Yeah, easing into creative pursuits is a process, that's for sure, JBMom.
When I was younger and still had a lot of bills to pay, I would make due the best that I could. For example, back in the late '90's, I remember working on my '85 Toyota pickup, putting in a new starter on a Sunday which I had to have running the next day in order to drive it to work. I said to myself, "Someday I'm going to own something that I don't have to work on, but work on it for pleasure".
Sure enough in '09, I bought a '51 Chevy pickup that was totalled in '11 and I spent the next 3 1/2 years resurrecting it. I thought I had found my hobby, completely taking apart an antique vehicle, repairing it, and putting it back together again. But no.
I tinkered with it a bit last Summer, got it running again for the upteenth time, and drove it around a bit, but it's not my main creative pursuit.
I've always done art, so I immersed myself into art after I retired. I now have enough wood, metal, and plastic sculptures, signs, and paintings to do a show if I want. My last show was in '03.
I have learned animation which encompasses sketching, sculpting, painting, photography, digital, and computer art.
Art is my creative pursuit, every day, up to 12 hours a day.
I would highly advise anybody considering retirement to try out any and all creative endeavors and to find something now that they absolutely love doing.