March 07, 2022

It’s hard to figure out what’s “normal” after at least two years of coping with COVID-induced worry, isolation, and health precautions. Mask mandates, vaccine requirements, and safe ways to interact with others have all changed repeatedly. The result, according to Pasadena Senior Center Director Akila Gibbs, is that the “new normal” means working with what you have, and being flexible and ready to change whenever the situation requires.  

The Center did everything it could to keep older adults safe during the worst of the pandemic, putting its classes on Zoom, creating a safe space inside the building, and helping seniors get the food and supplies they needed.    

Now members are invited to move into the “new normal” by exploring their creativity in a Creative Aging class offered in conjunction with the Community Engagement arm of the UCLA Art Department. Every week, Raymundo Baltazar, the coordinator of the UCLA program brings different media to the class for students to try. The projects include a variety of creative processes that range from watercolors to clay to textiles. It’s all about unlocking the creative spirit without any expectation of how the project will turn out. No one is expected to have any experience or expertise. All class members need to do is show up and try whatever is being offered.

Class members love it. They say it’s stimulating to try something new and to connect with others after being at home for so long. Participant Jan Sutherland is enthusiastic about the experience. “The biggest thing is the freedom you feel,” Sutherland says. “Usually as an adult you judge everything you’re doing and you’re afraid.  Baltazar makes it so you don’t feel that way.”

The Creative Aging class is just one example of what the Center offers to older adults.  Gibbs says, “Regardless of what happens, we are going to look for programs that help people find a sense of joy, find a sense of purpose and find something new about themselves.”

Programs Director Dion Ferguson hopes the classes inspire members to come back to the Center in person when they are ready, so they can make connections with others since loneliness and isolation can affect a person’s health. He believes taking a new class helps stretch the brain and enrich members’ lives through self-expression.    
 
UCLA’s Visual and Performing Arts Department’s Community Engagement program offers the Creative Aging class at the Center for free. It’s part of the Department’s project to give back to the community by helping individuals discover their creativity. The program also provides opportunities for UCLA art students to gain experience bringing art to a community group.

Gibbs is thrilled that the Creative Aging class will be offered again in the Spring semester. She says “What’s most important is that people really love it.  We try to look for classes that people really like.”

Photo Credit: Peter Matus