Articles like this give me hope that my best writing years may not be behind me.
Prevailing wisdom about the role creativity plays in aging is that it can help slow down the process of mental decline, memory loss, and brain-related health issues such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. But there is now a growing body of evidence that the aging brain may be more creative and capable of innovation than younger brains.
Maybe it’s premature of me to be thinking about this now. I am 54, which is supposedly the new 41-and-a-half or whatever the Age of the Moment is at the moment. But I got into this game so much later than other writers I know that I still feel like a newb at times. I’M STILL A KID, DAMMIT. Except that I’m not. I’ve crossed the border into the land of interesting medical tests, creaky knees, and AARP. I’ve heard that writing productivity can slow starting at age 60, and the gulf between 54 and 60 is not quite as wide as I would like it to be. I’m a slow enough writer as it is–I don’t want to get even slower. Worse yet, I don’t want to lose the ability to, well, make shit up. I want the idea furnace to continue to burn hot.
My mom lived to 87. I would love to still be writing at 87. Even if I have to tell the voices in my head to speak up.
(h/t to The Passive Guy)