I had another idea for this week’s “Art’s World”, but then I saw this posted and decided to change course. Thank you to Christine Cianci for posting this and giving me the idea to run this as a feature. It definitely proves you are never to young or old to follow your dreams and make things happen. At the end of this I will add my own following of dreams that can become reality. In the meantime check these out and remember, “Never say never”.

At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.

At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.

At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.

At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.

At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.

At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs.

Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51.

Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40.

Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40.

Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 4

Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.

Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR movie role at age 52.

Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76.

As for me personally, at age 53 I made a complete career change getting together with Paul Allen and becoming a feature writer, critic and editor and have had a blast doing it these past 32 years. Then at age 80, I became a published author with my book “When Swing Was King”, all about the big band era and that time period in American history. I am currently working on two other books. I first tried to get a fiction novel I wrote titled “Star of Tomorrow” published back in 1968. It was rejected by four different publishers. I never gave up that dream of having a book published and it finally happened in 2015.

Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21.Hell, its okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow.  Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it. Never tell yourself you missed your chance. Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough. You can do it. Never say never!

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN