Project Manager and Booklet Author: Judi Fisher

Foreword by Joan Kirner, former Premier of Victoria and Victorian Communities Advisor

I am enjoying my old age and the freedom it entails. … Attitude is everything.

Kay Dennison, on-line (17 Sept 2006)

Foreword Age of Adventure and the strengths of active ageing

I was both pleased and perplexed when St Luke’s Innovative Resources asked me to write the foreword to their latest card resource: Age of Adventure – the Strengths of Active Ageing.

Pleased because I admire St Luke’s work in community development, and pleased because, as one who still treasures some school day swap cards, I value photographs as prompts for conversation, connection and creativity.

I was perplexed because I suspect like many of the people depicted on the cards I don’t think of myself as an ‘older’ person. Sure, I’ll be 70 this year, but apart from when I creak and groan as I get out of bed in the morning I don’t think of myself in the ‘aged’ category.

In fact, I get surprised and sometimes annoyed when news reports refer to people over sixty as ‘elderly’! Why does this happen? Why are people of 60 and over so often categorised as frail or feeble? It may be true of some, and if it is, temporarily or permanently, then quality respectful care and assistance is essential. But most people in our age group are not frail or feeble. Most are enjoying life, are active, and on the ball.

There are countless women and men over 60 who are continuing to run farms, businesses, governments, environmental centres and campaigns,

Footnotes

1 Bureau of Statistics: August 2007.2 “Never Too Late to Exercise”,

Universal Well Being, Issue 89, pp. 85-86, by Ingrid Arnott.

3 www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/ABS@.NSF/www.bs.gov.au

4 www.bs.gov.au5 Energised, engaged, everywhere:

Older Australians and Museums by Lynda Kelly, Gillian Savage, Peta Landman and Susan Tonkin (ISBN 0 7347 2311 3).

Endnote

6 Vallance, Kevin. The Six Principles of Change by Design. Innovative Resources 2006 Change by Design booklet pg 14.

First published in 2008 by Innovative Resources

St Luke’s Innovative Resources 137 McCrae Street Bendigo Victoria 3550 Australia Phone 03 5442 0500 Fax 03 5442 0555 Email: info@innovativeresources.org Website: www.innovativeresources.org

St Luke’s Anglicare trading as St Luke’s Innovative Resources ABN: 99 087 209 729

Text © St Luke’s Innovative Resources 2008 Design © Billington Prideaux Partnership 2007 Printed by Centre State Printing

St Luke’s Innovative Resources wishes to acknowledge the generous financial contribution made by The Jack Brockhoff Foundation.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN 978 1 920945 29 9

Designer: Jane Prideaux, Billington Prideaux Partnership

Concept: Karen Masman

Reference Group: Russell Deal, Karen Masman, John Holton, Step Forbes, Judi Fisher

Editing: John Holton and Jennie Mellberg

Print production: Step Forbes

Project Manager: Judi Fisher

fashion houses and neighbourhood houses. They continue to contribute to families, neighbourhoods, community committees, organisations, events and celebrations. They are enjoying old—or learning new—hobbies, crafts, entertainments, sports and recreation, languages, skills, and exploring and retelling family trees and stories. They are gardening, bike riding, exercising, relaxing, travelling, walking and coaching or mentoring grandchildren and other young people. They are sharing their skills pro bono with welcoming community organisations or emerging enterprises.

The list of possibilities of active ageing is endless when people of any age have a ‘can and will do’ attitude.

I’m hoping that these cards challenge those who stereotype older people and focus on the problems rather than the possibilities of ageing. Our communities would be so much richer, more inclusive and happier, if we all focused on the possibilities in any age group. The spirit of these evocative photographs can help further that vision.

If at this stage of our lives, as Australia’s most experienced citizens, we want others to recognise our value, we need to first value ourselves. Then we need to realise how much we have learned and experienced in our lives (my grandchildren love to hear these stories) and how much more we have to learn, contribute and share.

And don’t just think about it—try doing it. For myself, after I left the Parliament, I first had to work hard to regain my health and some work/life balance. The second was achieved by a mixture of outback travel in an off-road van and 4WD and strict personal limits on work-related weekend engagements. The first, I’m still working on. But most of all, I soon realised that to be happy in so-called retirement, I needed a clear social action focus.

