Creativity has no age limit

By ADELE WOODYARD
Published March 27, 2007

BY ADELE WOODYARD

Anna Mary Moses, a widow living in upstate New York, was in her 70s when she resurrected an early interest in art. By the time she died at age 101, "Grandma" Moses had created more than 1,600 folk art paintings.

The creative spirit moves untold numbers of us largely due to its emotional reward, says Dr. Gene D. Cohen, director of the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University.

Cohen adds that whether it is a public performance or something more personal that you bring about, even down to successfully following a new recipe, there is satisfaction. And research shows that creativity plays an important role in healthy aging.

For some people, embracing creativity has come later in life, but for others who have more time in retirement, it is a renewed endeavor.

Whatever the circumstance, in Tampa Bay there are many chances to learn, practice and perform.

The craft of writing, for instance, is popular enough that there are about 20 groups devoted to it locally. One, the Tarpon Springs Library Writers' Group, has been around since the 1970s.

Whether published or still striving, members gather once a week to critique each other's work. Most members are older than 50.

"There's a book in every person," says former moderator David Edmonds, 68, who has authored, edited or ghostwritten nine books. "Perhaps (it's) an autobiography, a war memoir, a cookbook. Write it."

Adds the retired professor of economics at St. Petersburg College, "Even if (your book) is never published by a commercial press, it will add to the common knowledge about place, event or period that might otherwise be lost to future generations."

Some of this group's members, such as co-founder Louise Bergstrom, 92, have been writing for decades. From 1963 to 1991, she wrote 28 mystery novels for Avalon Books.

At 82, member Howard Jones is working on his fifth book. He sold his first story as a sophomore in journalism school but says he "learns constantly from the group - what to do and not do to create a good piece."

A 'marvelous' outlet

For many in this group, writing is a long-held desire that finally reached the "why not now?" stage. For instance, artist Sali Dalton, 75, is writing a memoir of her 20 years in Africa.

Another favorite pastime is painting. Typical of those who take up a creative pursuit after they have stopped working is 86-year-old Sarah Brandt of New Port Richey.

"I started painting when I retired 18 years ago," says Brandt, whose watercolors have won a number of ribbons at area shows.

"For somebody to be retired and wondering what to do . . . it's marvelous to find this outlet."

Now a member of the West Pasco Art Guild, she previously spent many years with the Dunedin Fine Art Center.

One of her colleagues in the 40-year-old West Pasco guild, Marian Heinlein, has been painting watercolors for 55 years. Heinlein, 79, has exhibited here and in her home state of Michigan.

Learning new skills

Still other creative seniors pursue more than one outlet. Native Floridian Valda Robinson, 78, a retired psychologist, last year added dancing to her essay and poetry writing.

Robinson said she thought she was too old to take up tap dancing but yielded to the encouragement of her husband, a retired professional dancer. She joined Kyle White's tap dancing class at Tampa's Patel Conservatory.

Now, says Robinson, "We practice 1 1/2 hours once a week, and I love it better than my writing and my poetry. When you're dancing, you're really living."

That's why 77-year-old Alphaeus "Alphie" Bolah joins at least 10 others for weekly classes at the Life Enrichment Center in Tampa. They practice Forever Moving dances, which "is turning story into gestures," explains Bolah, a native of Grenada.

This group of dancers has joined with those from other studios to perform at the University of South Florida and at hospices, Bolah said, adding: "We need more men. I'm the only one in the group."

His class is among many taught to older students at the center. Instructor James Vann, who says he is "60ish," has been teaching landscape painting with acrylics for three years, after 20 years teaching drawing for the New York Department of Corrections.

Hundreds of quartets

Performing musically is one of those skills often carried through life. There are a few bands in the area primarily composed of retirees, but singing groups are more common.

And here, one development mirrors the growing equality of women that largely came about after WWII.

Until 1945, singing quartets were considered a male domain - barbershop quartets. But in 1945, Sweet Adelines International was founded to promote women singing four-part harmony.

There are now more than 600 regional choruses, and about 1,200 quartets, affiliated with the Adelines.

One local chapter is the Suncoast Harmony Chorus, which meets in New Port Richey. Recently gathered on four risers in the Gulf High School music room were 38 women.

Under the direction of the school choral director, Amy Riddle, the women rehearsed the Beatles' When I'm 64 - with a few in the chorus switching that number to 94, to chuckles.

"I joined Sweet Adelines about 10 years ago," says Barbara Friden, 59, of Tampa. "I've always loved to sing but had not done any since I was in a high school chorus."

Friden said that some Harmony Chorus members are also in church choirs, but others are "amateurs" like herself. "Since I've been in Sweet Adelines, my voice has improved tremendously because of the education."

