Creative Aging: The Mental Health Benefits of Making Art Later in Life
At Creativity and Madness, we are so appreciative to have met and interacted with so many of you over the past four decades. We have been profoundly inspired by artists, writers, and clinicians over the years, and have great respect for people whose creativity has deepened, strengthened, and flourished with age.
Mental health professionals are increasingly turning their attention to creative aging, a growing field that focuses on how engaging with the arts can support mental and emotional well-being as we age. The evidence is clear: making art later in life is not just a hobby, but a powerful way to maintain cognitive sharpness, emotional depth, and a sense of purpose.
Creativity as Cognitive Protection
Research shows that adults who engage in artistic activities such as painting, singing, writing, or dancing experience a slower decline in their cognitive abilities and lower their risk of dementia. Why? Creativity stimulates multiple areas of the brain: memory, problem-solving, language, and motor function. Creative engagement builds what neuroscientists call cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to adapt and find new pathways as it ages.
Even if you do not consider yourself to be creative, beginning a new creative practice in your 70s or 80s can benefit your life. It is never too late to start drawing, journaling, or learn to play an instrument. The brain thrives on novelty and challenge, both of which are ripened in the creative process.
Art as a Bridge to Connection
Isolation and loneliness are major contributors to mental health challenges, especially for older adults. Participating in the arts, whether through community theater, a local writing group, or virtual art classes, offers the opportunity for meaningful social connection. Artistic spaces tend to foster a nonjudgmental presence, collaboration, and joy in being seen and heard.
For people facing loss, art can also be a lifeline and a way to process grief and make sense of life’s changes.
Creativity can Develop Over Time
Aging often presents challenges to identity, autonomy, and physical abilities. Creative expression can serve as a powerful reminder that we are more than a diagnosis or our limitations. Making art allows older adults to explore who they are now and who they are still becoming.
Whether you have a memoir in progress, a series of watercolor landscapes, or a single expressive dance, the act of creating affirms personal agency and invites meaning into each day. Creativity preserves dignity not by denying the aging process, but by honoring the beauty and wisdom aging brings.
Honoring the Elders of Our Creative Community
To the many healers, artists, therapists, health care professionals, and seekers in our Creativity and Madness community who continue to create and engage with the arts, into their 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond: we see you, we respect you, and we celebrate you! Your creative spirit is a gift not only to yourselves but to all of us. You remind us that imagination, insight, and artistry are always within us and, when nourished, can continue to strengthen and grow over time.
And to those who may no longer travel or present but continue to write, sing, paint, or reflect creatively: if you feel called to share your work, we would be honored to publish your blogs on our website.
The creative mind never retires; it continues to ripen.
by Dr. Amy Vail and Alli Fischenich