Interestingly, I chose the same focus I had in government, though at a different level and role. My current focus is to continue working with communities, especially the most disadvantaged, to enable people to shape and improve their own lives and the lives of others. Previously I was a driver and a decider; now I work as a connector and mentor. They are both satisfying roles. Most importantly, I’m still enjoying learning and working with others to build stronger communities. Building inclusive, strong communities needs commitment and contribution from all age groups.

Henry Ford, inventor of the Ford motor car, used to say: ‘Anyone who stops learning is old, whether 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.’ I hope Age of Adventure will inspire us all to stay young in our own attitudes and actions.

Enjoy.

Joan Kirner A.M. Former Premier of Victoria Victorian Communities Ambassador

AcknowledgementsBeing project manager of Age of Adventure: The Strengths of Active Ageing has been a very positive experience. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the resource.

The Jack Brockhoff Foundation provided generous funding and showed great confidence in the project.

Former Managing Editor, Karen Masman, initiated the concept with the support of Managing Director, Russell Deal. Former Innovative Resources Publicist, Miranda Brash-Brenan, was instrumental in securing the funding and assisted with the early publicity and photo call which closed in June 2007.

The published list of selected photographers doesn’t fully convey all of the fascinating contacts that occurred during the photo call. Images arrived from all over Australia and from overseas. Many came with stories attached and plenty of lively correspondence occurred during the process. I thank all of those people for engaging in the spirit of Age of Adventure.

Special thanks goes to the focus group of Russell Deal, Karen Masman, John Holton and Step Forbes. But no resource ever finds its way into the world without the support of the entire Innovative Resources team. Thank you to everyone.

Judi Fisher

Contents

Crafting the concept 8

Redefining the ‘autumn of life’ as active aging 9

Getting real—the original idea 12

The process stages for Age of Adventure 14

The photographers 17

The power of the image 19

The stories behind the photos 22

Applications—a reflective and conversational tool 24

Creating new possibilities 27

About the authors of this booklet 35

About Innovative Resources 36

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Crafting the conceptAge of Adventure looks at lives well-lived. It explores the many ways in which older people are still engaged in their communities, the breadth of their relationships, and the diversity of daily routines and intellectual and physical ventures.

These 50 full-colour cards and 36-page booklet capture the energy and life-force that exists in our older community members and honours their ongoing life journey. Each image suggests an individual or community activity or a moment of connection.

Innovative Resources intends these cards to offer several possibilities. The images may challenge young people to consider the life choices they make and influence their road toward later fulfilment. They may also promote better understanding between generations, both in communities and within families, by initiating conversations and fostering respect for others.

Age of Adventure may also assist adults in pre-retirement to plan for their active futures after the routine of regular employment and family commitments is reduced. Hopefully those in retirement will see these cards reflecting the strengths in their lives. We hope the variety of images will also prompt memories and that these glimpses lead to subsequent story-sharing within families, community organisations and other groups.

Such stories can amaze the hearer, reveal the fuller personality of the teller, move both to tears and laughter, and heal friendships and families in the process.

Autumn is really the best of the seasons; and I’m not sure that old age isn’t the best part of life.

C. S. Lewis (1898—1963)

Redefining the ‘autumn of life’ as active ageing

What does old mean anyway, both for individuals and for society?

What stereotypes circulate within our communities, popular media and political milieu?

Do they reflect the reality of older lives?

While ‘grumpy old men’ is one promoted stereotype, most of us know older relatives, friends and neighbours who are living fulfilled lives after the transition to retirement. In fact, these friends and family members often say that they are busier now than they were in their earlier working days; that they have more choices and are choosing healthier options. So, for many older people, active ageing is a profoundly positive stage of life.

Let us introduce some ‘active agers’ we know:

• At 89, Mavis bought a computer and learnt to use it to communicate with her grandchildren. The bonus is that she has also discovered computer solitaire and surfing the web for gardening sites.

• Mary and two of her former teaching colleagues jointly celebrated their 80th birthdays with a balloon flight at sunrise.

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• Arthur finally moved into town from the farm; now he has made new wood-working mates through the Men’s Shed at his local senior citizens’ venue.

• Fred volunteers for Meals on Wheels deliveries one day each week—the day he isn’t bowling or tending the club greens. It lets him contribute to the community where he has lived all his life.

