Art and Old Age

Art and Old Age

By TLB Contributing Author: Lucille Femine

I have the idea that title might depress you. Sorry, not meant to be. Quite the opposite. Of course, young people will pass it right by. That’s fine. But, maybe they have an artistic parent or grandparent who could use some uplifting.

But, to the point, I’m interested in helping older artists, like my ancient self, to recover or continue and be happier with their creations. I’m not talking about simply taking up art as a hobby when you’re retired to pass the time. Or going to an old age home to teach people arts and crafts. Those are highly therapeutic activities, don’t get me wrong.

But the concept I want to get across is much broader and that is, aside from pure spiritual enlightenment, creation is the highest level of joy and spreading joy. The way you do that is simply to take all your attention off your age, illness or how little sand is left in the bottle and put it all on creating. Because you get what you put your attention on. That is more literally true than you may realize. Try it and see.

I once read a story of a man who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He did nothing about it accept write two novels. He was cured. So who’s to say we older guys, not so sick or not sick at all, cannot achieve the same results? I certainly plan to.

Please don’t take this to mean don’t go to the doctor. In fact, I recently had a tooth abscess the size of a golf ball and extremely painful. I resisted taking antibiotics from a staunch holistic viewpoint and over my dentist’s protests. Nothing worked. It could have traveled to my head or heart and killed me. I took antibiotics and feel perfectly fine now. Actually, I could tell it cured other ailments going on as well. I thought, with extreme gratitude – no wonder I felt so lousy for such a long time!

Now, saving the world is a highly creative activity also. All that means is you do it from your heart, your soul and your desire to help mankind. The beauty of life can be expressed or sprinkled into every political protest, blog, article, book or conversation about the terrible state of the world. Often, we need to know all the relevant bad stuff going on from a purely protective and survival instinct but that should always be balanced with what’s right and beautiful about it. And certainly – most important – what we can create to overcome it. No matter how old you are!

And again, I want to reiterate that you get what you think about. So put more beauty and less disaster into those communications and in your own private thoughts. Better yet – don’t think. Just create.

Let’s not forget that, being realistic, the body is frail and gets weaker as we age, so it’s best to fuel it with positive beauty and love for the world and it will be happier and function better. You might fool it into thinking it’s still young.

Certain oppressive people and groups have established the youth-obsessed society in order to take advantage of the energy and susceptibility to brainwashing that exists in young people. And the disdaining and discarding of older people. Very much like the teenagers recruited by Hitler.

If you believe as I do that we come back after we’ve used up our bodies, you will want to help create a better world to return to. Life doesn’t stop on our deathbed.

Here’s another short poem I wrote:

Live, Please

As one lives for death,

Where every moment is dressed in pain,

As bits of joy collapse into gloom,

And more grim yesterdays become today,

You are not alive.

Stillness lives instead,

Cousin to oblivion.

As one lives for life,

Where every moment becomes only now,

As bits of joy become who you are,

And grim yesterdays know their place,

You are alive.

Motion lives indeed,

Cousin to exhilaration.

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TLB Note: Lucille is a longtime friend and contributor to TLB. She is also an author, writer, researcher, podcast show host, activist, and an exceptional artist to boot! To enjoy more of Lucille’s wisdom, research and presentation … CLICK HERE

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