I am 75. That means that I have read at least 1,000 novels and experienced life as it was in the 40's, 50's, 60's etc.; and I probably have a pretty awesome immune system.
I completed two years of graduate school with a kid on each hip. That means that I am smart and resourceful--all facets of creativity. That those kids are now in their 50's with successful marriages, careers, and children of their own means that I am reasonably balanced and centered.
That I was born in rural Kentucky where my mother's 10 siblings still live and farm and spent my career working with employment issues related to poverty tells you that I have seen real people living their lives and I can tell you, each one has a compelling story. Telling those stories so that my readers can experience what they experience is my highest calling. I plan to do that as I dance through every genre.