• Nina cares for her working daughter’s preschool-aged children three days a week while her husband Carlo walks the older children to and from primary school.

• John assists with surgeries at the hospital now he is in his 70s; it helps to cut the waiting lists while he shares his specialist experience with younger surgeons.

• Joyce and Peter regularly attend classes at the University of the Third Age. They are writing their family story, studying modern African history and attempting a new language.

• Sonja still opens her women’s fashion shop each morning, attends to the accounting and takes her January holidays overseas.

• When Bonnie broke her collarbone and couldn’t play croquet anymore, she joined the Probus club. Now her son’s family declare she is always off on some adventurous bus trip.

• Malcolm writes well-reasoned articles on human rights for major newspapers and advocates on behalf of asylum seekers to the federal government.

• June raises money for her church auxiliary with her range of jams and jellies; her friends Maisie and Doris are keen quilters who make comfort quilts for the hospital to give to families whose infants have died.

You are sure to know others with similar lives and activities. Yet stereotypes of older people abound in our society—linked with memory loss, physical frailty, loneliness, the walking frame, the nursing home. All of these, of course, are the risks and realities we as individuals and communities face with increased longevity—and it’s well documented that humans are living longer.

The frail and bewildered, however, are not an accurate image of all ageing.While such ‘potholes’ may jar many of us in our final stages, these bumps are not the whole story. They do not tell the whole journey. They do not account for the wealth of these individuals’ wisdom, the breadth of their years of living, or the value of their contribution to various communities along the way.

Furthermore, stereotypes never tell the whole truth about the complexities of personalities. Many of our matured friends, neighbours and family members clearly break these stereotypical moulds. Think of the older people you know, or know of, who you’d consider to be individualists, non-conformists, eccentrics, creatives, radicals or activists. These people challenge the limitations and the expectations bestowed by our social norms.

Some are feisty and ‘out there’; others are quiet achievers. Some offer with their hands; others with their mental skills. Some organise; others provide the nation’s coterie of volunteers, carers and workers.

In short, the majority of our nation’s 2.7 million citizens aged 65 years of age or older are living committed, fruitful, healthy and engaged lives.1

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Old age is not a disease—it is strength and survivorship, triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trials and illnesses.

Maggie Kuhn, a founder of the Gray Panthers.

Getting real—the original ideaSince the ageing of the population is a common theme in both politics and social issues, St Luke’s Innovative Resources decided the time had come to challenge some of the wide-spread stereotypes.

The general population is living longer. In Australia the average person in 1900 had a life expectancy of 57 years.2

By 2010, according to United Nations projections, 14.3 percent of the Australian population will be over 65.3 By 2051, 28% of the population will be over 65 years at current birth rates; furthermore, almost half the population is projected to be over 50 years.4 Active ageing will be mainstream.

Therefore, it is heartening to find that some significant studies contradict the fears of an infirm and needy age group of post-65 by revealing an active and involved cohort of senior citizens.

Recent Australian research, reported in a 2003 publication entitled Energised, Engaged, Everywhere, has summed up our proposition.5 This research found that:

• 88% of older people are members of clubs or community groups

• 75% drive a car

• 42% of older men and 33% of older women participate in sport or physical activities

• 40% have travelled to new places in the past 12 months.

The same studies found that the key contributing factors to the downside of ageing are impaired health, reduced finances and social isolation. Provided health concerns were minimal, the surveyed residents were busy, getting on with their lives and offering their contribution to the community. Even those with limited means were still connected.

Innovative Resources decided to promote these facts through a strengths-based card set. The active agers depicted in this card set offer a balance of personal fitness, reflection, social connection and community contribution.

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The process stages for Age of Adventure

The photo call

Age of Adventure began with a photo call to the community through articles in local papers, offers to educational institutions, email requests and a call for photo submissions on our website and through our newsletter, The Serious Optimist.

The response was very generous. Over one hundred photos have been supplied. We selected and supplemented where needed, to get the broad range of images the resource required.

The final selection was no easy task. The process included several phases: selecting the best of the photo call, writing to those photographers for written permission, adding the supplementary images for balance in the card set, deciding on an agreed number of images for the resource and then processing several further photo cuts to gain the final mix of desired images.

