Aging Creatively

So you think you -- or seniors you know -- might benefit from a little more creativity in life?

There are people who can help.

To be effective, arts programs for seniors should be led by a professional artist, say advocates for these activities. You wouldn't hire a volunteer to do surgery, cracks Susan Perlstein, founder of the National Center for Creative Aging and New York's nonprofit Elders Share the Arts, which organizes intergenerational arts programs. To allow people to express themselves in meaningful ways, programs should be in a quiet room where participants will not be disrupted. The programs should be ongoing rather than one-shot events, so that participants gain a sense of mastery.

But the focus can be wide-ranging.

"It's a question of finding the pathway for each person," Perlstein said. "Creativity takes many forms. It might be creating a garden or the way somebody wants to dress themselves."

One resource for arts and aging organizations is "Creativity Matters -- The Arts and Aging Toolkit," produced by the NCCA in cooperation with the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. To order the book ($35, plus shipping), visit http://www.nationalguild.org.

To learn more:

- National Center for Creative Aging, http://www.creativeaging.org. Lists events, workshops and lobbying updates.

- Arts for the Aging, http://www.aftaarts.org. Offers samples of elder art and interviews with artists.

- Encore Creativity for Older Adults, http://www.encorecreativity.org. Provides a calendar of local performances of senior chorales.

- Center on Aging, Health & Humanities, http://www.gwumc.edu/cahh. Includes Gene Cohen's research on the health benefits of exercising one's creativity.

- National Endowment for the Arts, http://www.nea.gov (click on "Resources," then "Accessibility"). Has a resource list and details about best practices related to arts and aging.

- Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, http://www.danceexchange.org. Offers courses such as "Mature Movers" and "All Abilities Movement" for people of all ages and body types.

-- Beth Baker