaurant.

There’s nothing wrong with these routines. But over time, something can feel missing. Many retirees are surprised to discover that their feelings of dissatisfaction stem, at least in part, from complacency rather than a lack of freedom.

This can be a deeply disorienting realization—especially since so many of us spent our working years dreaming of exactly this kind of unstructured time.

A Better Surprise in Retirement: Rediscovery

But there is a different—and much better—surprise available in retirement. With a bit of intention, planning, and experimentation, you can uncover or rediscover hobbies, crafts, service projects, and ways to connect more deeply with the people you love.

New or forgotten hobbies, creative pursuits, service projects, and deeper family connections often emerge when we allow ourselves to explore without pressure or expectations. Falling into a complacent routine can be comfortable, but it isn’t really living. It’s simply a way of being.

A Personal Example: Creativity as Connection

I never did much sewing when I was young, despite my mother’s affection for it. She made several beautiful dresses and winter coats, but it never really took hold for me. Then last Christmas, my husband bought me a sewing machine—and a new passion quietly emerged. I’m now thoroughly addicted to making bags, quilts, and other crafts for family and friends…perhaps to their dismay.

I send things I’ve sewn from recycled shirts, dresses, and sheets. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and meant to reflect the person receiving it—their personality, their colors, or simply something about them that makes me smile.

Why Creative Projects Matter in Retirement

I revel in making something that shows my love and appreciation for each person. I’ve only just begun and already have a long list to work through. I love daydreaming about which bag or quilt I’ll make for whom. I wander through a local thrift store imagining what a piece of fabric might become and who might enjoy it.

This simple practice keeps me connected and engaged. It allows me to use a creative muscle that had been dormant for a very long time. I like to think that my mother, her mother, and her father—who were all talented sewers—are smiling down at me. Perhaps they felt something similar when they created things with their own hands.

This has been a wonderful surprise.

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