The reference group

The reference group of Russell Deal, John Holton, Step Forbes and Judi Fisher met regularly to keep the project on track. Issues such as whether to use colour or black and white photos, the range of images to include, and the potential uses of the cards were all part of the lively discussion.

Victoria’s former Premier Joan Kirner was a unanimous choice to write the foreword in recognition of her active and continuing contribution to community conversations and change.

Julie Millowick, a local photographer and university lecturer in photography, was an equally obvious choice to write about the power of the photographic image.

Community contacts

A number of groups have been generous with their expertise in the compilation of these images. The Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-op (BDAC) and the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) were both extremely helpful in assisting our search for images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

The Bendigo Vietnam Veterans Association and the Bendigo RSL Museum were also cooperative with our request for images of older Vietnam vets. Russell Jack of the Bendigo Chinese Museum kindly agreed to having his photograph included in the resource.

The editor of Beyond the Smoke, a publication compiled after the January 2006 Grampians bushfires, helped us to locate two photographers who supplied specific images. Rod Case, editor of The Wimmera Mail-Times, gave permission for a third image to be used from their files.

Two groups of students from Bendigo Campus of La Trobe University were also part of our community contacts. At the beginning of the project Judi Fisher was invited to speak with second-year photography students and flag the Age of Adventure project as an important opportunity to extend their photographic resumes. Later, after the card set was established, Dr Jennifer Lehmann used a selection of ten cards with a social work class who were studying the life stage of ageing. In collating the responses to her survey of questions, Dr Lehmann noted that ‘several students commented that the

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cards suggested older people have the same feelings and behaviours as young people. Others said the cards made them wonder how they would be when they reached old age or what being old would be like for them.’

The design process

Jane Prideaux of Castlemaine is one of Innovative Resources’ long-standing (and outstanding) designers. Jane fulfilled the brief for this project with sensitivity and flair, designing a colourful and eye-catching design that highlights the active engagement of older people. Her card design is based on the old-style coloured slides of an earlier generation of travelogues, photographs and images—one that is still current in the memory of our older citizens and ideal for this card set.

The photographersOne hundred and twenty-seven photos were submitted in a variety of ways to this project. We are grateful to all the photographers who responded to the photo call. And to those photographers whose images were chosen to appear in Age of Adventure; we appreciate your generosity in donating the images. Thanks to:

Lynton Eames (through Betty Beecham) Bendigo Ballooning (through Mary Pickles) Christine Bradley Cecily Chittick Shelley Dyett Sarah Hucklesby Robert Hutton (through Cinnamon Evans) Susan Johnson Peter Lechte Andrew Masterton Jan Moore Ping Pan-Frew Melissa Powell (with the permission of The Wimmera Mail Times)Beth Richardson Allan Seddon Karyn Steadman Cherry Tennant

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Innovative Resources made a financial contribution to the Vietnam Vets Association for the photos we sought from them.

We engaged three commercial photographers to fill some identified gaps in the selection after the photo call. Many thanks to:

Don Butterworth Ray Bowler Michael Wilson

One other photographer was unable to be traced but as her photo was owned by the person who submitted it we are using it while crediting the original photographer, Clare Taylor.

Photos were also provided by former Innovative Resources staff member, Sandy Harman, and Project Manager, Judi Fisher.

Credit also goes to Rev. Hoon You for the dance image which Jane Prideaux has incorporated as a silhouette into the cover design for the booklet, cards and box.

The power of the imagePhotographs can change both our individual lives and the course of history.

A powerful example is the photograph taken in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1968 by the photojournalist Eddie Adams. It shows a civilian being shot through the head at point-blank range by the Chief of Police, General Loan. Within 24 hours that image was seen around the world. The viewer response was one of shock and outrage. In countries with a military commitment to the Vietnam War, the photograph inspired millions of people to publicly protest, placing incredible pressure on those governments to withdraw from Vietnam.

Imagine how many conversations resulted from that image. People reacted with shock, dismay, anger and pain. Millions voiced their response and are still doing so 50 years later.

Every day we respond to images in ways which may not change the world, but most certainly can and do change our own lives and the lives of those around us. We see images in magazines, newspapers, within the collections of our friends, or our community—and invariably these images speak to us. They speak in ways that words often cannot. Their voice, their communication to us, is immediate, as is our response.

