Creativity often feels elusive, especially as you grow older and life becomes more structured. This video explores the science and experience of staying creative later in life and questions whether breaking into a new field, like photography, is truly possible at any age.
Coming to you from Ari Jaaksi of Shoot on Film, this reflective video delves into the intersection of creativity, aging, and personal growth. Jaaksi, a lifelong software professional, began taking photography seriously only six years ago, prompting him to investigate whether it’s possible to foster creativity in a new discipline later in life. He cites studies suggesting that creativity peaks around age 30 and declines thereafter. Some researchers attribute this to physiological changes in the brain, while others argue that accumulated skills and knowledge can offset those declines, even enhancing creativity as we age. This idea offers hope to those exploring new creative outlets later in life.
Jaaksi proposes a compelling hypothesis: it’s not biology but social structures that suppress creativity as we age. In youth, you’re encouraged to experiment, try new things, and explore your identity. College, new relationships, and early career exploration foster an environment ripe for creativity. As you grow older, however, societal expectations shift. Responsibilities like paying bills, maintaining a career, and supporting a family can stifle the freedom to experiment and pursue new ideas. This shift, Jaaksi suggests, may be the main reason for a perceived decline in creativity.
The video also explores how to counteract these societal pressures. Jaaksi recommends explicitly rejecting structures that discourage creativity. Surrounding yourself with supportive networks and giving yourself permission to defy expectations can be transformative. He shares his own journey of navigating two vastly different fields—software and photography—and how his professional network in the former contrasts with the lack of one in the latter. Building a network in a new field, he explains, requires leveraging life experience but also embracing a sense of urgency. For Jaaksi, this effort is both a challenge and a creative act in itself.
Another approach Jaaksi considers is to embrace creativity for its own sake. He references Vivian Maier, a photographer who kept her work private, focusing solely on her creative process rather than public recognition. This perspective reframes creativity as a deeply personal journey, unbound by external validation or social expectations. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jaaksi.
Coming up on 45 years since photography became part of my lifestyle along with a good portion of my income, if I had to do it again wouldn't change a thing, As I close in on full retirement making a interesting transition with plenty of time to pursue other photographic avenues. Choosing photojournalism which fits my lifestyle but without the advantage of a formal education I set the bar high and worked every aspect of photography and wow did it pay off. The interesting part of the final years of my photographic career is the transformation of producing images with sometimes very strict guidelines for clients to images without any restrictions or content to my liking,
The transition is far easier that I expected partly due to my photojournalism background which at times you find your self testing the limits of your equipment under less than ideal conditions keep in mind I live in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Lifting the restrictions along with the more free time to slow down behind the camera is really what was needed to transform my work from the photojourlnist to more artistic style.
One of the best learning experiences recently was becoming a photo guide, never ever thinking about the vast knowledge that comes with 45 years of experience until your helping others sharpen their skills it is amazing how easy it is to recall information that you forgot you had.
Back to the question "can you stay creative Later in life?" BY ALL MEANS!