Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: What is Aging, After All?

1. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall:What is Aging, After All? Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D. Director, Center on Aging, Health & Humanities, GWU www.gwumc.edu/cahh

2. Creative Potential and Psychological Growth with Aging: Positive Changes Because of Aging, Not Despite It

3. Brain Plasticity & AgingThe Dance Between Nature and Nuture

4. Definition of Creativity “Bringing something new into existence” Rollo May in The Courage to Create Bringing something new into existence that is valued.

5. Types of Creativity • Creativity with a “BIG C” vs. Creativity with a “little c” • Personal vs. Public Creativity • Social Creativity

6. Categories of Creativity • Continuing Creativity with Aging • Changing Creativity with Aging • Commencing Creativity with Aging • Creativity in Connection with Loss

7. Pragmatic Creativity The New Senior Moment Practical Intelligence Increases with aging. It is further influenced by Psychological growth— e.g., the Liberation Phase.

8. Maria Ann Smith In 19th Century Australia

9. William Edmondson At 65, he had the inspiration to carve.

10. William Edmondson At 67, in 1937, Edmondson had the first solo exhibit by a Black artist in the history of the MOMA.

11. Irving Dominickat the National MuseumOf American Art

12. Human Potential PhasesPsychological Growth and Developmentin the Second Half of Life I. Reevaluation/Exploration/Transition Midlife Reevaluation Phase•(±40 – ±65) ------------------ II. Liberation/Experimentation/Innovation Liberation Phase • (±55 – ±75 ) ------------------ III. Recapitulation/Resolution/Contribution Summing Up Phase • (late 60s — ±90) ------------------ IV. Reflection/Continuation/Celebration Encore Phase • (late 70s on)

13. Postformal Thought 1. Relativistic Thinking: the role of subjective perspective and integrating the heart and the mind 2. Dialectic Thinking: dealing with opposing views and dealing competing solutions 3. Systematic Thinking: ability to think from a systems perspective

14. SimultaneousBilateral Brain Involvement HAROLD MODEL: Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults:

15. 19th Century Naturalistdrawing upon postformal reasoning From 22 to 27, he traveled the world collecting thousands of plant and animal specimens and recording his observations in dozens of notebooks. But he struggled for 23 years to see the bigger picture, finally piecing the puzzle together in his classic publication at age 50—On the Origin of Species.

16. With Aging, Art is Like Chocolate to the Brain

17. Emotions & AgingChanges in the Amygdala and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Favoring of positive emotions with aging by the amygdala Emotional stability, via controlling negative emotions, is governed by the medial prefrontal cortex, and improves until nearly age 80.

18. Georgia O’KeeffeSKY ABOVE CLOUDS

19. Famous Figure of London, 1843 It was said at the time that "the cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice.”

20. Outcomesfrom Assistingthe old Benefits to the young and to the community

21. Developmental Intelligence…Shows Itself as Wisdom

22. A New View of AgingPostulating That The Whole IsGreater Than the Sum Of Its Parts Sitting down, I’m fine, and if necessary, I’ll become a lie down comic.

23. AESOP’S FABLES The Old Tortoiseand the Young Hare Positive Capacity of Aging Brain

24. A New View of Aging,Postulating That The Whole IsGreater Than the Sum Of Its Parts

25. Yoda and a Jedi Colleague