Older adults who get
involved in music, dance,
painting and storytelling
programs also experience
less depression, reports
a National Endowment for
the Arts study.
Importance of
creativity at
any age
Despite the long-held
stereotype of creativity
being the express domain
of young people, many
seniors feel they are at the
height of their creative
powers. This is not in spite
of their age, but because of
it. Having the time, the
focus and the ability to
draw upon a lifetime of
knowledge and experience
can boost creativity in our
50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.
Renowned American folk
artist Grandma Moses didn’t
begin painting until she was
75: that was because arthritis
made it too difficult for her
to do embroidery. Laura
Ingalls Wilder, beloved
author of the “Little House on
the Prairie” books, published
her first book at 65.
There is also research that
shows that age-related
changes in the brain can
actually contribute to
creativity. Dr. Rex Jung, a
professor of neurosurgery
at the University of New
Mexico, says that after 40,
demyelization in the brain,
which affects the transmission
of messages, has potential
consequences for creativity.
Jung says that reduced brain
connectivity in older adults
allows ideas to flow more
freely. He likens it to “fewer
brakes on your frontal inhib-
itors,” which could encourage
creating and connecting ideas
in new and different ways.
Experts also say that to
foster creativity in your
senior years, it’s important
to try new things. Not only
will this help improve
memory and your social
life, it will open you to new
perspectives and new ideas.
Want to be more creative?
HERE ARE THREE EASY STRATEGIES:
Sign up for something completely different.
Join a class at your local seniors’ or community centre, library or retirement
residence. Choose something that takes you out of your comfort zone. Always
wanted to try your hand at painting, but never had the confidence? Now is the
time to tap into your inner artist.
Spend time in nature.
Nature is the ultimate incubator for creativity. Take a walk through the fresh
outdoors and let your mind wander. If you have a problem you’re working on,
walking (or jogging) outside is a proven way to solve it: ideas can pop into
your head, unfettered by your usual indoor routine.
Tell your story.
Winter is the perfect time to sit down by a cozy fire and tell your life story. Older
people often find that they have excellent recall of events that happened when
they were younger. Recounting these stories—orally or written—can be a
life-affirming experience that boosts cognition, self-confidence and creativity.
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