Because our response to a photograph is immediate, our brain reacts with an amazing process of interconnection. The photograph may trigger a replay of an actual experience we’ve had, or an experience someone we know has had. Memories can lead us onto whole new trains of thought, which in turn lead to other thoughts … and so it goes.

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Isn’t this amazing? Isn’t this exciting? Isn’t this powerful? And all because of a photograph.

If we verbalise our responses, they in turn activate all kinds of other reactions—in ourselves and others. Imagine the vibrant, meaningful, sensitive, and compassionate conversations we can have with each other—all because we connected with a single photograph.

As the saying goes, A picture is worth a thousand words.

Think about the use of photography in your own life and the potential it has for creative expression. We all have thoughts, feelings and responses to the world that are very hard to communicate verbally. Why not make a photograph of how you feel? A photograph can speak for you. When someone looks at it, they can feel how you felt in your head—in your heart—at the time of making the image.

Conversely, next time you look at an image that has been created by another person, like those in Age of Adventure, think of the incredible chain of communication that has been created from the moment the shutter opened; information, both objective and emotional, that can affect us at our deepest or most superficial levels. The ability of an image to be moving, sensitive, passionate, funny, poignant or familiar is an amazing and exciting thing.

When you look at images I have created, I don’t have to be there with you, explaining them. You may be a hemisphere away from me, but it doesn’t matter because my voice—my thoughts—are there with you.

Sharing our reactions and responses with our families, friends and communities helps us to understand each other more completely. Our lives

are saturated with the media and, particularly, the cult of the celebrity. The latter often seems to diminish the lives of ordinary people—people like you and me—but our lives are extraordinary. In fact they are super-extraordinary: filled with drama, strength, humour, sadness and, above all, our own unique way of looking at the world. A photograph both affirms and reflects this.

Photographs are immediately accessible to all of us, regardless of religion, culture, age, gender, literacy or language. And they live on in our memories long after the first encounter.

I hope photographs and photography become an integral and enriching part of your life.

Julie Millowick Art photographer and lecturer in photography La Trobe University, Bendigo

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The stories behind the photosThe wisdom of age is often heard in the wry matter-of-fact stories older people tell. When we pause from our busy lives we become available to hear these experiences.

Our photo call process has triggered wonderful conversations between families and friends about life, experiences and connection. The submitters have openly shared some of this with us via emails and letters.

Two of the photographers have lost partners since their photos were sent to us, but their pleasure in our selection has been heartfelt.

Another photographer submitted the camel-riding photo with an explanatory note: ‘This is a photo of two women in their 80s—hip replacements and heart bypasses not dampening their quest for fun.’ In a later email exchange she wrote: ‘Forgot to add my 82-year-old mother leaves for a trip to Vietnam in a week’s time.’

Another card shows Red Cross women making sandwiches. On this occasion they were supplying food to the fire fighters during the catastrophic bushfires that swept the Grampians in early 2006. A photographic record Beyond the Smoke captures the bravery and dedication during this time and highlights the later regeneration and hope of the communities as people replanted and rebuilt and trees sent green tendrils across the charred landscape.

Other contributors have pulled out old photo albums and talked with grandchildren about their days as lively young adults.

Some friendships have spanned time and distance. For example, one respondent scanned an early photo of her mother and a girlfriend. The English-born teacher trainees were headed for holidays in Ireland in 1948. Sixty years later, these two women still nurture a friendship while living hemispheres apart; one in Suffolk and the other ‘Down Under.’ The photo we have included shows the two friends captured in delighted conversation and was taken during a recent visit back to England.

Photo

used

with

perm

ission

Innovative Resources has been honoured to be the recipient of these gifts of love, laughter, tears and memories.

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Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.

The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. Henry Ford, automobile inventor

Applications—a reflective and conversational tool

Age of Adventure is designed to be a reflective and conversation-building tool about the possibilities inherent in the last decades of our lives.

Our goal is to encourage the ability to recognise and alter negative stereotypes of older people, to build positive relationships between a broader range of ages and to enable our communities and individuals to value the lives and stories of our older citizens. We want to encourage all users of these cards to reflect creatively and consciously on these images.

Like all the conversation-building resources published by Innovative Resources, it is important to consider some cautions before the Age of Adventure cards are introduced.

