The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life [Paperback]

M.D., Ph.D., Gene D. Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 2001

Society today is witnessing unprecedented growth in the number of people over the age of 50. In The Creative Age, Dr. Cohen debunks harmful myths about aging, and, combining the latest findings in brain and aging research with moving true-life stories, charts exciting new territory for human potential in the "second half of life. He offers compelling evidence that the unique combination of age, experience, and creativity can produce exciting inner growth. Readers of The Artist's Way, in addition to the more than 30 million members of the AARP, will appreciate tremendously the creative life strategies offered in this inspiring and motivating book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the baby-boom generation swells the ranks of the American middle-aged, life expectancy has increased 50% since 1900, older people are becoming more physically and mentally active than ever before and diseases are more easily preventable, detectable and treatable. A doctor specializing in gerontology for 30 years, Cohen focuses on creativity, which he stresses is "not just for geniuses" but holds potential for everyone at every age. With a wink toward Einstein, Cohen uses the formula "C=me2" (creativity equals a mass of knowledge plus the interaction of inner and outer experience) to describe his theory of lifelong creativity, which may be manifested both privately ("creativity with a little c") and publicly ("big C"). Cohen identifies four developmental phases in mid- and later life--reevaluation, liberation, summing-up and encore--that provide opportunities for creativity to blossom. He cites the latest scientific research, which disproves dated views of inevitably deteriorating brain function, points out the advantages of experience and the willingness to experiment that come with age, and notes that the adversity and loss that often crop up later in life actually encourage creativity by forcing change. With sidebars noting the accomplishments of many people well past midlife, excellent exercises for igniting creativity and thorough appendices, Cohen provides a wealth of information and a fresh, timely perspective on aging.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A lot of books out now help baby boomers deal with how to slow the physical aging process or how to have a financially secure retirement. Cohen, however, chooses a unique direction: he shows how to be a creative individual well into old age. Replete with anecdotes of famous and not-so-famous people doing incredibly creative things (e.g., architect I.M. Pei designing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum at 79), whether for the good of humanity or simply for their own families, this book is an inspiration. Cohen, director of the Center on Aging, Health, and Humanities at George Washington University, outlines different ways in which people can be creative and stimulating in the face of adversity, in the context of relationships, or with changing opportunities as one ages. This is essential reading for those with elderly parents as well as for those entering their twilight years. Highly recommended.
-Marija Sanderling, Rochester P.L., NH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (January 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380800713
• ISBN-13: 978-0380800711
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #412,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best on the subject of aging well...., March 20, 2006

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life (Paperback)

Was perplexed by a negative review of this book, so I wanted to find out, firsthand what the author really said and I am so glad I did. Nowhere does the author chastises older people who try to take care of their health. Just the opposite.

Not only does the author have fifty year old plus folks on the cover, kayaking, swimming, painting etc but on page 188 he writes of 'More on the Effects of Creativity on Health' . Heck the whole book is about embracing the second half of life and taking personal responsibility for making needed changes so that you live to one hundred and do so eating healthy, interacting with others, becoming involved in ones community etc etc etc.

On page 10-11 , the author notes that studies of aging people and in my work with them, four aspects of creativity stand out:

1) Creativity strengthens our morale in later life 2) Creativity contributes to physical health as we age 3) Creativity enriches relationships 4) Creativity is our greatest legacy. That 'Increasing numbers of preliminary findings from psychoneuroimmunological studies-research that examines the interaction of our emotions, our brain function, and our immune system-suggest that a positive out look and a sense of well being have a beneficial effect on the functioning of our immune system and our overall health' These findings are particularly strong among older persons.'

The many examples of famous and everyday folk who have been or become creative after age fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty are empowering. In Chapter 9 titled Creativity us Everyday Life: Letting It Start with You,' the author gives some excellent examples of how as the quote he gives from Lao Tsu notes 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step'., and how we do have the choice to think outside the box, and live life to the fullest. And that we need to make the effort to get involved in a variety of activities that will stimulate the mind from different directions. Be it painting, reading more, walking more, volunteering more. Anything that will stimulate the brain which in turn will stimulate the rest of the body.

I am so impressed with the book I am buying a copy for a physician friend as well as the library over at hospice, where our widow/widowers group meets.

61 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Creative Age.Awakening Human Potential in the Second Hal, April 5, 2000

By 

Prof. J.R.Staude "John-Raphael Staude" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential In The Second Half Of Life (Hardcover)

