THE INSPIRATION COMPILATION


FINDING AN ARTFUL SOLUTION


Tobi Zausner, PhD, LCSW, author, artist, and psychologist


Pain. Loss. Physical limitations. Emotional trauma. These are inevitable in life—and can become more common or pronounced with age. Of course, medical and other interven-


tions can help a great deal. But there’s one intervention that’s widely available, what- ever someone’s limitations—and it’s one that’s often overlooked: Creative expression. “Creativity offers the most enormous


strength,” Zausner says. “And the most wonderful thing about creativity is everyone has it. It's part of life.” Zausner is a research psychologist, a


clinician in private practice, and an award- winning visual artist. In 1989, Zausner was diagnosed with an aggressive type of ovarian cancer, and her doctor did not think she would last a year. She not only recovered, but she believes her life transformed for the better.


A CREATIVE APPROACH Zausner navigated the emotional turmoil of her medical challenges in part by embracing her creative side. In the years since, she has helped to show others the unique benefits that creativity can offer when dealing with the inevitable difficulties that we encounter. For instance, she points to great artists


who enjoyed creatively fertile periods late in their lives, such as Michelangelo, Georgia O’Keefe, Grandma Moses, Degas, Hokusai, Matisse, Ezekiel Gibbs, and Beatrice Wood. They and many more share a common bond, through their commitment to the regular practice of creativity and the daily rewards that it provided them, often in the face of physical limitations and personal trauma. Creativity—whether through the arts or


through a wide range of other activities— helps people cope with pain, both emotional


and physical, which is particularly important to older adults, who are more likely to suffer both the loss of loved ones and the loss of physical capabilities, Zausner says. One of her books, When Walls Become


Doorways: Creativity and the Transforming Illness, tackles the unique relationship between the practice of art and the healing aspects of creativity. “It focuses you on what you are doing,


and it calms you down and brings you into a world of your own creativity,” Zausner says. “This is a world where you have greater control of all the variables. Life is always throwing curveballs—and creativity throws them, too, but they're not as big as ones that come from life. In fact, a lot of the surprises we find in creativity makes the work better.” Zausner believes “we all have this tre-


mendous creativity within us.” The daily demands of a career do not always allow for people to fully explore their creative impulses, but retirement can bring the freedom to do that.


PROCESS IS REWARD “Great possibilities are awaiting them,” Zausner says. “They have an amazing op- portunity for a second life.” The aches and pains common with aging


can keep some people from even starting creative endeavors, but Zausner believes those who push past the pain when possible will find great rewards. The finished prod- uct can be very satisfying, but the creative


14 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 process itself is where the most powerful


benefits lie. “We are creative beings,” Zausner says.


“It's what keeps us alive.” Zausner has worked with many older


adults through her geriatric social work and clinical psychology practices over the years. She’s also taught art to that population. She says helping that demographic “has enormous appeal to me.” “It’s a wonderful group to work with,” she


says. “Often, they feel neglected, and they feel invisible. They're not invisible. They're very visible and shining, and they can be inspiring.” Zausner notes that people can grow and


evolve emotionally and mentally throughout their lives – it’s not the limited provenance of the young. “Illness and pain can depress people,” Zausner says. “It’s just a way of human life. Pain can affect mood, as we know. Therapy and creativity are ways to counteract that. They’re ways of healing.”


TIP: Some challenges truly can’t be overcome. But acceptance, alleviation, and a change of focus can open a new “doorway” to improve quality of life.


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