Creative Aging: Stimulating Creativity in Middle and Late Adulthood

Introduction To Middle Adulthood

Middle adulthood, which may also be referred to as mature adulthood, is a time in an individual’s life that occurs between early adulthood and old age. In terms of age, an individual is in the middle adulthood stage of life between the ages of 40 and 60. Developmentally, individuals in the middle adulthood phase have opportunities to engage in creativity in ways they never have before. These opportunities are especially evident from Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development (McAdams, 1998). In addition to developmental theories, there are many other factors that may contribute to the stimulation of creativity throughout middle adulthood. Aspects of an individual’s emotional state, cognition, as well as sociocultural and environmental surroundings can greatly influence how creativity plays a role in this stage of life (Feldman & Benjamin, 2006; Maksić & Pavlović, 2011). These elements can be identified through examining intelligence theories, including the theories of Howard Gardner (2000) and Joy Paul Guilford (1967). By being actively engaged in creativity throughout middle adulthood, an individual may be able to achieve successful aging (Flood & Sharer, 2006).