New skill set? Yes Please!

I met an 84 year old man the other day who was wondering if it was worth investing in archival materials for protecting his collection.  I get it, at 84; you wonder if preserving your things is worth it when you don't know how long you may live.  Life expectancy is changing every year and I am seeing people celebrating their 100th birthday in the news, even older.  Makes my age look young and full of possibilities, that man would call me a kid.  Which brings me to my opportunity, learning to cut mats by hand.  Most framers have computer controlled mat cutters now and don't need to do it by hand, until the computer goes down and you are looking at spending the price of a modest used car on a new one.

I have had a mat cutter for several years now and mostly I use it to cut my suede surfaces to a standard framing size.  When I saw what you needed to know to cut my own mats I kinda balked at that idea. I sold originals that didn't need them but now my market has changed and I am looking at framing some prints.  I could buy precut mats, but I have a chance now to learn how to cut my own and a good reason to.  My studio is now at Spokane Gallery and I have access to mat scraps for a very reasonable price.  In the last 6 months I have learned to chop and join my own frames, cut glass and refreshed my mounting skills.  Why not add a new skill set?

The owner is happy to show me what to do and I can come in when the gallery is closed to practice.  Having another person around that can hand cut mats is a bonus for her, she isn't displeased.  Why should I go through this when I could just purchase pre-cut mats?  Beyond the savings, it is also about working the grey muscle.  Everything you can learn as you age, keeps the brain young.  Reading, college courses for people over 50, new hobbies, new mediums; all help your mind stay flexible.  That is why people over 50 learn new languages, to keep their brain healthy.  

Research has shown that brain atrophy can lead to dementia, which can shorten your lifespan and rob you of your independence.  The less you move and do as you age, the faster things fall apart and the less time you have.  I want as much time as I can get, with my husband, my kids and my grandchildren.  Not even mentioning my friends, who are older and younger than me.  I'm finding that people (not everyone but quite a few) like having me around.  I am making more friends these days than losing them and I want to keep that momentum.  Thus, the happiness at learning something new.  If there is a chance that I might have another 50 years, I'm going to work for it and if I can keep being a working artist for most of that, I'm game.

What have you been putting off learning?  Why?  Invest in your future, no matter your age.  Hey, who knows; a signed autograph of Phyillis Diller in her 30's might be worth something to your family.  If anything, if it is your history; it is also your grandchildren's as well.  You might as well preserve it and share it. You might have another 20 years to brighten their lives.