In a community like Addington Place of Muscatine, seniors have an unprecedented level of free time. Without work or raising a family occupying their days, Muscatine, IA, seniors are left wondering how to spend their retirement. Creative hobbies are the perfect way to enjoy retirement while keeping the brain sharp and working towards satisfying achievements.
It takes time to develop creative skills like producing art or making music, but now seniors have plenty of time to learn these skills. In addition to bringing great fun and providing satisfying milestones, according to Elizabeth A Quinn, engaging in creative hobbies can also reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
First, let's look at visual art. While many seniors have never picked up a paintbrush or sketchpad in their adult life, many like to try their hand at painting or sketching in retirement. A big reason is the accessibility of these hobbies.
To get started with drawing, all you need are some suitable pencils and a sketchpad. It's even possible to create great art with nothing but a ballpoint pen and some cheap paper. You can also take it more seriously by learning oil painting, which requires specialist paints, brushes, and canvases.
Visual art suits all kinds of personalities. For those who want to focus on developing a craft and refining techniques, painting landscapes in the style of Bob Ross could become a new retirement passion.
These senior artists might focus on accurate re-creation over self-expression, with an emphasis on learning the mechanics of the pen and how it interacts with the canvas, gradually mastering the techniques.
Others might prefer a more personal, human-centered approach instead of painting landscapes. They might focus on creating portraits of loved ones and working towards authentic depictions of important people in their lives.
For seniors who care more about emotional expression and catharsis, abstract art might be more suitable, where the goal is to express oneself in the moment and let feelings and intuitions guide the artistic process.
For long-term satisfaction, painting landscapes makes sense, but for seniors dealing with depression or anxiety, abstract self-expression might be more suitable. The great thing about learning these art forms is that your limitations and difficulties define you as an artist.
For example, poor eyesight is not a barrier; According to Nature.com, Vincent van Gogh may have had an eye condition that caused him to see colors differently.
If visual art isn't your thing, consider creative learning through music. Music is always popular in senior living communities because of the sense of nostalgia it invokes. It's incredibly satisfying to play music with your own hands on an instrument like the guitar or piano to invoke that happiness.
Learning to play an instrument can be a rewarding personal challenge and also a social experience. Most music involves different players and singers coming together to create something catchy and melodic.
For people who spent their working lives closely with a team, you might miss that sense of camaraderie and connection in retirement. Learning to play music with fellow seniors can be a great way to rekindle that sense of collaboration and connection.
A simple blues jam session could inspire hours of creative fun. To successfully play a 12-bar blues, all you need to do is learn a few chords and put them together in a progression. Then you can take turns improvising solos over the top.
Or if you prefer, you can take the time to learn specific songs and try performing cover versions.
The best way to learn a new skill in retirement is through a senior living community workshop. At Addington Place of Muscatine, there are community events where everyone comes together to learn the fundamentals of a new skill. Every senior community workshop is different, but most of them have the following features:
Spring routines for older adults should always involve trying out a new skill or developing a new one.
Seniors can also connect with their peers in senior living communities by sitting down together for shared meals. Sharing meals is a time-honored tradition that exists in every culture. According to The World Happiness Report, sitting down to have a meal with friends or family has a proven benefit on your mental health.
Here are some of the other ways that shared community meals can improve senior wellness:
Senior Living doesn't mean the end of learning and growing; instead, it's the start of a new chapter where you can learn new skills, socialize with new people, and form new friendships. While Senior Living residents probably won't become the next Van Gogh or Jimi Hendrix, it's a great time to explore a new part of yourself through creative pursuits at Addington Place of Muscatine.
There are plenty of chances for meaningful creative engagement and connection, and it's even easier for those who served honorably in our military. We'd be delighted to commend your service with a significant discount on the monthly rent. Whether you're a veteran or not, we'd love to welcome you to our community and show you around.
Contact us today to schedule a tour of our Muscatine assisted living community and see our commitment to lifelong learning in action.