The Art of Coming Back: Creativity, Motherhood & Reinvention After 50

Guest: Contemporary Abstract Artist Robin Jack Sarner What happens when you put a passion—or even a career—on hold for nearly 20 years while raising a family? And what happens when, after 50, you decide it’s time to reclaim that part of yourself? In this episode of Girlish Gurus, Joy and Lorraine sit down with Los Angeles–based contemporary abstract mixed-media artist Robin Jack Sarner for an honest and inspiring conversation about creativity, motherhood, career gaps, and the courage to begin again. Robin creates large-scale paintings that transform memory, thought, and lived experience into deeply layered, tactile works. Her paintings have earned the Brand 53 Associates Award and been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout California, including the Palos Verdes Art Center and Torrance Art Museum. But Robin’s journey as an artist didn’t follow a straight line. Like so many women, she stepped away from her creative career for nearly two decades while raising her children. When she eventually returned to her art, she discovered that coming back later in life brought real challenges—but also surprising advantages. 💗 In This Episode, We Talk About: ✨ What happens to our identity when we put a passion aside for motherhood ✨ The reality of returning to a creative career after 50 ✨ The professional consequences of a long career break—including lost years of networking, visibility, connections, and promotion ✨ Why women re-entering careers may feel as though they’re starting over while their peers have had decades to build momentum ✨ The challenges of social media, self-promotion, and personal branding later in life ✨ How motherhood and decades of lived experience can actually deepen creativity ✨ Why Robin’s process of layering, revising, covering, and revealing in her paintings is such a beautiful metaphor for midlife ✨ What teaching children has taught Robin about creativity and fearlessness ✨ Why creativity matters even if you don’t consider yourself an “artist” ✨ How to reconnect with something you once loved—even if you haven’t done it in 20 or 30 years 🎨 The Other Side of the “Second Act” We hear a lot about how wonderful it is to reinvent yourself in midlife. And it can be. But there’s another side of that story that deserves to be talked about. Women who step away from creative or professional careers to raise children may return years later without the networks, contacts, credentials, visibility, or professional momentum their peers had decades to build. We can celebrate the wisdom and confidence women gain with age without pretending those challenges don't exist. And Robin's story beautifully illustrates both sides. The years she spent raising her family weren't necessarily “lost” creative years. They gave her something her younger self couldn't possibly have possessed: More life to put onto the canvas. 💫 Our Girlish Gurus Takeaway Maybe there was something you loved before life became so busy. Painting. Writing. Photography. Music. Dancing. Designing. Traveling. Starting a business. Making things simply because you loved making them. And maybe somewhere along the way, you stopped. This episode is your invitation to ask: What part of myself might be waiting for me to come back? You don't have to become the woman you were 20 years ago. You get to discover what the woman you are today wants to create. Because after 50, you're not starting from scratch. You're starting with experience. 💗 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Girlish Gurus and share it with a woman who might be ready to rediscover a passion of her own. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION: What passion, hobby, dream, or creative pursuit would YOU love to pick back up? Tell us in the comments! RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Guest: Robin Jack Sarner Instagram: @robinjackart Website: Robin Jack Sarner https://www.robinjacksarner.com/ Life Line Screening: Get Peace of Mind Now https://discover.lifelinescreening.co... If You Enjoyed This Episode… Please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who's ready to rediscover her passion! Every share helps us reach more women who deserve evidence-based conversations about health, aging, and living vibrantly. 🎧 Subscribe to Girlish Gurus for inspiring conversations that help women embrace midlife, discover new possibilities, and create their most meaningful chapter yet. IG: @girlishgurus GirlishGurus.com Girlish Gurus Glamorous Getaways: https://girlishgurus.com/retreats/ #GirlishGurus #WomenOver50 #MidlifeReinvention #CreativeWomen #secondact Timestamps 0:00 Intro 2:19 Robin Jack Sarner, always an artist 5:28 Keeping space for art when your plate is full 9:12 Did you ever fear your identity was lost forever? 15:33 How Robin is embracing social media 22:49 Does the creative world recognize the motherhood gap? 36:00 Robin’s creative process 39:35 Healing from grief and trauma through art 52:41 What is one thing you can do this week to start? 1:01:05 Exit