NOTE FROM THE CEO

Note From the CEO

The theme of this month’s Growing Bolder Magazine is Creativity, one of the most important qualities to embrace as we age.

A long-term study published in the Journal of Aging and Health examined a variety of personality traits and concluded that only creativity confers significant life-extending benefits. Subjects who demonstrated above-average creativity enjoyed a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 12% decrease in mortality over an 18-year period.

Researchers believe that creative thinking activates a variety of neural networks within the brain. People who are creative are better problem solvers. They’re better at adapting to circumstances and dealing with the challenges and functional limitations of aging.

The good news is that creativity is not a rare gift or magical process that only some have or can harness. Creativity is part of human nature. It is true that some are more connected to their creativity than others but for most, it’s never a lightning strike of ingenuity. It’s simply the by-product of fearlessness and persistence. It’s taking an action and then refining and editing. It’s the things you do every day when you cook, brainstorm at work, write an email, or pick out an outfit for a party. Creativity is looking from multiple perspectives until “suddenly” a solution appears. It’s a process that anyone can learn and benefit from. “Creativity is part of human nature. It is true that some are more connected to their creativity than others but for most, it’s never a lightning strike of ingenuity. It’s simply the by-product of fearlessness and persistence.”