Aging, Creativity and Art


Book Description

This volume explores the strengths and opportunities of old age as these are manifested by the accomplishments of aging artists, late artistic works, and elderly arts audiences. It critically examines the psychology of creativity, cognitive development, and gerontology, and will be of interest to a wide range of professionals and students in these fields.




The Age of Creativity


Book Description

A moving portrait of a father and daughter relationship and a case for late-stage creativity from Emily Urquhart, the bestselling author of Beyond the Pale: Folklore, Family, and the Mystery of Our Hidden Genes. “The fundamental misunderstanding of our time is that we belong to one age group or another. We all grow old. There is no us and them. There was only ever an us.” — from The Age of Creativity It has long been thought that artistic output declines in old age. When Emily Urquhart and her family celebrated the eightieth birthday of her father, the illustrious painter Tony Urquhart, she found it remarkable that, although his pace had slowed, he was continuing his daily art practice of drawing, painting, and constructing large-scale sculptures, and was even innovating his style. Was he defying the odds, or is it possible that some assumptions about the elderly are flat-out wrong? After all, many well-known visual artists completed their best work in the last decade of their lives, Turner, Monet, and Cézanne among them. With the eye of a memoirist and the curiosity of a journalist, Urquhart began an investigation into late-stage creativity, asking: Is it possible that our best work is ahead of us? Is there an expiry date on creativity? Do we ever really know when we’ve done anything for the last time? The Age of Creativity is a graceful, intimate blend of research on ageing and creativity, including on progressive senior-led organizations, such as a home for elderly theatre performers and a gallery in New York City that only represents artists over sixty, and her experiences living and travelling with her father. Emily Urquhart reveals how creative work, both amateur and professional, sustains people in the third act of their lives, and tells a new story about the possibilities of elder-hood.




Creativity in Later Life


Book Description

This collection begins with two premises: that our understanding of the nature and forms of creativity in later life remains limited and that dialogue between specialists in gerontology, the arts and humanities can produce the crucial new insights that are so obviously needed. Representing the outcome of ongoing dialogue across the disciplinary divide, the contributions of this volume reflect anew on what we share and how we differ; creating new narratives so as to build an understanding of late-life creativity that goes far beyond the narrow confines of the pervasively received idea of 'late style'. Creativity in Later Life encompasses a range of personal reflections and discussions of the boundaries of creativity, including: Canonical artistic achievements to community art projects Narratives of carers for those living with dementia Analyses of creative theory Through these insightful chapters, the authors consequently offer an understanding of creativity in later life as varied, socialised and - above all - located in the cultural and economic circumstances of the here and now. This title will appeal to academics, practitioners and students in the various gerontological, arts and humanities fields; and to anyone with an interest in the nature of creativity in later life and the forms it takes.




Creativity for Life


Book Description

As a therapist and creativity coach, Eric Maisel has worked with thousands of creative people. He knows firsthand the struggles that writers, musicians, artists, dancers, and actors face and has helped them find balance in their lives while pursuing their artistic endeavors. His new book presents a comprehensive approach to the much-misunderstood life of the artist. Creativity for Life offers practical ideas as well as exercises and inspiration to nurture growth as an artist and as a person, exploring such subjects as: Establishing your creativity practice Obscurity and stardom Blocks The artist’s personality Moods and madness Artists in love Craft The rewards and perils of isolation Social interactions and community




Creativity and Successful Aging


Book Description

"Creative expression in later life can be linked directly to successful aging. Beginning with theoretical models of creativity and life-span development, the contributors examine the factors that influence creative exploration: environmental, social, gender, cognitive, and personality. New theories on creative productivity in late life are presented which suggest that the potential for creativity is present in many older adults." "Using longitudinal studies and qualitative interviews, the contributors look at the role creativity plays in the lives of elders, and the way that creativity aids in the adaptation to physical aspects of aging, problem-solving, and life reminiscing." "A variety of viewpoints are presented from the perspectives of cognitive aging researchers, creativity researchers, and experts in a variety of creative domains. This text is a useful addition to courses in hermeneutics and critical gerontology."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved




Exploring the Benefits of Creativity in Education, Media, and the Arts


Book Description

The use of imagination can lead to greater outcomes in problem solving, innovation, and critical thinking. By providing access to creative outlets, productivity increases in schools, businesses, and other professional settings. Exploring the Benefits of Creativity in Education, Media, and the Arts is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on the stimulation and implementation of creative thinking in academic and professional environments. Highlighting the foundations of creativity from theoretical and neuroscientific perspectives, this book is ideally designed for academics, professionals, educators, and practitioners.