Here are some questions to consider before using any hands-on tools:

1. What is my purpose in introducing the cards?

2. Am I comfortable with the cards myself?

3. Do I know the other person/s well enough to believe the cards are appropriate?

4. Am I confident to take a risk?

5. Is the timing right?

6. Have I considered the relevance and usefulness of each card and made a considered selection rather than simply using the whole set?

7. Am I prepared for strong feelings to emerge?

8. In a group situation am I able to deal with the variety of experiences that may emerge?

9. Do I have a ‘Plan B’?

10. What if more time is required?

11. How do I intend to end the activity?

12. How will I evaluate the activity?

It is important that hands-on tools should not get in the way of anyone’s creativity. Reflections, conversations and the sharing of stories are important things. The cards are merely prompts; the means to these ends.

Art and artifact have the capacity to take our reflections and conversations to places that words alone may not. In this way they contain huge potential for change. How this potential is actualised depends upon the dynamics of our interpretations and relationships.

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When using Age of Adventure, we invite you to consider Kevin Vallence’s six principles of ‘change by design’.6 These principles are:

1. Engagement – Communicate clearly, listen to others, understand the process and involve everyone.

2. Continuity – Acknowledge the past, live in the present with respect for difference. Celebrate key events and plan for a future for all of us.

3. Commitment – Participate, keep promises, live with ambiguity, evaluate progress, use language to include, and seek consensus.

4. Connectedness – Build relationships by acting ethically and responsibly, reward people fairly and set a good example ourselves, consult broadly and take initiative, including risks.

5. Learning – Welcome new ideas, learn from mistakes, build skills and competencies, lead with strengths, solve matters holistically.

6. Shared vision – Act together to reflect the ‘big picture,’ agree on values that we share, promote networks, set up simple systems and clear standards.

St Luke’s strength-based resources are well-known as useful tools in four areas. The same is true of this card set. They are ideal for:

• Using questions to build conversations • Meditation, contemplation and reflection • Journalling and reflective writing • Creative writing

You will probably find other ways to use these cards as well, but we offer the following suggestions as a possible starting point.

The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious.

Ted Livett

Creating new possibilities The single aim of Age of Adventure is to open up new possibilities in the ways we imagine and create our futures.

Working with young people

We hope that Age of Adventure will speak to sixteen-year-olds as much as it will to eighty-six-year-olds.

It’s true that planning our possibilities for living adventurously in old age may seem remote to a sixteen-year-old, but with each passing decade our confrontation with the realities of old age becomes more pronounced.

Some sixteen-year-olds will have older parents. Many will have grandparents and great-grandparents into their 70s, 80s and 90s. By sixteen we will already have laid down expectations about what it is to grow old. And while it is a big ask for any sixteen-year-old to consider their own ageing, perhaps this is exactly the time that stereotypes should be challenged.

The act of imagining how they want to be living their life at 86 may provide young people with some thoughts about the directions and priorities they may wish to set for themselves now. Questions of longevity and lifestyle choices hinted at by Age of Adventure cut straight to the core existential questions of meaning and purpose in life.

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The list of possibilities of active ageing is endless when people of any age have a ‘can and will do’ attitude.

Joan Kirner, former Premier of Victoria, activist and mentor

There is no recipe for how we should grow old but perhaps there is a cookbook that suggests many different dishes. It is up to us to create the meals that work best for each of us.

For any age

Age of Adventure attempts to gently address ways to broaden the possibilities for anyone thinking about their future. Keeping possibilities alive and vibrant is implicit in the images on the cards.

Some starting questions

So what significance do our images and expectations about old age have for each of us, irrespective of how old we are now?

Here are a few ‘beginning questions’ that you might consider asking to provide a rich context for using the cards. The questions might be asked to a group, to another individual or to oneself, but they depend upon the asker’s purpose, creativity, respect and judgment for their usefulness.

• Who are the older people you most admire and why?

• Do you believe one can be adventurous well into old age?

• What things erode the spirit of adventure as we get older?

• Which of the Age of Adventure cards represent how you would like to live your life right up to the end?

• What do you think ‘old’ is anyway?

• What do you think might stop you doing the things that you really want to do ?

• What obstacles do adventurous older people have to overcome?

