Visual/Performing Artists Health Issues Conference - April 14 in Connecticut

The International Centre for Creativity and Imagination is pleased to be one of more than 100 arts, health, educational and advocacy organizations co-sponsoring the Artists in Transition conference on April 11, 2010, in Danbury, Connecticut. Additional co-sponsors include Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation, Actors Fund of America, Chamber Music America, and Merce Cunningham Foundation, among others. Steven Dahlberg will be leading a session (I-9) on "Creative Thinking, Aging and Living: Engaging our Strengths, Living our Purpose." This session will take participants on a journey through creativity, more specifically the creative thinking process, which engages our strengths and purpose. You will explore insights about positivity, strengths, adaptability, and neuroscience in tapping into and harnessing one's creativity in living more meaningful lives.

[1 March 2010 - Artists in Transition] Artists in Transition -- an organization that works with artists and performers facing physical and/or mental health issues that affect their ability to create or perform -- is having its inaugural conference on Sunday, April 11, 2010, from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut, USA. The conference is being co-sponsored by more than 100 local, state and national arts, health, educational and advocacy organizations.

Inspiring architect/sculptor Tom Luckey will keynote the event and awesome musical entertainment will be provided by Our Time Theatre. There will be outstanding networking opportunities and 15 information-packed breakout sessions on diverse subjects such as healthcare, maximizing employment potential, grant writing, creativity and purpose, etc. Speakers will include artists and performers who themselves are dealing with health and disability issues and making their art and lives a creative force.

Sign up now to be part of this informational and inspirational event. Check out the event Web site for complete conference and registration information (REGISTRATION CLOSES MARCH 13).

• Breakout Descriptions
• Registration Information

Creativity and Aging White Paper Released by Americans for the Arts; Authored by Steven Dahlberg

[6 March 2008 - Americans for the Arts] Americans for the Arts has just released a white paper on creativity and aging, "Think and Be Heard: Creativity, Aging and Community Engagement" (PDF). Steven Dahlberg, head of the International Centre for Creativity and Imagination, wrote this report as a follow up to the 2007 National Arts Forum Series, which is supported by the MetLife Foundation. "Arts and aging is neither just about art, nor just about aging. Rather, it is about creativity and positive engagement -- that is, creativity as both a goal and a process for shaping the self and society. ... It is through such creative thinking and self-expression that people connect with others and shape the world. Such a work of art is a lifelong process," writes Dahlberg who is also a partner in Elder Care Expos, LLC. Please distribute and share this white paper -- and share your comments following this post.

Creativity can blossom during Third Age

[15 January 2007 - Columbia Daily Tribune] As we begin to ripen into our Third Age, we might want to keep these words, spoken by that great American artist Georgia O’Keeffe, in mind: "I said to myself, I have things in my head that are not like what anyone has taught me - shapes and ideas so near to me, so natural to my way of being and thinking that it hasn’t occurred to me to put them down. I decided to start anew, to strip away what I had been taught." Her decision to trust herself and her instincts and personal outlook was her creative urge speaking to her. We all have this capacity to present ourselves to the world as a separate and individual human being, but it often takes the confidence and pure nerve that finally rises again in our Third Age. As we develop our own way of mature personal exploration and development, our creativity often makes itself known. It is a type of intelligence that I personally believe everyone has left in him or her from childhood but gets put aside to meet the demands the world makes as we move into our adult years. More

Help Wanted: Government Seeks Retiring Baby Boomers

[14 January 2007 - Fox News] The federal government is targeting millions of retiring baby boomers to replace the estimated one-half of their colleagues eligible to retire from federal service in the next few years, according to the Partnership for Public Service, an advocacy organization for federal careers. Maryland retirees, in particular, are prime candidates for the second career push because of their proximity to the many federal agencies with homes in both Washington and Maryland. "The government is resource-challenged right now," said John Emens, a federally employed, second-career, baby boomer who spent 22 years living and working in Maryland. "Huge amounts of money are going to homeland security and the Iraq war. If I'm interviewing someone from Laurel and someone from Louisiana, and I can't offer a relocation package, the person from Laurel has the advantage." More than 112,000 federal employees work in Maryland for 41 different federal agencies, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. This makes up 6 percent of the total federal workforce. The Department of Health and Human Resources tops the list for the most federal workers employed in the state. The Partnership for Public Service announced its campaign earlier this week to educate retirees about the opportunities available at the federal level. More

Most boomers plan to keep rockin’ -- and not in a chair

[14 January 2007 - The Columbus Dispatch] "Leading-edge" boomers — those who turned 60 last year — are dreaming about retirement. But don’t expect to see the Forever Young Generation on the shuffleboard courts anytime soon: The transition that boomers envision looks different from that of their parents. More individuals are choosing a post-retirement career jump or new business ventures, or skipping retirement altogether, research shows. More baby boomers are seeing retirement as a lifestyle change and a new opportunity rather than the conclusion of a career, and nearly 70 percent report that they expect to continue working into their retirement years, according to AARP surveys. ... "Every eight seconds, another boomer turns 60 and starts contemplating the days ahead," Scott said. "That’s 11,000 individuals daily, 4.5 million a year. They’re living longer, healthier lives. They came of age on sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. They’ve redefined every stage of life so far. Are they going to pick up golf clubs like dad or granddad? I don’t think so. Only 17 percent say they want a ‘typical’ retirement." But figuring out what to do with the rest of your life can be challenging. To help make the best choices, soon-to-be retirees are turning to retirement coaches, self-help groups and even retreats for inspiration. More

Workers Crave 'Meaning'

[10 January 2007 - TrainingZone - UK] Interviews with over 10,000 workers in the last five years show that companies who fail to create meaning for employees risk business failure, according to corporate psychologists YSC. The consultancy says that its results show that people do not want to just work in a business that is successful, but want to feel engaged in something worthwhile and that they can make a difference. “People spend up to one third of their waking lives in the workplace, so asking the fundamental question of what they get out of that time is important,” said Gurnek Bains, CEO of YSC. More

This raises the issue of how to engage employees in meaningful activity -- which both gives the individual employee the opportunity to do purposeful work, as well contributes to the organization's bottom-line results. The topic of "meaningful work" is also relevant for older workers who are nearing retirement, as well as for those who have left their full-time work but want to stay engaged in some kind of meaningful activity. -- Steve Dahlberg