Old Masters and Young Geniuses


Book Description

When in their lives do great artists produce their greatest art? Do they strive for creative perfection throughout decades of painstaking and frustrating experimentation, or do they achieve it confidently and decisively, through meticulous planning that yields masterpieces early in their lives? By examining the careers not only of great painters but also of important sculptors, poets, novelists, and movie directors, Old Masters and Young Geniuses offers a profound new understanding of artistic creativity. Using a wide range of evidence, David Galenson demonstrates that there are two fundamentally different approaches to innovation, and that each is associated with a distinct pattern of discovery over a lifetime. Experimental innovators work by trial and error, and arrive at their major contributions gradually, late in life. In contrast, conceptual innovators make sudden breakthroughs by formulating new ideas, usually at an early age. Galenson shows why such artists as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Jackson Pollock, Virginia Woolf, Robert Frost, and Alfred Hitchcock were experimental old masters, and why Vermeer, van Gogh, Picasso, Herman Melville, James Joyce, Sylvia Plath, and Orson Welles were conceptual young geniuses. He also explains how this changes our understanding of art and its past. Experimental innovators seek, and conceptual innovators find. By illuminating the differences between them, this pioneering book provides vivid new insights into the mysterious processes of human creativity.




Age and Achievement


Book Description

Certain assumptions about man's creativity in relation to his chronological age have become so widely accepted as fact that the findings of this book will surprise both general reader and specialist and may have far-reaching effects on established patterns of thought in psychology and in education. The book is a statistical evaluation of achievement in relation to age, assembling an incredible amount of factual information on the acres of b superlative achievement in every field from prize-fighting to philosophy. Originally published in 1953. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.




Lastingness


Book Description

One of the country's leading literary scholars, explores the fascinating question of why some people's creative talents flourish with age while others' fade. America grows older yet stays focused on its young. Whatever hill we try to climb, we're "over" it by fifty and should that hill involve entertainment or athletics we're finished long before. And if younger is better, it doesn't appear that youngest is best: we want our teachers, doctors, generals, and presidents to have reached a certain age. In context after context and contest after contest, we're more than a little conflicted about elders of the tribe; when is it right to honor them, and when to say "step aside"' In his new book, Nicholas Delbanco, one of America's most formidable scholars, tackles the enigma of "lastingness," searching for the answers to the question of why some artists' work diminishes with age, and that of others reaches its peak. Both an intellectual inquiry ino the essence of aging and creativity and a personal journey of discovery, LASTINGNESS is a brilliant exploration of what determines what one needs to do to keep the habits of creation and achievement alive.




Conscious Creativity


Book Description

""Crammed with practical ideas, inspirational images & creative exercises, Conscious Creativity leads the reader through the process of establishing what kind of creative you are..." - Mslexia "The purpose of this book is to enable you to look at things in an alternative and more substantial way, so that you arrive at composition through genuine interest." - Juno magazine “Philippa Stanton is passionate about people connecting to their innate creativity and has distilled these incredible techniques and ideas on how we can tap into that. Philippa is a massively successful Instagramer at @5ftinf and yet she is only too aware how these little two dimensional squares can limit our experiences and restrict our creativity, so it’s not without a little irony that she’s written a book to encourage people to step away from their screens and connect more with the 3D world. It’s a fascinating subject and I wholeheartedly recommend the book for anyone who’s working in the creative industry or is curious about the world around them." - Sophie Robinson (DIY SOS, the Great British Interior Design Challenge, This Morning) How often do you notice the texture of a painted wall or the scent of a friend’s house and, importantly, how they make you feel? Connect your observations and your emotions and transform your creative practice with this essential toolbox packed full of exercises, tips, stunning images and personal experiences from dynamic artist Philippa Stanton. There is creativity in all of us, but it can easily be buried beneath our everyday concerns, or need a spark to bring it back to life. Whether you’ve lost your mojo or just need some fresh ideas, artist and photographer Philippa Stanton’s lively guide will stimulate your imagination and reinvigorate your creative life. Conscious Creativity will help you fully appreciate what is around you, opening all your senses to the beauty you may not notice every day, and showing you how to capture it. Simple, engaging exercises that encourage observation and experimentation will give you an insight into your own aesthetics as you take a conscious step to note the colours, shapes, shadows, sounds and textures that fill your world and how they make you feel. Bursting with practical ideas and inspirational images, Conscious Creativity shows you how to unlock your potential, learn to use your natural curiosity and take a leap into the most creative time of your life.