Hobbies light up life for older people transitioning to retirement

For more than 50 years, Annie Delaine cared for communities across Australia.From working in the Torres Strait Islands as a remote-area nurse to managing operating rooms in regional South Australia, not a day went by when she did not love the work she was doing."I worked in the islands for 16 years … you did everything, from delivering babies, immunising children to looking after their parents," she said."You were looking after the entire health of the islands, and I just loved it."The people and community connections are what stopped Annie Delaine (right) from wanting to retire. (Supplied: Annie Delaine)As Ms Delaine approached her retirement years, she began to struggle with the idea of her next chapter."It took me four times to retire before I bit the bullet and did it," she said."I deregistered just so I wouldn't go back."When I did, I thought to myself, 'How am I going to fill in the gap?' Because it was a big one to fill."Annie Delaine had bought paint years before but gave it to island locals instead. (ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)Nudging 70 and retiring for a fourth time, she tried her hand at art, a passion she secretly had for years but was too afraid to try."My husband bought me the biggest canvas, and I nearly had a heart attack," she laughed."For a year, it sat behind the spare bedroom door, until one day I got brave and pulled it out."Painting is now my happy place. I can lose hours and hours and then realise the sun is going down."Annie Delaine's husband helped create an art room in their house. (ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)Two years since picking up the paintbrush, Ms Delaine now has a dedicated art room inside her home and has found her retirement passion.It is a journey she is encouraging others to follow, in an effort to reframe what retirement can look like for the everyday Australian.Retirement planning importanceLoneliness is a common experience for many hanging up their work boots.University of Sydney public health professor Melody Ding has found through her research that human connections should be prioritised just as much as financial planning."Loneliness, especially sustained periods, could potentially cause long-term health impacts, including early mortality," she said."If we retire with plenty of money but no health, no friends and no social network … we're really missing a bigger picture.Melody Ding says community connection is important for a healthy retirement. (ABC News: Patrick Thomas)"Good supportive social networks are equally important as other aspects of healthy lifestyles, such as eating healthy and being physically active."Professor Ding said it was not uncommon for people to struggle to retire due to identity loss.She said the earlier you could start planning for retirement, the better your life could be."When we stop working, we often lose that sense of purpose, so finding another identity and community is really critical to our happiness post-retirement," she said."Even though retirement is far away [for some], it is important to start thinking about how we can preserve our health and positive social relationships, because all of it takes investment."Art participation on the riseParticipation in visual arts and craft events among Australians aged over 50 increased by 7 per cent between 2022 and 2025, according to Creative Australia's national arts survey.More than 30 people are enrolled in an art class for people aged over 50 in SA's Riverland. (ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)U3A is a worldwide volunteer-run organisation that offers activities designed for older people entering retirement who want to keep their minds and bodies active.In South Australia's Riverland, more than 20 participants partake in the Berri branch U3A art classes each week.Kate Yates says getting out of your comfort zone is great for wellbeing. (ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)Kate Yates is one of three art tutors and said it had been fantastic to see participants' confidence grow."Putting ourselves out of our comfort zone is very good for us, even if we don't think it at the time," she said."Gardening is great, but it is solitary; here [at the art classes], you have to keep mingling and meeting new people."John Selfe says art classes have changed his life. (ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)Class participant John Selfe moved to Renmark three years ago and said he experienced immense loneliness for more than a year.That was until his sister dragged him along to the local art class."I started off very nervous, thinking, 'Am I going to make a fool of myself?' But you just let your pencil do the talking," he said."It just lights up your life … [sometimes] I think about the wasted years I wasn't doing art, but hey, it's not over till it's over."Never too late to do what you loveSince creating colourful canvases, Ms Delaine is now exhibiting her work as part of the South Australian Living Artists Festival (SALA) alongside seven other local women.She said her journey should serve as a lesson to anyone that it is never too late to learn a new skill and find a new passion.Annie Delaine's dog Suki is named after Suki Village in Papua New Guinea, where she spent time nursing. (ABC Riverland: Amelia Walters)"Just through art, I have met so many people I would not have known before and that's good," she said"It doesn't matter what you go into, as long as you give it a go."Retired, I'm not sure I like the name; I prefer to think of it as having fun once you've finished work."