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Natural Awakenings Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex Edition

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Is Creativity the Fountain of Youth?

Sep 01, 2011 04:52PM ● By Jill Allison Bryan

“There is a fountain of youth. It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring in your life and the lives of people you love.” ~ Sophia Loren


At age 77, Academy Award-winning actress Sophia Loren still shines with the energy and enthusiasm of a person half her age. Could Loren’s words hold the key to her ability to retain a joi de vivre well into her 70s? As studies have shown, people that remain engaged in some type of creative endeavor, whether it be art, music, gardening, cooking, writing, photography, needlework or other creatively satisfying pursuits, enjoy a variety of health benefits throughout their lives.

"The most important finding is that creative activity helps people stay healthy," says author John Mirowsky, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. "Creative activity is non-routine, enjoyable and provides opportunity for learning and for solving problems. People who do that kind of work, whether paid or not, feel healthier and have fewer physical problems.”

History is filled with examples of people that accomplished some of their best creative work later in life. Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocal lens at the age of 78, Maya Angelou is still an amazing creative at the age of 83 and Frank Lloyd Wright completed the design of the Guggenheim Museum in New York at 92. Consider Georgia O’Keeffe, who painted into her mid-80s. When her eyesight began to fail her, she started working in clay, so she could keep creating.

Of course, you don’t have to be a famous inventor, artist or poet to enjoy the benefits of the creative process. Simply allowing some time and space in your life for creative fulfillment is beneficial. If you’d like to experience more creativity in your life, consider hiring a coach, taking a class or joining a group that shares your creative interests. At the very least, you’ll add a healthy dose of joy to your life and possibly, some additional years.


Jill Allison Bryan is a certified Kaizen-Muse creativity coach, founder of Creative Oasis Coaching and a singer/songwriter. Learn more about her creativity coaching and music at CreativeOasisCoaching.com and her blog, CreativeOasisCoaching.blogspot.com.

 

DFW Community Arts Resources

The Craft Guild of Dallas
5100 Beltline Rd., #400, Addison
www.CraftGuildOfDallas.com

Creative Arts Center of Dallas
2360 Laughlin Drive, Dallas
www.CreativeArtsCenter.org

Texas Sculpture Association
P.O. Box 603052
www.TxSculpture.com

The McKinney Ave Contemporary/The MAC
3120 McKinney Ave, Dallas
www.The-MAC.org

Visual Arts Guild of Frisco
Frisco Discovery Center
8004 N. Dallas Pkwy, Frisco
www.VAGF.org