It is possible to pursue your career dream at 50 – I know, because that's exactly what I'm doing

This week I indulged in a habit of hope. It’s the most optimistic act of my year and something that I do entirely for myself. I renewed my Equity card.

For the last 23 years I’ve been a parent carer; latterly I’ve been a writer on disability issues and campaigner, but the one title that I don’t have is the one that I spoke of as a child, teen and younger woman: 'actor'.

From my earliest memories I’ve always wanted to act. I went to drama school in London and spent a while afterwards doing extra work and auditions.

I’d just made a film when I met my husband, had two children and settled down in Shropshire. When I was at drama school a tutor told me, “You can either have children or have an acting career, you can’t have both.”

I didn’t believe that was true. But then my children were diagnosed with autism, my younger daughter with an accompanying learning disability, and my mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. So I put my creative aspirations to one side.

The thing is, creativity is not easily silenced. So I wrote. Two novels, one screenplay, one stage play, two TV comedy dramas, one YA novel and a sitcom to be exact.

None were published, except the stage play – and that’s only because I set up a theatre company myself. But all of this provided a welcome outlet during full-time caring.

In 2013, I started doing standup comedy and still do drama and character comedy podcasts, where I collate all my performance, writing and improv cravings in one place, alongside teaching myself about production with editing, sound effects and so on.

So here I am, three months away from 50, trying to change my life. The problem is that I’m hoping to work at a time when, traditionally, women – especially on the large or small screen – tend to become invisible.

The actors Lenny Henry and Idris Elba have both rightly highlighted the lack of diversity both in front and behind the camera in the film industry and my first national campaign in 2008 highlighted the lack of disabled talent across the board in entertainment.

But can you begin again in any field at my age?

Louise Chunn was the editor of Psychologies magazine and after being made redundant in her mid-50s, she set up Welldoing.org which is a platform that matches people looking for therapy with the therapists or counsellors most suited to their needs.

It’s been so successful that the site is now recommended by the NHS.

Louise detailed her own trepidation and joy by saying: “Starting something new in your 50’s is terrifying but also incredibly exciting. You may not be a digital native, but you have experience of life and the many ways in which things can go wrong, where people may need help. I see starting this business as an incredible opportunity to really take hold of my life and mould it to suit me.”

There is a wealth of talent in women of all ages and I recognise the brilliance of young women and older women equally.

I hope that I can achieve my creative ambition. I’ve loved my life, I love being a carer, I love writing articles about the issues that matter to me, and I love campaigning for equality.

It’s a terrifying prospect at 50 to try to re-enter a profession where rejection is par for the course. But not trying at all seems like a much more frightening thing to me.

My biggest inspiration is Margaret Rutherford. She was 50 when she had her big break. Or perhaps I’m a latter-day Florence Foster Jenkins without the money, harbouring a creative wish but bereft of talent.

Either way, I’m happy to plod on.