• How do you balance living in the present with creating possibilities for the future?

• Can you think of older people who have ‘broken the mould’ and might fit in the categories of :

Radical? Eccentric? Non-conformist? Activist? Creative? Subversive?

• Do social norms and stereotypes limit the choices of older people?

• Do you fear growing old? What do you fear most about this process?

• Are there particular cards in the Age of Adventure set that suggest what you would want to be doing at different ages:

60? 70? 80? 90?

• Can you think of activities you didn’t try at a younger age that you might reconsider and attempt now?

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• What does ‘wisdom’ mean to you?

• What does ‘contentment’ mean?

For meditation, contemplation and reflection

Photography as a visual metaphor opens us to the lives of others and to better understanding ourselves.

• Is there one card that best identifies how you hope to spend much of your later years?

• Is there an older person who has influenced this choice?

• Are there older people that you miss? Does any card represent this loss in your life?

• When you observe older friends what kinds of relationships do they enjoy? What insights about life are evident in the way they live?

• Is there a card that focuses your anger about ageing?

Using Age of Adventure as a creative writing and journalling tool

Journalling means different things to different people. At Innovative Resources we use the term broadly. Often journalling takes the form of creative writing, but it can also include illustration, drawings, paintings, collage, scribbles, doodling, poetry and artifacts such as photos, cards, letters, ticket stubs … the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Creative writing and journalling can help to clarify our thoughts and feelings, identify patterns and themes in our lives, remember and rediscover, set goals and priorities, and importantly, find our own personal forms of expression.

There are many simple techniques you can employ to begin creating and reflecting with the Age of Adventure cards. Here are just a few.

Sentence starters

Choose a card that speaks to you for some reason. Think of a sentence that relates directly to that image. For example, the iconic image of the Christmas conga line (complete with dog). The sentence starter might be: My friends are important to me because… Or using one of the images of people laughing, the starter might be: Humour has helped me through…

Completing these sentences may lead to further journalling, revealing memories, thoughts, forgotten ideas, dreams and plans for the future. Think of a starter sentence for each card and make it part of your journalling toolkit.

Lists

Lists are a wonderful journalling technique because they allow people to recall a lot of information in a short space of time. Lists are easily achievable—we can all do it! What sort of lists might arise from using the Age of Adventure cards? It’s often good to give yourself a goal and a time limit. For example: You have 90 seconds. Write a list of 10 things you’ve never done before that you’d like to do in the next year. Or: Write a list of 10 people who have had an influence on your life. Use the cards as inspiration for further lists. An example for the ballooning and Harley Davidson images might be: Make a list of 10 really adventurous things you’ve done in your life.

Mind-mapping

This is a great technique for brainstorming ideas and kick-starting creative writing or conversation. Scan the cards and choose one that suggests a key word (this technique is most effective when you work quickly and choose the

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first thing that comes to mind). Here are some examples of words that arose in a group journalling situation using Age of Adventure: learning, war, adventure, reflection, friendship, laughter, skill, giving, wilderness, obsession…

Now write the chosen word in the centre of a page and draw a circle around it. Then write down whatever word comes to mind when you think of the first word. Circle it and connect the words with a line. Continue the process of word association until you have filled the entire page. What do you see? Are certain words repeated? Is there a pattern? Do the words indicate something you’re experiencing in your life at the moment? Are there any themes that you’d like to explore further? Do the words evoke a certain memory, or compel you to write a story or poem?

Writing dialogue

Dialogue is simply a conversation between people, objects, situations or anything you want to converse with. Think of the way a play is written. You might choose to be one of the characters conversing with one of the people represented in the Age of Adventure cards. You might create a conversation between two characters that appear on a card together, or perhaps characters from different cards conversing with each other. Dialogue can be a good way to reflect on our own behaviour and the behaviour of others in our lives. It can be a handy device for collecting our thoughts, ideas and feelings before actually saying anything ‘out loud’ or ‘in person’.

Choose a person from the cards who might represent an older version of yourself. Write a conversation with your ‘older’ self. What questions might you ask? Alternatively, write a letter from your ‘older’ self to your ‘here and now’ self. What advice might your ‘older’ self offer?

