The Creative Brain Across the Ages
As it turns out, creativity is a complex cognitive function. I would think by now that you would be getting the picture that our brain is a very complex organ. So all brain functions really are impressively complex. We don’t see creativity as a complex function but rather as being creative or not being creative. Creativity encompasses elements of emotion, planning and sensory perception. Linguistic, graphic and motor skills are also part of the creative process.
These functions occur in many different regions of the brain. The frontal lobes are responsible for higher order skills, like planning a series of actions, the organization of a composition, motivation and the drive to produce. Sensory perception involves many parts of the brain: touch is in the parietal lobes, vision in the occipital lobes, hearing, taste and smell are in the temporal lobes. Creativity generates from every part of the brain. As we look at the effect of aging on the creative process we need to be mindful of the cognitive process in the whole brain.
Now to get a little science geeky here – let’s look at the parts of the brain involved in imagination. Imaging indicates that there is a broad range of brain areas working in the imagination task – and, they work in concert (amazing!). Manipulating the images involved a network of four core brain areas: the occipital cortex, the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), the posterior precuneus and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (shew). These areas are involved in visual processing, attention and executive function. Of course there were several other areas that were active during this mental task. This finding suggests that the brain’s mental workspace encompasses a more extended network.
Now what happens to our ability to be creative, in any capacity, as we get older? We experience cognitive decline as we age. But there seems to be an unlikely resemblance between the creative brain and the aging brain. The aging brain is more distracted and less inhibited than the younger brain – much like the creative brain. Crystallized intelligence increases as we age and creative brains use crystallized intelligence to make novel and unique associations. These changes relate to great news for aging brains. We are uniquely suited to pursue endeavors in a number of creative domains. So as we go into retirement, instead of retiring our brain function, we can transition into fields where we can preserve our wisdom through art, music and writing.
Psychologist Lynn Hasher and her research group at the University of Toronto found that older adults are more distractible (hallmark of aging). But they found that this older distractible group were better able to solve problems later in the study. The aging brain is characterized by a broadening focus of attention. (I like this better than stating that they had a decline in focus and attention). This widen scope of attention allowed the participants to have many different bits of information in mind at the same time. It turns out that combining remote pieces of information is the hallmark of a creative idea.
Here is another negative turned into a positive for the aging brain. Studies have indicated that certain areas of the prefrontal cortex involved in self-conscious awareness are thinner in the aging brain. “This may correlate with the diminished need to please and impress others, which is a notable characteristic of both aging individuals and creative luminaries. Both older individuals and creative types are more willing to speak their minds and disregard social expectations than their younger, more conventional counterparts.” (Psychology Today, 2009)
The benefit of crystallized intelligence increasing throughout the older years allows individuals to have access to an increasing store of knowledge gained over a lifetime of learning and experience. Taking that knowledge and combining it with novel ideas is what the creative brain is all about.
There are numerous seniors who are making their mark in the creative arena. Consider this: Millard Kaufman wrote his first novel, the hit book Bowl of Cherries, at age 90. 93-year-old Lorna Page caused waves in Britain with her first novel A Dangerous Weakness. Following in the footsteps of Grandma Moses (who did not take up painting until her 70’s), former patent attorney John Root Hopkins turned to art in his 70’s and had a showing of his work in the American Visionary Art Museum at age 73. Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocal lens at the age of 78, Thomas Hardy published a book of lyric poetry at age 85, Frank Lloyd Wright completed the design of the Guggenheim Museum in New York at 92, and Giuseppe Verdi wrote Falstaff, possibly his most acclaimed opera, at the age of 85. (Psychology Today, 2009)
So it seems, that our productive lives are not over when we retire. It could be that we are embarking on the most important phase of our lives. Our brains are primed for creativity. Engaging in these pursuits keeps our brain functioning at a higher level. We have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in a creative activity that could make a difference to next generations. What an excellent way to share the message of our wisdom with generations to follow.
Creativity. (2016). UCSF Memory and Aging Center. Retrieved March 6, 2016 from http://memory.ucsf.edu/print/brain/art/creativity
Creativity and the Aging Brain. (March, 2009). Psychology Today. Retrieved March 6, 2016 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-art/200909/creativity-and-the-aging-brain
Lewis,T. The roots of creativity found in the brain. Retrieved March 6, 2016 from http://www.livescience.com/39671-roots-of-creativity-found-in-brain.html
McKinney,P. (August 7, 2013). Personal creativity and the aging brain. Phil McKinney. Retrieved March 6, 2016 from http://philmckinney.com/archives/2013/08/personal-creativity-and-the-aging-brain.html