Creativity knows no age limit. In fact, for award-winning designer and Wallacea Living’s Creative Director Sue Timney, it only gets better with time.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Sue has built a legacy on bold ideas, fearless experimentation and an instinct for play. Now she is channelling that experience into championing creativity as a vital force in later life - not just for artistic expression, but for confidence, community, and wellbeing.
“The thing about ageing and creating is that you only get better,” says Sue. “You learn more, adjust more, and impart more. If I was an athlete, I probably wouldn’t be saying this, but unlike the physical, the mental, creative side of our brains can mostly only improve with age. It evolves very positively, widens, and reciprocally you share more of the knowledge gained during this time.”
In this conversation, Sue reflects on how creative instincts evolve with age, why the process matters more than the outcome and how shared artistic experiences can spark connection, joy and a renewed sense of self in later life.
Playfulness as a discipline
Timney has built her career on an instinct for play - in colour, in form, in the unexpected combination. “It’s something I’ve always naturally done,” she says. “It’s not everybody’s approach, but I’ve seen the benefits of keeping your mind engaged and active as we age. It’s very important.”
This playfulness now extends beyond her own practice. As Creative Director at Wallacea Living, she is part of a team curating a creative calendar, where residents can experiment without inhibition: intuitive painting, bonsai shaping, origami folding, terrarium design, pottery wheels spinning. “It’s the doing that matters,” she says. “The outcome is almost irrelevant. The joy is in the process.”
Recently, Sue hosted Wallacea Living’s first interior design masterclass, an inspiring afternoon that explored how colour, space and furnishings can be used as tools for personal expression. Owners were invited to bring a piece of inspiration, from treasured fabrics to favourite artworks, and use it as the starting point for shaping ideas for their own homes. “It was a wonderful day with a lot of joy and making… very positive. I really enjoyed it too,” Sue recalls. “I got really positive vibes from that day.” “Watching one of our owners Paul rediscover his passion for drawing through that workshop is what makes this job so special. Events like this help our customers realise the fun and enjoyment our community can bring to their lives.”
The confidence to keep creating
In her view, creativity and confidence are inseparable. “We learn as we age, so if we direct that sort of learning into things like making and doing and thinking, with art, drawing, reading and writing, it massively enhances the value of your life and who you think you are,” she explains. “One needs confidence in oneself, which you can do through art. It can give you confidence to move forward, do more. It makes you feel good about yourself. Which is in essence what makes our lives a quality one.”
It’s why Wallacea’s creative programme is so diverse. From storytelling clubs and writing workshops to glass art, calligraphy, fashion shows, seasonal wreath-making and art therapy. “There’s something for everyone, at every level at Wallacea Living,” Sue says. “And all of it feeds that sense of identity.”
Challenging the myths
Sue refutes the notion that later life is a time to slow down. “We are in an ageist world. However older people represent nations; we have value. The idea of assuming at a certain age there is a retirement age and you don’t need to keep doing things, that our culture expects them to stop - that’s wrong. Whether you’re already creative or moving sideways into creativity, it has huge advantages for your wellbeing. We are living longer; retirement age will get later. So it’s more important than ever.”
The beauty of community
Although Timney has been a member of the Chelsea Arts Club for over 40 years, she admits she didn’t fully grasp the depth of the word community until she began working in later living. “I see the wonderful asset of people getting together. We’ve drifted so much into individual life, especially in the city, and as we get older, it’s important to re-emerge into a community,” she says. “Like our recent creative event, where participants had the space to design their dream home, there was so much sharing, excitement, talking and ideation. We all left feeling fulfilled.”
In her eyes, group activities, a pottery class, a collaborative painting session, a storytelling circle, are about much more than skill. They’re about the conversations that happen between brushstrokes. “You come for the class,” she smiles, “and you leave with a friend.”
Starting is the only rule
Her advice for anyone looking to reignite their creative spark is deliberately simple: start. “Join a class, local groups and councils often offer amazing sessions. Or just go to the art shop, buy a sketchbook. There are lots of classes on YouTube. The point is to start.”
“It’s important to just start, with the confidence that you only get better.”
Sue Timney is a British cultural icon, award-winning designer and Wallacea Living’s Creative Director.
Sue and the team at Wallacea Living will host an annual calendar of social events for our Marylebone residents, from pottery making to film screenings and excursions to London cultural and art institutions.
Curious about luxury retirement homes in London? You could move into our Marylebone community from early next year, 2026. Call our friendly team for a chat on 020 3960 1000 or send us an email at enquiries@wallacealiving.com.