Stream of consciousness writing

This style of journalling is about letting go of all your preconceived ideas, or rules, about writing. Scan the Age of Adventure cards, pick up a pen or pencil, open your journal and start writing. Write about anything that comes to mind. Choose a length of time (maybe five minutes to begin with) and try to keep your pen moving without pausing to ‘think’. Your writing doesn’t have to make sense, nor do the ideas need to connect or relate to each other. Forget about spelling and grammar—forget about full-stops and commas—just write! If you get stuck, quickly scan the cards and continue where you left off.

This type of writing can pick up random thoughts and emotions. It can lead to unintentional rhyme and alliteration and can be a great launching pad for poetry and story writing. By not stopping to cross things out, or edit as you go, your instinctive flow can take over leading to weird and wonderful results. Try underlining or highlighting words, phrases or sentences that seem significant to you. What are they telling you? Can you identify themes and patterns in the writing? You may have to read your creation several times to find meaning or insight. If you’re journalling in a group, why not share your writing around. What meaning do others find in your piece?

Some other prompts for creative writing with Age of Adventure

• Choose an Age of Adventure card and write from the perspective of the person on the card. What are they thinking, feeling, dreaming? If you have trouble getting started pretend you are that person.

• Choose a card that represents, for you, a certain feeling or emotion. Try to write about the feeling/emotion without actually stating what it is.

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Use imagery and action rather than ‘telling’—poetry might be a useful form of expression. In a group you might like to share your pieces of writing. Can others in the room guess the emotion or feeling you were trying to portray?

• A photographic image can only ever be a two dimensional resource. But why not try to bring other dimensions to the Age of Adventure images? Choose a card and write a piece putting yourself in the image. Feel the mountain breeze in your hair, smell the flowers in the garden or the salty ocean air, hear the tinkling piano keys.

• One of the most potent questions any writer (particularly a fiction writer) can ask themselves is ‘what if?’. Choose a card and begin to question the situation in the image. For example, look at the card that features a woman reflecting on a wedding photograph. What if her husband went off to war and never returned? What if she is reflecting on her early life after just remarrying? What if the photograph is the key to uncovering a family secret?

• Every Age of Adventure card tells a story. Select a card—now try and find another card that adds a new layer of meaning to the story. Can you find several cards that build the plot of a larger story?

• Sometimes it only takes a small idea to spawn a creative masterpeice. Sometimes thinking of a catchy title can suggest a story or poem. Select Age of Adventure cards at random and make up titles for them. The Graduates, Up and Away, The Conga Line, Praying for Fish, The Curse of the Purple Fingers, No Wheel Drive…This can be a simple, yet highly effective cure for writer’s block.

About the authors of this booklet Judi Fisher is the booklet author and Project Manager for Age of Adventure. She is a freelance author and editor when she is not travelling, quilting or bonding with her grandchildren. Her on-going work in community services and for non-profit organisations has led to publications in community arts, religion and women’s issues.

Russell Deal is Innovative Resources’ Director, principal trainer and font of publishing ideas for two decades. He also divides his time between being a grandad, building dry stone walls and dreaming of Essendon victories. John Holton is the author of several books including short story collections and non-fiction titles. When he’s not indulging his passion for storytelling and poetry John can be found in the Senior Editor’s seat at Innovative Resources.

Joan Kirner is the former Premier of Victoria, instigator of Landcare, educator, author and Victorian Communities Advisor. Julie Millowick is a Central Victorian fine art photographer and lecturer in photography at La Trobe University (Bendigo Campus). Both have offered special insights through their contributed pieces.

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About Innovative ResourcesInnovative Resources has emerged over the past two decades as the not-for-profit publishing arm of St Luke’s Anglicare. Our charter reflects the unique strengths-based philosophy of St Luke’s and their motto Respect Hope Justice.

As a small independent publisher Innovative Resources aims to create resources that build self-esteem, uncover personal strengths and create positive change. Our resources are informed and inspired by St Luke’s 30 years of experience in community service provision to children, young people and families throughout north-central Victoria, Australia.

Located in the heart of Bendigo (Victoria, Australia) Innovative Resources employs a hard-working, fun-loving, ideas-dedicated team—from the administration staff through to writers, editors, project managers, designers and workers in the warehouse. We contract a number of extremely talented freelance graphic artists and photographers for individual projects.

Innovative Resources is also known for its strengths-based training and mail-order retailing.

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