School is definitely expensive, but I'm glad you're looking into it. I've found that when I take a class, my mind and self-discipline are challenged and I end up feeling better about myself.

When I decided to go back to school, I wanted to pay for it without my husband's help and without taking on student loans. I didn't qualify for financial aid because of our income bracket, so I have been taking it one or two classes at a time, and at the community college level, which was something I could afford. When I am short on income (like now), I put it on hold until I can afford it again. I guess I may not graduate until I'm 90, but I'm hanging on to that goal ..

Creative writing is something that more or less stands alone; you can take a class without having a bunch of prerequisites. Plus, once you have the basics down, you can learn a lot from joining an ongoing writer's workshop. There are a lot of them that are free, and many online groups. And the best part is that you can become a published writer without a degree.

Maybe if you started with a workshop, wrote a couple of stories to show you are dedicated to it, then your family will relax a little. I've started and quit so many things that my family always worries when I start something new, even before I was diagnosed. When I realized how much I enjoyed writing, I just kept at it until they saw that it wasn't just another grandiose dream.

Hope that helps!