Making Art, Making Meaning: How Creativity Supports Us As We Age

Cracking the code of aging, De Vargas Street, Santa Fe 2024.  Image by Ivan Barnett.

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
– Thomas Merton

I’m Ivan Barnett, an artist, an Arts coach, a creative consultant, and former gallery owner, and I’ve spent my life immersed in the creative world. My works of art live in the permanent collection of the Museum of Art here in Santa Fe and many private collections, but more importantly, I’ve lived my life through art—not just as a maker, but as a witness to how creativity touches, heals, and transforms us.

As I’ve grown older, it has become more clear than ever that the value of art only deepens with time. Not because it becomes more collectible or polished—but because it becomes more personal, more rooted in experience, and more essential to how we understand ourselves.

To those of you in your later years, I say this with warmth and certainty:  the act of making art will transform you in ways that you have never imagined.

What Changes—and What We Gain

As we age, our lives naturally shift. Some of us slow down, others become caretakers, and many of us reflect more deeply on our pasts. There may be physical changes, memory slips, or the grief that comes from loss. And yet, we also find ourselves with something quite rare:  the luxury of a bit more time.

Time to reflect. To create. To express.

Art becomes a way to stay present. It’s a quiet space where you can listen inwardly and translate what you find. Whether through painting, collage, sculpture, writing, or photography, the creative act reminds us that we are still very much alive, still learning, and still capable of making something meaningful and saying things where words leave off.

Failure is a gift, we are never too old to learn.  Somewhere on Baca Street, Santa Fe, 2025.  Image by Ivan Barnett.

The Healing Language of Art

You don’t need a therapist’s couch to benefit from art as a healing force. The act of creating engages the brain, regulates emotion, and can even improve cognitive function. Recent studies show that creative activities like drawing, sculpting, or even simple coloring can help with memory, mood, and mental agility, giving us new meaning and purpose.

But you don’t need science to tell you what you already know: making something with your hands, heart, and imagination just feels good at many levels.

At Serious Play, the consulting practice I created, I’ve worked with artists of all ages—including those who’ve picked up a brush for the first time in their 70s or 80s. One client told me, “I’m not trying to be famous—I just want to remember who I am.”

You Don’t Need to Be an Artist

I can’t say this enough.  You don’t have to consider yourself “an artist” to benefit from the creative act. Creativity is your birthright. You were born with it. Whether it’s doodling, building something out of scrap wood, arranging objects on a windowsill, or taking photographs on your morning walk—this is all art.

Forget perfection.  This is about curiosity, about honoring what you see and feel. It’s about making your mark—not to impress, but to express.

Art doesn’t care if your lines are shaky. It becomes you to show up in ways that are transformative.

It’s never too late to start again, Mt. Carmel Lane, Santa Fe, 2024.  Image by Ivan Barnett

Finding Comfort in Routine

There’s something deeply soothing about a small, consistent creative ritual. It grounds you. It gives shape to the day.

Try this: sit down with a notebook and draw one thing you see out your window. Do it again tomorrow. Or cut images out of a magazine and glue them onto a page. Set aside some time each day as you would like journaling.

This isn’t a project. It’s a practice.

These rhythms become anchors, especially if memory loss or emotional fatigue has entered the picture. The ritual itself becomes the reward.

Connection Through Creation

Art invites connection—to yourself, and to others. It’s something you can share with family, and neighbors. It starts conversations.  It brings memories to the surface.

I’ve spent my entire life around artists from the time that I could walk, and the thing we all cherish most is not the recognition—it’s the feeling of wholeness. Creating something opens a door to dialogue, even when words fall short.

And in quieter moments, it becomes a letter to yourself.

There is no such thing as good enough, near the Santa Fe River, 2024.  Image by Ivan Barnett.

It’s Never Too Late to Begin

Let me be direct:  there is no expiration date on creativity.  It’s not too late. You are not too old. The only thing you need is willingness and desire.

Start with a pencil and a scrap of paper. Start with a stack of magazines and some glue. Or start by simply noticing what brings you delight—a color, a shape, a moment of light.

If you once loved art and set it aside, now is the time to return. If you’ve never tried it before, now is the time to begin. There’s no one watching but you. And you’re the one who matters.

A Final Word

The later chapters of life are not just about looking back—they’re about making meaning and purpose. Art gives you a way to do that, gently and powerfully. You don’t need permission. You don’t need experience. You only need to begin and the rest will follow.

Your hands may move more slowly now. Your eyes may see differently. But that’s where the truth is. That’s where the beauty lives.

So go ahead. Make something.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

© 2025, by Ivan Barnett.

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