Within the Harmony Chorus are several quartets, and they often are hired to perform on Valentine's Day.

"We show up at people's houses, business, restaurants," says Harmony Chorus president Cathy Moore, " to give them two songs, a rose and a card."

Tampa's Sweet Adelines chapter is named the Toast of Tampa. The group numbers between 120 and 135 and has performed with Skitch Henderson and the Florida Orchestra in its pops series.

Writing, painting, dancing singing - all common enough. But playing the harmonica? Yes, there's even a group that celebrates that tiny instrument.

The average age of the Gulfport Senior Citizens Harmonica Club is 79. The group was formed in 1994 by Eric Carlson, then 92.

Club leader Leo J. Perry says the 35 members rehearse at the Gulfport Senior Center. Through 2006, the harmonica club had performed more than 500 times, from St. Petersburg's Mahaffey Theater to the Tampa Airport Hilton Hotel.

Fees this group earns are donated to All Children's Hospital and to the senior center.

Seniors consistently engaged in such creative activities have better mental and physical health, according to the National Endowment for the Arts.

Research shows that people who use creativity to "challenge the mind" have fewer falls, take less medication and suffer less loneliness and depression.

And then, there's the applause . . .

Arts groups

The following groups meet or rehearse at the locations noted:

PINELLAS COUNTY

Pinellas Authors & Writers Organization

Highland Recreation Complex, 400 N Highland Ave., Largo; (727) 345-3376.

St. Petersburg Writers Club

West St. Petersburg Community Library at St. Petersburg College. Call Barbara Harrington, (727) 572-6345.

Tarpon Springs Library Writers Group

138 E Lemon St.; call David Edmonds, (727) 942-9540; www.TampaOne.com/writers.

Pinellas Chapter, Florida Writers Association

St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 Ninth Ave. N, (727) 893-7724.

East Lake Community Library Writers Critique Group

4125 East Lake Road, (727) 773-2665.

Gulfport Creative Writers

Gulfport Library, 5501 27th Ave. S; call Kitty Smith, (727) 893-1075.

Palm Harbor Library Life Writers Group

2330 Nebraska Ave., (727) 784-3332.

Gulfport Writers' Workshop

Senior Center, 5501 27th Ave. S.; call Marilyn Ellsworth, (727) 323-1871.

Poets Live!

Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Drive, (727) 587-6715.

Bay Area Professional Writers Guild

Panera Bread Co., Bardmoor Shopping Center, Largo; (727) 363-7531, www.bapwg.org.

Gulfport Senior Citizens Harmonica Club

Senior Center, 5501 27th Ave. S.; (727) 573-7796.

Sweet Adelines Gulf to Bay Chorus, Clearwater; (727) 725-7464.

Dunedin Fine Art Center

1143 Michigan Blvd.; (727) 298-3322.

The Arts Center

719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; (727) 822-7872

The Beach Art Center

1515 Bay Palm Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach; (727) 596-4331.

Suntan Art Center

3300 Pass-a-Grille Way, St. Pete Beach; ( 727) 363-2144.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Tampa Writers Alliance

John F. Germany Library, 900 Ashley St.; call Sandra Kischuk, (813) 935-7760.

Tampa Chapter, Florida Writers Association

Barnes & Noble, N Dale Mabry; call Eugene Orlando, (813) 657-2636.

Brandon/Valrico Chapter, Florida Writers Association

Call Eugene Orlando, (813) 657-2636.

Kyle White School of Tap Dancing

Patel Conservatory, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa; (813) 222-1000.

Life Enrichment Center

9704 N Boulevard, Tampa; (813) 932-0241; www.lifeenrichmenttampa.org

Sweet Adelines International, Toast of Tampa

Call (813) 963-7464.

PASCO COUNTY

Pasco Artists and Writers Organization

Pasco Arts Council and Center, 5744 Moog Road, Holiday; call Dan, (727) 372-1742.

Pasco/New Port Richey Chapter, Florida Writers Association

New Port Richey Public Library, 5939 Main St.; call Dahris, (727) 847-2023.

Sweet Adeline Suncoast Harmony Chorus

Call Cathy Moore, (727) 738-9164; www.sweetadelineintl.org.

West Pasco Art Guild Inc.

6206 Jefferson St., New Port Richey; (727) 841-7732.

For more information

Many senior centers offer classes in dancing, art and/or creative writing. Commercial studios can be found in the Yellow Pages.

- Center on Aging, Health & Humanities; (202) 467-2226; www.gwumc.edu/cahh.

- American Society on Aging; (415) 974-9600; www.asaging.org.

Further reading

The Creative Age; Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life; Gene D. Cohen, Avon Books.

[Last modified April 4, 2007, 09:08:12]