Quote of the Day (Mary Steenburgen, on Pursuing a New Creative Direction in One’s Mature Years)

“To say yes to something brand new when you're not young is a really interesting thing to do. Our society doesn't encourage that. You're encouraged to try new things when you're young, and then nobody says that to you anymore at a certain age. I did get a little pushback. People said, ‘You already have a career. Why are you doing this?’ Because my heart is desiring it so fiercely I can't ignore it. If you're lucky enough to be alive, why would you creatively kill yourself off? Why not say yes to all of it at any age?”—Oscar-winning actress Mary Steenburgen, 66, on taking up songwriting in the last dozen years, quoted in Bruce Fretts, “A Musical Detour in the Acting Life,” The New York Times, Jan. 11, 2020 

(The accompanying photo, showing Ms. Steenburgen at a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was taken Dec. 16, 2009, by Angela George.)