Transitioning Out of 'Work Mode', part of the Retirement Series

At first, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had spent so many years on the job that I thought I needed to replace all that activity with something else. So I started filling my time with personal projects. I had my blog. I was working on vintage reselling and hosting a weekly audio podcast. I was selling my digital illustrations on Etsy. I even started a food photography blog with a virtual ceremony that I built entirely by myself.

You can probably see where this is going.

And guess what? I burned myself out!!!! Just like when I worked. I had taken retirement and turned it into another list of things I needed to accomplish. So, I had exchanged one job for another! That wasn’t what I wanted retirement to be.

Eventually, my mind and body began to shut down. So I stopped. I shut everything down and gave myself permission to simply rest.

For about two or three months, I didn’t try to build another project or create another schedule for myself. I slept later and went to bed earlier. I ate full meals instead of rushing through them. Hubby and I took walks. I spent more time in Bible study, prayer, and journaling. I talked with Hubby and my friends.

Sometimes I would sit in my craft space and watch movies or YouTube. And I let my hands rest from crafting. This slow-down period was what I really needed. I didn’t realize just how tired I was until I stopped trying to make myself busy.

Then, somewhere around five months into retirement, something began to change. My mind started getting clearer. I began thinking about what I actually wanted this new chapter of my life to look like and, just as importantly, what I didn’t want it to look like.

I made a mental list of the things I wanted in retirement and the things I wanted to leave behind. One thing I wanted badly was 100% creativity on my own terms. I didn’t want to turn every creative idea into a project with a deadline. I wanted to write, but I didn’t want writing to become another job.

And I wanted to build a little crafty world that didn’t feel rushed or stressful. I also wanted my creative journey to be balanced so I would have time for Hubby and friends, more time for prayer and healing, and time to simply enjoy ordinary things. Most importantly, I didn’t want to give myself a new boss…me.

That’s when BellaArt Creates began to take shape.

BellaArt Creates isn’t just another project I created to keep myself busy. It has become part of the way I’m learning to enjoy my retirement.

Little by little, I began developing this cute website with a blog where I could share and celebrate photos of the things I make. I could write about my crafting, share stories from my life, talk about projects I’m working on, and simply have a place where my creativity could live.

But there is something very distinctive about BellaArt Creates that makes it different from the projects I’ve done before.

There are no drop-dead deadlines, no rushing to publish new articles, and there’s no boss waiting for a status report. It’s the first time I feel my retirement is exactly what I envisioned.

I want BellaArt Creates to become a safe crafty outlet—a place where I can celebrate my creative path without feeling like I have to perform for anyone. A place where I can document my projects, share stories from my life, showcase photographs of my work, and bring encouragement and smiles to whomever visits the site. Something I can build upon slowly and lovingly over time. And that’s what is happening.

I’ve discovered that I don’t have to create everything myself for BellaArt Creates to have value. Sometimes my job is simply to live my life, make something, photograph it, and later tell the story behind it. Other times, I might have an idea for an article and spend an afternoon writing. Or, I might spend a day in Canva creating imagery for upcoming articles.

I also didn’t want to write a tutorial blog as I had done previously. There’s a lot of work that goes into creating that kind of content, and it can be quite stressful. I knew I wanted this site to be more personable.

The bottom line is I’m not chasing stats or the number of followers, building an email list, producing and sending out weekly newsletters, trying to guess the tech algorithm with relevant keywords, or attempting to make it to the first page of Google Search.

BellaArt Creates fits into my retirement lifestyle of slowing down and intentionally enjoying the creation process instead of becoming the thing that controls my retirement.

That distinction makes all the difference.

Little by little, I’m developing something I didn’t have before: my own natural schedule. Retirement didn’t come with a schedule, so I had to create my own. I love that some days I’m up early, other days I sleep late. I get to choose what I want to work on for the day. Or, if I want to be lazy and do absolutely nothing but lay on the couch, I can do that!

I’ve rediscovered my love for cooking, so I try to cook two or three times a week. Decorating our home also brings me so much joy and pleasure. These are things that don’t have a deadline attached to them. I do them because I enjoy them.

I used to think checking off all the tasks on my daily to-do list meant I was being productive. Not anymore. There doesn’t have to be something to show for every hour. And, after more than 40 years of having someone else—or something else—determine how my time was structured, I finally know what it feels like to let my days unfold naturally.

Have I completely transitioned out of “work mode?” No, not entirely. I suspect that might take a little more time. But each day gets easier and easier. And, I can tell you this…I’m no longer trying to replace my work life with another version of it.

Instead, I’m learning how to live it.

Retirement doesn’t have to be filled with accomplishments to be meaningful. It can be filled with creativity, rest, faith, family, friendships, home, hobbies, laughter, and ordinary days that don’t look particularly exciting on paper. And for the first time in many years, I’m having fun.

This new chapter started out with a lot of struggle, but I believe it can become the most fulfilling chapter of my life. My retirement isn’t about figuring out how to fill every minute. It’s about finally having the freedom to decide what I want to do with those minutes.

What a wonderful way to spend my time.