EP82: Creative Aging Sparks Joy, Connection, Purpose

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you wish to maintain health and longevity as you age, it may be helpful to include a special muscle group in your workout: your creative muscles. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to</span> <a href= "https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/participating-arts-creates-paths-healthy-aging"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">ongoing studies</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, creativity is essential for healthy aging. Engaging in creative activities like singing, theater, and visual art may help older people feel better. Further, creativity, linked to the personality characteristic of openness, can help people live longer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this  episode of This Is Getting Old: Moving Towards An Age-Friendly World, we're privileged to have Teresa  Bonner, the Executive Director of Aroha Philanthropies. Join us as we share meaningful conversations about creative aging and how it sparks joy, connection, and purpose among older adults. </span></p> <h2><strong>Part One Of 'Creative Aging Sparks Joy, Connection, Purpose'</strong></h2> <h2><strong>Aroha Philanthropies And Creative Aging</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Creativity is hardly the exclusive province of youth. It can blossom at any age—and in fact, it can bloom with more depth and richness in older adults because their vast stores inform it of knowledge and experience.”</span></em></p> <p><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> </span><strong>        —Dr. Gene Cohen, Geriatric Psychiatrist</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These words of Dr. Gene Cohen, the founding Director of</span> <a href= "https://nursing.gwu.edu/center-aging-health-and-humanities"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The George Washington University’s Center for Aging, Health and Humanities</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">(for which I am the current Director), is Aroha Philanthropies' motivation in advocating creativity in aging. According to</span> <a href= "https://