My mom is one of the bravest adults I've ever met because she is unafraid to be a curious novice. She retired from over three decades of teaching kindergartners, retaining the same sense of wonder and delight in exploration that characterized her students.
As a result, she has experienced retirement as an embarrassment of riches in adult education. Her typical week sees her immersed on a near daily basis in activities where she has joined and nurtured a community of learners:
- Collage
- French language practice group
- Book club
- Playing guitar with non-professional musicians (she was the lead singer of a Latin folk group in college!)
- Creating mosaic tables with ceramic shards
- Fused glass art
- Hand-crafted jewelry
- Watercolor
- Contemporary literature courses led by an emeritus professor
Each class requires the discomfort of accepting renewed vulnerability - she knows at the outset she is not going to demonstrate excellence in any new activity. Rather than deter her, this piques her curiosity.
I couldn't help but think of mom while reading a recent New Yorker article on the value of learning as an adult. The piece, by Margaret Talbot, examined adult learners and the traits that help or hinder their pursuits.
One fascinating case study was Nell Painter, a Princeton history professor who pivoted to visual art while pursuing a BFA at Rutgers followed by an MFA at RISD. Interestingly, she found that what separated her from her peers was being 60-something among 20-somethings.
As it turns out, there are certain qualities that make an adult learner thrive:
- Growth mindset (ability is not fixed but improves with effort).
- A commitment to serious mastery rather than a hobby (sticking with learning, especially when it gets hard).
- A forgiving learning environment (assume that while you can't do something today, you will eventually develop mastery).
- Develop a habit of learning multiple skills simultaneously instead of one focus at a time.
You'll notice that these are precisely the conditions under which my mom's kindergartners were asked to learn letters, numbers, cooperation and delayed gratification.
Becoming a novice learner as an adult involves replicating many conditions that made us apt learners as children.
But to truly succeed, you need to more than just the right environment. You need to dare to be terrible at something new once again.
My mom approaches the world with a deep curiosity, a willingness to be vulnerable and a studied indifference to whether she looks foolish trying something new.
The result is a life rich with the acquisition of new artistic skills, a community of like-minded risk takers, and a "retirement" that remains intellectually engaging and socially connected despite the absence of a formal workplace.
Comments 5
“a studied indifference to whether she looks foolish trying something new.”
Addressing this theme of “looking good” often dominates your writing and often dominates society in general. Not a criticism, but using “comparison ” as a measure of “goodness” is a complete waste of time. In the land of Gauss “looking good” is most dominated by people who are average by definition. Let that sink in. It means if you “look good” 50% of the Gaussians look better BY DEFINITION. If 50% is your goal, it’s most likely below 50% is where you will end and that looks bad. So why even bother with that game? Time is finite and you’ve rigged the game against yourself.
Kindergarteners do things. They don’t have the self awareness of being dominated by comparison. It’s adults who cause them to become rank ordered according to prejudice.
Author
Interesting observation. I guess there’s enough of an emphasis placed on appearances by colleagues in medicine that I am sensitive to it more than I’d thought. Perhaps my out is deciding to continually affront those unwelcome sensibilities in my chosen trappings of the good life. I’ll have to go back and look it over with an eye to that.
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This post really resonated with me. So much has happened since I wrote my “Docs Who Cut Back” guest post! My 2 day a week office Gyne practice is thriving and leaves me with ample time to explore being a novice at new things. I have discovered that not only do I have a passion for singing/songwriting… I actually have a genuine ability. Vocal/career coaching with a seasoned recording artist has lead me to record an album (available later this year “on all steaming platforms”) and consider pursuing this seriously as a second career. WTF?!! I’m excited but scared shitless- to say I am a “novice” in this arena is a huge understatement! But I’m going to see what happens, continue to check in with my “mirror friends” along the way, and just relish in the fact that my part time life has allowed this possibility.
-Dr. K
Author
Dr. K,
I am thrilled at your update!
The ability to set aside time to pursue a creative endeavor is precisely the reason to make a little more space on the schedule to see what happens. Contrary to the concern that idleness will overtake you, it’s the opposite that seems to be true with docs who cut back: take an industrious and motivated person, give them a crayon, take away the lines and you’ll be blown away by what they achieve.
What a spectacular and unexpected turn of events! Please let me know how I can help promote your album when it hits.
Excited for you to continue exploring new talents,
CD