Life can only be understood backwards , but it must be lived forward .
— Søren Kierkegaard
but I mainly let them follow their own thoughts , and stories emerged on their own .” Even in that unstructured setting , Mary noticed certain trends and commonalities emerging between different sitters .
“ I found that , particularly the 80-plus age group , there was a lot of internalized ageism ,” Mary says . “ My theory is that in the era they lived and worked in , society emphasized independence and economic contributions . Once they leave that stage of life behind , once they lose some of that independence , it can take a negative toll on their self-perception .”
There is a disconnect , Mary thinks , between how we think of older adults and the reality of how they live their lives . “ The number of older adults in care facilities is between six to ten per cent ,” she says . “ But despite that , a recent study from the University of Ottawa showed that our society ’ s primary perception of seniors is that of vulnerability . That view is even prevalent among seniors themselves , and that ’ s the kind of thinking I want to dispel .”
Through her project , Mary hopes to demonstrate to the public that older adults of all ages are amazing people with grand accomplishments , who still contribute plenty of value to their communities . Her sitters were not outliers from the norm ; they were just regular people who all had incredible stories to tell . The feedback Mary got from her twenty-one sitters was overwhelmingly positive , though she did experience some pushback from a few who felt that her portrayal did not resonate with them — that her painting made them look old .
“ It ’ s common that we don ’ t want to see ourselves as old ,” Mary says . “ Our society is so youth-oriented that we learn to resent aging itself . But it ’ s important
When I reflect on what life means to me , what gives my life value , I am always filled with wonder and awe that I am , that I exist !” — Cécile VanBeek , ARTA member for people to realize who they are at this point in their lives . I like to think of myself as a combination of everyone I ’ ve ever been . When I look in the mirror , I try to see it all — a mom , a nurse , an artist . You can access those different selves at any time and celebrate them . You ’ re still the people you were and newer versions as well . That mindset feels a lot better than becoming depressed because the person staring back from the mirror is old .”
Mary ’ s exhibit , with all her paintings and their accompanying stories , can be viewed for free at the Harcourt House in Edmonton from September 22 to October 1 , ending , appropriately , on the International Day of Older Persons . Alternatively , a digital version of the stories is available on Mary ’ s blog , beautyinageing . weebly . com .
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