You could consider ditching (most of) the power tools and just do hand-tool woodworking. Much quieter, less sawdust and mess, relaxing (usually) and much lower possibility of losing a finger.
What I like about Van Gogh's work, is the 'vibrant energy' in his paintings. But I had to experience his work in person to come to appreciate and perceive that. Prior to my first in-person experience with his paintings, I was in the 'meh' camp. It was a similar story for me with the work of Georgia O'Keefe.
An excellent book. I taught all of my kids to read with it. All are strong readers. By lesson 70 or so, most of them had caught the gist and didn't need to finish it out. Highly recommended.
Having lived through the dot-com bust, my wife and I around the same time (20+ years ago), began to set some funds aside for the "rainy day" of not if, but _when_ I might lose my job in tech, given the often volatile nature of the industry. We've been fortunate not to have to need to dip into those funds for that purpose over that time, but I think it's a wise practice, one that the church teaches, and follows.
Another vote for CBT. CBT has made a big difference for me, helping me to find my way out of some very negative patterns of thinking, and allowing me to feel real joy, despite a number of ongoing difficult circumstances in my life. I'd recommend it to just about anyone, at any age.
I didn't go through CBT with a therapist. I just read the first few chapters of The Feeling Good Handbook, then tried to establish a habit of confronting my negative feelings, and the thoughts that were feeding them by identifying the distortions in those thoughts.
For a few years I've been learning about woodworking. I'm particularly interested in hand-tool woodworking (planes and chisels and mallets and hand-saws and such). I've enjoyed restoring old tools that are rusty and roached out, and bringing them into working order again to give them a new life. Nothing like using a well-tuned 100-year-old Stanley #5 to get a glass-like surface on a piece of wood. Also love woodturning, mostly making bowls. Turning a chunk of wood into a beautiful, useful object is deeply satisfying.
I recently took some small-craft sailing lessons. The balance and flow of wind in the sail, tension on the sheet, sitting on the thwart, with one hand on the tiller, and gliding over the water with the setting sun turning the sky golden, was an amazing experience.
So now I'm looking to combine the two interests, and have plans to build and sail my own small wooden boat.
I've rescued a few Stanley planes from the rust pile. Bringing them back to life and use is a joy. 100+ years old, and with cleanup and honing, can still take wispy-thin shavings, leaving a glassy-smooth surface on wood.
I find it repugnant to define the 'worth' of an individual solely in terms of 'economic output.' The elderly have much to offer society. I think of my own parents, now into their 80s. They planned well, are not an economic burden to their children, and continue to contribute in meaningful ways to their family and their community. Any 'burden' they may be in my life is far outweighed by what they sacrificed and provided for me throughout my life so far.
I assume it's an argument of how you define 'socialism', but in my mind, the body count and accompanying oppression, enslavement, genocide and theft committed by regimes with socialist roots doesn't exactly inspire much confidence in what it has to offer.