engleski

NEVER TOO OLD TO ROCK: OLD AGE, CREATIVITY AND EMPOWERMENT

Old age is a phase in human life saturated with many prejudices and stereotypes. The narrative of aging as declining is one of the dominant cultural narratives which among other things defines creativity as a „prerogative of youth“ (Simonston cit. in Galenson 2012). This type of pessimistic interpretation definitely enters the zone of ageism (Galenson 2016). Not only the results of scientific research, but also numerous examples of professionals from the world of film, music, fashion, science and activism as well as the daily life of creative individuals (who, for example, meditate, learn foreign languages, compose music, write poems, take photos, etc.) and who, through their creative activity, redefine ageist concepts and widespread definitions of old age and aging, prove that creativity is not age-related and that it does not diminish after a person attains older age. Research on „late-life creativity“ (Lindauer 2003) not only unmasks various forms of ageism but also raises important questions about what it means to be (re) productive, what it means to be active and ultimately what it means to be creative. Different forms of creativity in the older age have a pronounced emancipatory component for older women who, at the later stage of life, relieved from traditional female roles and gendered duties, have time for themselves, developing their own interests and talents. The theses outlined in the presentation will be illustrated by lived experiences and their interpretations from the position of participants (+65 years old) of qualitative research conducted in Zagreb.

late-life creativity, old age, gender, qualitative methodology

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