Gorman and Greg Young Tell How to Age Artfully – Emotional Pro
January 18th, 2007
1/18/2007 Thursday 9am to 10am Pacific Time
We continue our look into “aging.” This time we have filmmaker Greg Young, who made the documentary, Still Kicking, and Amy Gorman, who interviewed and made the book, Aging Artfully. You’ll learn about dancer Dorothy Toy, 89, Lily Hurst, 105 and still playing the piano,and Madeline Mason, 104, a sculptor and dollmaker, to name a few. Discover the new vision for growing old that Amy Gorman developed after speaking with these remarkable pioneers.
Segment 1: The Face of Grace
Greg and Amy describe how they got involved in the project of interviewing aging artists, including Grace Gildersleeve, the rug braider. By looking in greater depth at Grace’s life, we get a better idea of the project, of how tragedy shaped but didn’t define Grace negatively, and gives spirit to the words of Frances Kandl’s “Grace’s Song,” which says “My name is Grace, and from my face you would not know That life has not always been easy.”
Segment 2: Turn That Off!
So many of these remarkable elderly artists seem to have determined ways to complete emotions from life tragedies. One way, when worry or grief creeps in is to dismiss the emotion by saying “Turn that off!” Does including art (or our talent) in life as we go along increase contentment?
Segment 3: Staying Positively Engaged
Whether through the need to self-support, through social-political organizations, education or through art, the women in this project have found ways to broaden and extend their outlook, leaving them with greater optimism and an ability to “be in the world.” How important is that, along with a healthy routine, for each of us as we get older?
