Boosting Creativity by Reading 'The Senior'

At the entry to my local library there are a number of baskets with free community newspapers and magazines. I often pick up the Canberra Weekly and City News publications, and if there’s a new edition of Canberra’s CHILD out, I’ll pick that up too (I have a young daughter). But this week I did something a bit different, and decided to pick up and read a copy of The Senior which provides news and information on travel, health, retirement and entertainment for Australian seniors, over 50, and retirees.
Now I’m not a senior, over 50 or retired so why choose to read The Senior? It’s all about being open to new sources of inspiration and information. It’s easy to read the same kinds of books and websites, to watch the same type of TV shows and documentaries, to eat the same kind of food, and to walk or drive the same routes. I fall into this kind of pattern regularly, but I know it’s a good creativity boost to be surprised by something new. You don’t need to go on overseas holidays, or change jobs, or join a new club to experience something that you wouldn’t normally do. Something as simple as reading a book on a topic you know nothing about, tuning into a different radio station, or reading a newspaper you wouldn’t normally buy, can also provide you with new ideas and insights.
Here are four interesting things I discovered from reading this edition of The Senior….

1. The Blueprint for an Ageing Australia report. Interestingly the completion of the report was crowd funded after the government abolished the Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing last year. The article highlights some interesting recommendations in the report including the creation of a Seniors Enterprise Institute to fund and support senior entrepreneurs, and the development of Ageing Design Awards to encourage the creation of new products to service the ageing marketplace.
2. A profile on Pat Boggs – the woman who wrote the book on ticketing – who sounds like an amazing woman.
3. Tips to improve your balance – brushing your teeth while standing on one leg and bending your knees to unpack the dishwasher.
4. Some interesting technological innovations designed to help seniors including MemoryLink, an easy to use audio device which links people with dementia with happy, familiar memories by playing up to eight hours of favourite hymns, choruses, prayers and Bible verses, and eButton which uses Bluetooth technology to initiate a smartphone app that sends a request for help via SMS to user’s selected contacts.