Very cool story! Given that the exciting part of your retirement is learning and making things, I'm curious to hear why you decided not to try starting another business that would allow you to develop your skills in a similar way and also create money as a bonus.
It sounds like your first business was particularly soul-crushing, but do you view this as an inevitable quality in any for-profit activity? Or is it more that with any business there will always be lots of annoying tasks to do that you'd rather not spend time on, whereas your retirement is characterized by total freedom in what you learn and make?
It sounds like your first business was particularly soul-crushing, but do you view this as an inevitable quality in any for-profit activity? Or is it more that with any business there will always be lots of annoying tasks to do that you'd rather not spend time on, whereas your retirement is characterized by total freedom in what you learn and make?