Aging creatively

As a culture geek, there's nothing I like more than two major cultural trends intersecting.  Well today there's an interesting article in The New York Times (registration required) about the combination of two of the biggest right now: the aging and retirement of the western world's post-war boom generation, and the rise of the creative class.  Retirement residences have started to open billed as "artists' colonies for seniors."  The bulk of the article profiles one in California with a digital editing suite, painting studios, drama classes, a theatre, and inspiration rooms that are open 24-hours a day.

The best part is that being creatively active has been shown to improve the health outcomes for people as they age - less medication, less depression.

We talk a lot about the rise of creativity as a cultural force today, but we so often think about it as a virtue of the young.  But as this story, and things like geriatric1927 and other older people emerging on YouTube shows, it's not.  I love stuff like this - challenges the conventional wisdom on what we all think aging means.