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
Why This Guide Exists
If we’re fortunate, we grow old. Aging is the one experience we all share, no matter where we live, who we are, or what we believe.
At Lifetime Arts, we believe that opportunities for creativity, especially when shared with others, are not a luxury or an extra. It is a vital component of healthy aging and a foundational part of thriving communities.
We’ve designed this guide to help state and local leaders, agencies, advocates, and community partners make a strong, evidence-based case for creative aging as part of healthy aging policy and practice. Inside, you’ll find research, practical tools, and messaging guidance to help explain not only what creative aging is, but why it matters for our health.
While this guide focuses on the health and well-being impacts of creative aging, Lifetime Arts recognizes that the arts also hold deep cultural, civic, emotional, and intrinsic value that cannot always be measured.
Companion Materials and Resources
This messaging guidebook is accompanied by a collection of resources—including the featured national policy brief below—that are designed to work together in support of your local, regional, and state healthy aging goals. Each resource can be accessed and downloaded individually from our Resource Appendix page.
SPOTLIGHT RESOURCE: POLICY BRIEF
Creative Aging in the Healthy Aging Ecosystem
Our brief makes a bold, evidence-based case for integrating creative aging into the U.S. healthy aging agenda—highlighting benefits like brain health, social connection, and livable communities, with clear policy recommendations for cross-sector leaders.
This guidebook was written by Liza Cucco, edited by Heather Ikemire and Jacqueline DuMont, and designed by Miriam Alex Creative in collaboration with Jacqueline DuMont and Liza Cucco.
The content of this guidebook was developed in partnership with the Western States Leadership Council, a network of state agency leaders from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Their expertise, insights, and commitment to advancing healthy aging helped shape the strategies, messaging, and examples included throughout this resource. This guidebook is designed to complement Lifetime Arts’ 2026 Policy Brief, “Creative Aging in the Healthy Aging Ecosystem,” written by Gretchen Alkema.
