Aging Creatively: Embracing the Possibilities

A friend of mine turned me on to a Netflix series titled Man on the Inside. The show is a comedy about a retiree turned amateur private investigator trying to find a thief in a Senior Living Community. Since my friend’s husband is associated with the production, I decided to support his efforts and watch a couple of episodes. I’m glad I did.

Seasoning Like Fine Wine

The series stars Ted Danson as the inept detective, Charles Nieuwendyk. Danson is known to most people as Sam, the womanizing bartender, in the iconic comedy series, Cheers. Academy Award-winning actress Mary Steenburgen plays his love interest. I was pleased to see other faces I recognized. They are veteran performers from stage, television, and film I hadn’t seen on screen for quite a while.

Sally Struthers, who played Archie Bunker’s daughter, Gloria, in the television series All in the Family, has a recurring role in the show, as does Lori Tan Chin, who was in the award-winning series, Orange Is the New Black. Also in the Netflix series are Tony nominated actor, Stephen McKinley Henderson, who played opposite Denzel Washington on stage and in the film Fences. I also spotted Margaret Avery, who played Shug in the movie The Color Purple, and Veronica Cartwright, who is a three-time Prime Time Emmy Award nominee.

These are seasoned performers, in their 70s and 80s. They bring wisdom, experience, and knowledge to their craft. What I liked about seeing them perform in this series is the fact that they are living proof that age is no barrier to creativity.

Blossoming Creatively

As I blossomed in the arts, it never occurred to me that aging could or would hinder my creativity. I felt that the older I got, the more I would learn and the better I would get at my craft.

I was in my early 30s when I wrote my first one-act play. It was produced and the success of that work led me to write my first two-act play. It was produced and directed by an Academy Award nominated actress, traveled around the country, and was nominated for and won several awards. Time and experience made me better at my creative endeavors and it also made me bold enough to co-produce and write a half-hour comedy/drama television series.

In my 40s, I decided that I knew enough about the performing arts to become a theatrical producer. Stepping out on faith, I formed a theatrical production company, produced a series of plays, and ended up making a profit.

I was in my 50s when I decided to become an author. My self-confidence was pretty solid by this age, so why not try something new? For a decade I wrote books alone, and later formed a writing partnership with my friend, Lillie Evans. Our Grandmothers, Incorporated cozy mystery novels and plays, featuring female crime fighters in their 60s, have enjoyed success. Now, in our 70s, we have become filmmakers.

Creativity has no age limit. The best part of it is that as long as I can prevail in mind, spirit and body I can continue doing what I love.

Creative Aging

Lifetime Arts, a U.S. based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving life for older adults through the arts, promotes a program it calls “Creative Aging.” According to the organization, “61.2 million Americans are 65 or older, and by 2030, older adults are projected to outnumber children nationwide.” The mission of Lifetime Arts is to expand access to art programs that serve this aging population.

As creative professionals, my writing partner and I received a grant from Lifetime Arts to teach playwriting at an Art Center in our city. Our class consisted of women and men, ranging in age from their late 50s to early 80s. We taught them how to turn their ideas into short, 10-minute plays. The results were riveting. They wrote stories of lifetime love affairs, childhood memories, noted neighborhood institutions, intriguing family secrets, and tragic child abuse. Their works were presented in a public play reading. The pride they expressed in themselves, their abilities and the sense of accomplishment is indescribable. Age was never a consideration. It was their creativity that counted.

Creative Aging activities can be fun, but according to Lifetime Arts, such programs offer those who participate so much more.

Mental Benefits

A study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that older adults participating in weekly arts classes experienced enhanced psychological resilience and cognitive performance.

Physical Benefits

A 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) review highlighted that arts interventions help prevent and manage conditions like cardiovascular disease and frailty, while also improving mobility and reducing chronic pain.

Social Benefits

Artistic activities foster meaningful connections. The Aging and Health Research Center reports that social participation through the arts plays a crucial role in building community and deepening ties.

Engaging in creative activities, whether through organized programs or not, has no age limit. I believe that every human being possesses a spark of creativity yearning to be unleashed. Why not set it free?

Also read, Goodbye Old Lady! Hello Queenager!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What creative endeavor have you started – or wish you could start? Have you gained more confidence with age?