I took up an instrument for the first time in my late 30s and have gotten okay at it. If I was 8 years old people would nod politely to my parents after my recital.
Mandolin. Playing Bach, American folk standards and children's songs. Started la vie en rose tonight. No original material but it's been fun to do something I, for a reason I no longer remember, thought was beyond me. My wife loves it. My kids are annoyed that I follow them around like a restaurant mariachi playing the same songs over and over lol.
Sounds fun. Don't forget about Losing My Religion! I play guitar and drums. When I first started with guitar, I only played covers as if the only thing that mattered was my technical capacity. Once I learned a scale out if curiosity, I discovered a wholeeeee new world. I no longer bother with covers. I hope you find some courage to engage in creating something new, and if you do, please share it with me if you feel comfortable 🙂
Thanks for the tip about scales. Music theory has been on my mind as something to learn after I get technically good but maybe I should move it up in the batting order.