Later-Life Creativity and Successful Aging in Neoliberal Agendas

Although the model of successful aging is already well discussed and has received considerable critical responses, its intersection with the growing enthusiasm for creative engagement among older adults needs further exploration. This article contributes to the growing literature on later-life creativity by examining its relationship with the discourse of successful aging.

The study employs critical humanities-based perspectives and the literature on later life to address creativity in older age within contemporary neoliberal imperatives.

Although successful aging is an antithesis to the narrative of decline, it often fails to capture alternative meanings of aging and the creative engagement in later life. The commercialization and commodification of creativity often function to discipline individuals toward a culture of productivity, optimization, and innovation. However, many older individuals challenge these notions as they create their own models of aging well and authentically that do not align with the ideals of successful aging.

Reductionist, individualistic, and capital-driven understandings of later-life creativity can be broadened by employing critical interdisciplinary approaches, which also help rethink the current meanings of old age and aging. The article will be of interest to scholars, policymakers, artists, and practitioners in gerontological scholarship and the humanities.