Welcome to my site!!
You can tell this is about my book, Aging Artfully: 12
Profiles of Visual and Performing Women Artists 85-105, from
the title. It's also about promoting positive healthy aging for the general public, and for advocating involvement with the creative arts in retirement years. It's never too late to start something new...for
longevity sake. I hope you enjoy reading, that you learn something, and revisit frequently.
The women I interviewed for this project are inspirational! They demonstrate optimism. Whether you call it healthy aging, creative aging, aging gracefully, successful aging or just plain aging well, the women artists in the book, Aging
Artfully: 12 Profiles of Visual and Performing Women Artists 85-105, which
includes CD by Frances Kandl entitled, 7 Songs of Women's Lives,and Greg
Young's accompanying DVD, Still Kicking, are exemplary role models --- whether you are in retirement or not yet!
51% of women live alone, according to the New York Times in 2007. With increased longevity, Boomers now have many years to create their retirement years and age gracefully. I focus on women, and women artists aging artfully.
The good news is that brain scientists are saying that although we cannot really defy aging, we do continue to develop our brain cells forever. That means we continue learning in retirement, and as we prepare for retirement. We especially like to learn new things, challenging and creative ones. This is indeed good news for healthy aging with optimism! Find something that you can wake up each morning and do, and find that inspiration that leads to aging gracefully.
Aging Artfully: 12 Profiles of Visual and Performing Women Artists 85-105 wins a Bronze Medal from the 2007 Independent Publishing Book Awards (IPPYS), in the category of Women's Issues. This is indeed an honor. A total of 2,690 entries came from all 50 US states, 8 Canadian provinces, and 17 additional countries. In the process of interviewing many artistic women over 85, I met Greg Young( http://(www.goldenbearcasting.com). Young, a Boomer just in retirement from UC Berkeley, had recently finished a documentary of (the inspirational) Mary Beth Washington, a storyteller on the Aging Artfully cover. He was ready for his next film and what emerged is "Still Kicking," which follows 6 of the 12 women in the book, all over 90. "I never expected the film to move me so much", is one comment of a viewer. The film to date has screened in 12 International Film Festivals.
I hope you enjoy perusing what's on this site and the Still Kicking site. Call or e-mail me with any comments, suggestions or questions.
Recently I gave a presentation to Boomers and others in retirement, and during the discussion one woman near the front piped up. "I'm 95," she said, "and I'm a painter but I can no longer paint with my right hand. That's not going to stop me. I started painting with my left hand."
It's that kind of spirit I found in all the women I interviewed. Inspiration, Optimism, Creativity. Resilience. When there's an obstacle, these role models find a way around it. The women artists demonstrate for Boomers and the rest of us, that there are ways to find inspiration in aging gracefully, aging positively, aging creatively,healthy aging.
I am giving presentations and showing the film at workshops and events all over the country. Please contact me if you are interested.
Contact Info: Phone: 510-527-4977
FAX : 801-527-4973
amy gorman@agingartfully.com
| Graceful Aging |
|---|
|
|
