Finding the Right Wor(l)ds: Creative Writing as Aesthetic and Existential Practice in Later Life

There is an increasing interest in the application of creative writing in later life. While much of the literature has acknowledged that creative writing has positive effects, less interest has been given to the literary aspects of the writing, including the characteristics of the various texts being produced. Calling upon the author’s experience as a teacher and researcher in creative writing groups among older persons in different settings, this chapter will explore both the texts produced in creative writing groups and what these texts do. While the former will involve a reading of emblematic texts, the latter will consider how different texts perform work in the process of production, sharing, and reception—in the writer and among the audience. By applying theories of narrative identity and poetic language as well as previous research, the chapter argues that access to an expressive language can open up perspectives of playfulness and wonder toward one’s life and oneself—as well as having therapeutic effects. Furthermore, sharing one’s poems and stories in a supportive environment can provide validation and affirmation. The impact of creative writing in later life must be seen in the inseparable entwinement of aesthetic and existential meaning-making.