This is one of the best books I have read on the subject of Creativity in Later Life. I recommend it heartily. Dr. Cohen, M.D. & Ph.D. has become the acknowledged leader in this field with his brilliant synthesis of his 25 years of experience working with older adults as a geriatric physician and creativity researcher. "We need a new frame of reference in which to picture ourselves growing and recognize how the influence of inner resources and life circumstances can present us with opportunities to revive our lives in meaningful and satisfying ways," Cohen maintains. His experience with his patients and his studies of aging and creativity in the arts led him to revise Erik Erikson's model of adult development in the later years. He divided Erikson's final stages of generativity & integrity into four developmental phases which he claims shape the way our creative energy grows and the way we express it. Each phase, he says, is shaped by our chronological age, our history, and our circumstances. And each phase is characterized by changes in how we view and experience life in a combined psychological, emotional and intellectual sense. The four phases are: 1. Midlife Reevaluation/Quest Phase 2. Liberation Phase (Formerly called Retirement) 3. Late-life Summing-Up Phase 4. The Encore Phase If we look beyond age markers for the Retirement of Liberation phase and search, instead, for the underlying developmental phase here, we find that it is defined by a kind of personal liberation combined with life experience that lifts inhibitions and gives us the courage to ignore social conventions that restrict our creative expression. In this Liberation phase creative endeavors are shaped with the added energy of a new degree of personal freedom that comes both psychologically from within us and externally through retirement. Our creative juices may be mobilized by the thought "If not now, when?" People tend to feel pretty comfortable about themselves at this time , knowing that if they should make a mistake it won't undo the image others have of them, and more importantly, it won't undo the image they have of themselves. This psychological and emotional understanding provides a new context for experimentation, and retirement often provides a new feeling of finally having free time to try something new. Both these inner and outer elements are liberating and additive. This new sense of available Time and personal Liberty in later life, combined with significant life experience, produces new feelings of freedom, courage, and confidence commonly described by men and women of advanced age. Here, too, contrary to negative stereotypes, the feeling of being more free allows older individuals to experiment, to take a risk, to try something new. Most of us, as we head into our sixties, have become more comfortable with who we are. If we make a mistake while trying something new, it doesn't shatter our self-image. So while someone in his twenties may not dare to take an art class for fear of looking incompetent, doing something unfamiliar, a person in his forties or beyond will be much less concerned with appearances, and more interested in experimenting with new ways to learn. Cohen's research underscores the adventurous nature of adults in this liberated phase of development. His investigations show that older adults who are not handicapped by extenuating circumstances such as poor health or financial constraints--are just as venturesome as their younger counterparts. This greater freedom and courage helps explain why throughout history so many older adults in their late sixties, seventies or beyond have assumed the role of shapers and shakers of society. One thinks of Socrates, Copernicus, Titian, Montaigne,Goethe, Rembrandt, Newton, Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Simone de Beauvoir, May Sarton, Eleanor Roosevelt, as people who rose to greatness in their later years. In the advancing years of late life, in what Cohen calls the Encore Stage, there is a desire--a developmental urgency, really--to affirm life in a number of ways. It might be through completing a creative work,or the resolution of a longstanding problem, a statement waiting to be said, or the right thing to do that had been on hold for years. The encore phenomenon taps the inner pressure that many feel to do or say something before it's too late. The phrase applies strongly to the field of music, reminding us of how many noted musical achievements have come late or at the end of a musicain's or composer's career or life cycle--like the late works of Verdi, Liszt, and Stravinsky. This is the time of advancing age, in which creative expression is shaped by the desire to make strong, lasting contributions on a personal or community level, to affirm life, take care of unfinished business, and celebrate one's own contribution. This phase typically occurs among those in their eighties or older. The multidisciplinary Dr. Cohen cites some fascinating biological studies of the the brain that reveal that between one's early fifties and late seventies there is actually an increase in both the number and length of branches from individual brain cells in different parts of the brain involved with higher intellectual functioning (Cohen,p.79) These branching changes compensate for brain cell loss that can occur over time. They also and give further evidence of the platicity or modifiabilty of the brain as it ages. Something even more interesting about these neuro-biological findings is that they directly correspond timewise to the unfolding of the above human potential phases pointing to a possible biological connection to the changes in human development in the second half of life. These human potential phases combine elements of age-based developmental stages as described by Erikson with the greater fluidity of life transitions that we experience today. Sometimes we might experience a phase in sync with others our age, but not always, the age of occurrence varies. Sometimes they co-exist, intersect, even synergize or combine in a way that adds even greater energy to the mix. The significance of these human potential phases is that they set the state for a new creative thrust at different points in our lives. Our awareness of these phases can help close the gap between recognizing our potential and acutually harnessing it. Knowing that the natural course of development can bring us closer to tapping our creative potential at different times can provide a much needed measure of confidence or faith which we sometimes need to begin, change or energize our creative efforts. I have only scratched the surface of this book, but this summary should be sufficient to indicate its importance. I recommend that everyone interested in new discoveries about human behavior,creativity and longevity read it.-John-Raphael Staude, Ph.D. [e-mail]

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gift to midlifers!, May 24, 2005

By 

Toni Tarango "Midlife Midwife" (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential In The Second Half Of Life (Hardcover)

If ever there was any question about our ability to make meaningful contributions at midlife, this book will dispell all doubt! I found the continual notes (on the outer edges of the pages) encouraging, as they documented the multiple contributions made by individuals of "advanced" years. This is absolutely exciting, and gives me hope for the future!