I wonder, but don’t worry, about the loss of creativity with age. I personally don’t feel any loss of creativity, yet anyway. Certainly in my early twenties I was a more prolific song writer. But there are many factors at work with this statistic, such as: a) songwriting is mainly driven by emotional peaks and valleys of which I have fewer, b) creative outlet is not song writing alone (as if my posts here prove anything).
But making this a reflective exercise is a bit premature since artistic creativity studies show the quality drop off to be at an older age than I find myself today. Actually, Studies show the drop off for most people to start around first grade. And let’s face it, we do get jaded early. Creativity however isn’t necessarily synced with innovation nor then with youth.
In the larger arena, music has yielded many significant late-life works – arguably more so than any other creative medium. Though that can’t be said of the pop artist – even the ones with staying power like Paul McCartney or Bob Dylan.
This has more to do with youth-driven pop culture than the artists themselves, don’t you think? Creatively speaking, I think what Bob Dylan has done with his image, influence and output in his late years far exceeds what Mr. McCartney has done though he stays truer to pop form.
The beauty of late-life creativity is the opportunity to be honest; and to approach old things in a new way (only one of which pop culture is very good at). Franz Liszt, in his old age, paved a new road over the old to what became atonal music. Ornate Coleman’s last album might very well be his opus magnum. And Ozzy Osbourne….
well he helped reformat reality TV.
Speaking of staying power, my little nephews, just entering junior high, recently sent us personal-survey emails. It was incredible to see in their music preferences the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC. For all the fleeting vacuity of pop, the song remains the same.
Is this a lack of creativity on a cultural level? Oh boy, where to stop with that thought.
From my youth, the equivalent of a modern junior high kid putting Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC on his musical tastes list would be for me to list Elvis or Little Richard. Which isn’t to say that’s a bad thing. The fact of the matter is that in junior high (though I’m eons away from my nephew’s age) , I think I too would have listed Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC.
I was thinking about some of that recently. I would say that Ozzy and AC/DC (and everybody and their mother) are much more available and accessible to the youth of today than Elvis and Little Richard were whenever it was that we were the youth of the day.
I think Ozzy is a prme example of becoming a caracature of yourself. Every other memeber of Sabbath has aged somewhat well but Ozzy has become a celebrity which while funny at first is kind of sad and pathetic.
I would say that Ozzy and AC/DC (and everybody and their mother) are much more available and accessible to the youth of today than Elvis and Little Richard were whenever it was that we were the youth of the day.
Yeah that and Ozzy and AC/DC speak directly to 13 year old boys. They may write about ideas beyond a kid’s grasp but pretty much towards a kid’s expectations.
I can’t help but think of Peter Brady when I hear Ozzy’s Changes.
And I’ve always suspected that AC/DC’s Big Balls is more than aristocratic oneupmanship.
I think Ozzy is a prme example of becoming a caracature of yourself.
I was kidding a bit with Ozzy though I don’t think he’s a good example of loss of creativity due to age, more like drugs and abuse.