Creativity Can Empower Your Second Half of Life...

There are many ways to uncover and develop your creativity. The great thing is … it can help all aspects of your life. Every day we hear of amazing creative people who are active well into their seventies and eighties. One of the most famous was Grandma Moses (1860-1961), an American folk artist, who started her art career when she was 79 and continued well into her 90’s. People view her as remarkable because she started her art career so late in life. She is not unusual in terms of people who continue to their creative endeavors to the very end. George Burns (1896-1996), the American actor and author so many loved, started out in the days of vaudeville and acted well into his 80’s. Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976), the detective novelist, wrote up until her death at age 86, her books selling over 100 million copies. In your own life, you probably have friends who are always trying some new creative endeavor, so it’s not just the famous who nurture this aspect of life. Many changes occur as we enter the older years, and they are often factors that can release aspects of creativity that have lain dormant. When families have been raised there is often more time to pursue creative activities. At some point, careers come to an end, and a person can pursue creative hobbies, or even start an encore (encore.org) career that enables them to use their creative talents. The brain is different in the later years, and many of the ways are amazing and wondrous. It is conceivably part of our evolution as mankind. So many are living to be so much older, not only in the United States, but all over the world....

“Meetup” – an Online Way to Connect with Others in Your Community...

The Meetup website originated in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001.  The co-founder, Scott Heiferman was inspired by the way that the people in New York City came together after that tragic event. There are now Meetup groups all over the world, over 100,000 in-person meetings each week. Meetup is a great tool to meet people in your area if you have just moved there, had a major life change like retirement or being widowed, or just want to connect with others to learn more about a mutual interest. You can join Meetup for free Some Meetup groups have dues or fees, and some are free You can find a group based on your location and interests Groups can be open or private Sections of a Meetup group can be private Some groups require you to answer some questions as you join, or the group may require you to be approved to join   Video and Information Resources: What’s Meetup Length: 2:42 Meetup This gives a good overview of the purpose of Meetup:   To use Meetup, you will need to go to their website to set up a free account. This is a fairly straight-forward process. There is the option of creating a profile for your account. Do keep in mind that there are ways to protect yourself from having others contact you. Once you have set up your account, you can search for a Meetup by subject in your area. There are many categories that you can search:   The other option is to enter a word or words into the search box. You then search by location, entering distance from a specific city: Keep watching this post for additional information on how to use this wonderful resource for connecting with others....

Boomers Just Want to Have Fun...

An argument for keeping play at the top of your priority list Summer nights, the kids in my neighborhood used to gather in our yard, a convenient corner lot, to play a hide-and-seek game. Whoever was “It” counted to 20, screamed “Bloody Murder,” and the heart-pounding hunt in the dark was on. If you were found, you helped locate others before they raced to the safety zone. During the days, girls from three blocks around gathered to play Barbies under our shady maple tree, often leaving the elaborate houses we built for our dolls set up overnight so we could resume play the next day. When it rained, we read or played cards — our parents taught us bridge so we could substitute in their games when necessary, but mostly we played Old Maid or Kings Around the Corner or penny-betting games of Michigan Rummy. We also had Clue, Mystery Date and endless rounds of Monopoly. The games you play as a child help form who you become as an adult, not just because of how you use your mind and body. Childhood play shapes how you enjoy your leisure time and is part of your self-identity deep into adulthood. Earlier this month, I saw a wonderful exhibit, Toys From the 50s, 60s and 70s, at the Minnesota History Center. You can take a walk down memory lane by looking at the attached slideshow based on it. Yet, as we age, as times change, what, how and how much time we spend at play changes, too. The Study of Play Julie Brown, assistant professor of gerontology at Ohio University, studies the importance of play across the lifespan. When she first started researching the relationship between play and quality of...