SENIOR LIVING Creativity For Vitality in Aging

Mary Petersen Signal Staff Writer

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Two weeks ago, I attended my first quilt convention with a friend who has been an avid quilter for 35 years. I am a novice, having made only three quilts, so I lacked the excitement and anticipation that bubbled over in her.

To my surprise, I was mesmerized by hundreds of booths packed with fabric from around the world, some featuring designers whose unique colors and patterns were breathtaking. One portion of the show displayed an exhibition of award-winning entries from various quilt competitions.

As I scrutinized these creative masterpieces, I was awe-struck with the artistry, craftmanship and skillful precision of each quilt. The creative choices that these textile artists made in their pattern and color designs were complex and intricate. The creative process of each artist both humbled and inspired me.

Although overwhelming, it was uplifting to contemplate the creative impulse that guides each of these artists. Equally life-affirming is that this creative process is available to all of us. I’m not referring to producing a masterpiece. Creativity is much more than that. It is an essential drive that determines how we approach each day.

The prominent psychologist and author of Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, claims, “Creativity is a central source of meaning in our lives … Most of the things that are interesting, important, and human are the results of creativity … [and] when we are involved in it, we feel that we

Sadly, as we grow to adulthood, we often lose connection to creativity, imagination, daydreaming, and play. This is not to say that creativity simply declines with age. It declines when we stop being curious, stop being inspired, and stop considering innovative ways to approach situations. Even if our natural-born creativity has been suppressed for decades, it is never too late to make changes. Just like brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to modify and adapt as a result of learning and experience), our level of creativity is something that we can nurture by exercising our creative muscle. Ongoing research suggests that creativity may be significant to healthy, active aging. As we plan for future years, creativity helps us pursue meaningful experiences and be flexible in generating ideas to address changing circumstances. We can tap into the creative spark no matter what we’re doing—planning a weekend getaway, writing a silly poem (or pun) for a friend’s birthday, coming up with a new recipe, or making up a bedtime story for a grandchild. We fuel our everyday creative life by pursuing hobbies and interests, reading or writing what we’re passionate about, and letting our minds wander while taking a walk.

Learning from encouraging, uplifting people, discovering interconnections between ideas, and attempting something personal and original is joyful. It motivates us to continue being creative. Professor James Kaufman, who teaches a creativity class at the University of Connecticut, says, “Try not to compare yourself to genius creators or be so focused on the outcome that the process stops being fun.”

Mary Petersen is a retired COC English instructor, a 30-year SCV resident and two-time breast cancer survivor. 