I must admit upfront that this column is motivated by certain wonderful responses I’ve had from the publication of my new illustrated children’s book, “Sox Looks for Home.” Unintentionally, those comments also come with a tinge of ageism. But it’s all good, folks.

Here’s a truth-piece worth considering: Some folks — younger and older — seem to think that when we become geezers-in-training, our imaginations seem to dry up, so we aren’t as creative as we might have been in our younger years. That just doesn’t have to happen.

We all know what marvelous imaginations children have. Imagination is the word we use to describe the visions of what can be, the mental pictures of the world(s) we choose to create or the roles we can play in those worlds.

Unfortunately, our child-imaginations are too subtly imprisoned by other people’s expectations as we grow older. Sometimes those imaginations are diminished to the point of seeming disappearance. But I honestly believe those visions and dreams never completely disappear. It may take a simple “aha” moment to re-hydrate the imagination.

This spring, Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. and POAC Pend Oreille Arts Council, partnered to begin a series of art classes for geezers. Mark Kubiak led a six-session charcoal drawing class at the senior center. More classes are scheduled for this fall.

The artwork of the class members is on display at the Columbia Bank Community Plaza on Third and Oak. Please check them out.

I spoke with one class member. She paints, but had never done charcoal. So, her efforts tickled another part of her imagination, and a new expression of creativity was the result.

Imagination can result in creativity. Imagination births our visions, our hopes. Creativity is how we describe the hands-on results of putting form to our imaginations. We geezers-in-training need to remind ourselves that our imaginations are still fertile, and we can find expression for those imaginations in what we “produce.”

Imagination isn’t often a barrier to being creative. But our tendency toward self-judgmentalism certainly is. “Oh, I can’t draw (paint, play an instrument, write, quilt, knit … you pick your own expression”). But when we can get over ourselves, some pretty delightful experiences can result. I discovered that myself when I took the writing plunge in April 2020.

While I’ve written sermons, articles and columns for years, I had never written any kind of book, let alone a children’s story. The mere thought of such a project was a bit intimidating to me.

Finally, I sat down and wrote the true story of our cat who ran away to our former home three times. I had to re-visit my childhood imagination first. To my delight, I discovered it was still there. Sox tells the story his way. To my surprise, the creative result was a book that many people have been kind enough to enjoy.

My experience, and my observation of so many geezers’ creativity, leads me to begin the next Geezer Forum season (September 14) with an emphasis on the “Creativity Dressed in Gray Hair and Wrinkles”. We will return to our in-person forum bi-weekly schedule in the Community Room at Columbia Ban, 2:30-4 p.m. Finally.

We will have a small panel of creative geezer-types lead us into the wonderful world of imagination and creativity. But I hope forum participants will be courageous enough to bring their own creative expressions to both “show and tell” us about. More about that in August.

Paul Graves, M.Div., is lead geezer-in-training for Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry on aging issues. Contact Paul at 208-610-4971 or elderadvocates@nctv.com