Growing Older While Creating: Benefits of Artistic Practice Among Older Artists and Craftspeople.

A deeper understanding of the benefits of older people's participation in artistic activities is still missing. The objective of this study was to examine the perceived benefits of artistic engagement among older adults who participate actively and on their own initiative in such practices. Thirty visual artists and craftspeople aged 60 and older participated in in-depth individual interviews. We found that all of them experienced several benefits linked to their artistic practices, which can be classified into: benefits in the personal domain; benefits in the social domain; and benefits in the cultural domain. Our study extends earlier research on the benefits of artistic participation in later life, particularly by highlighting a broader range of consequences, including social and cultural gains.