Reframing creativity in older adulthood

Creativity can be a transformational power for individuals (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Individuals at different developmental stages may frame and reframe creativity in a unique perspective. This chapter will examine how creativity can be reframed in older adulthood with a lifespan developmental perspective by integrating Kaufman and Beghetto’s (2009) Four C Model of Creativity and Glaveanu’s (2012) relational theory of creativity with Baltes and Baltes’s (1999) Selection, Optimization and Compensation theory in aging literature. The relational theory is rooted in the socio-cultural perspective and the interactions among individuals in society. This chapter reports three studies on older adults in Hong Kong. The first study is a lifespan study on mini-c creativity in individuals from four age groups, namely emerging adulthood, adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. The second study is a randomized controlled trial on gains in little-c creativity of healthy older adults living in the community. And the third study is a correlational study on how participation in creative and cultural activities is related to quality of life and creative self-efficacy in healthy older adults. The findings of the above three studies support the contention that mini-c and little-c creativity can be cultivated in later life. Creativity may be a type of psychological capital and character strength, and developing it may contribute to successful aging.