An Alexandria artist has been celebrated as one of the nation’s most Beautiful Minds.
Carol Siegel was chosen for her active and creative lifestyle. She stays busy at the age of 75 through her diet and nutrition, physical health, mental health and social well-being.
The award was one of nine honoring adults over 55. Siegel is the only Virginian honored. The campaign, “Celebrating Beautiful Minds,” is part of the National Center for Creative Aging’s (NCCA) national health education campaign, “Beautiful Minds: Finding Your Lifelong Potential.”
Siegel said, “I love tackling new artistic challenges. Drawing from my career as a professional photographer, I now teach art and poetry workshops at adult day care centers.”
She enjoyed “a satisfying career that included teaching photography to young people, I decided to pursue my passion of enabling people to express themselves through art. At 55 I returned to school, where I earned a master’s degree in expressive therapies.”
Siegel is a “teaching artist at Arts for the Aging.” The group provides arts and engagement programs to people in nursing homes and adult day care centers. She said, “I’ve had wonderful experiences teaching art and poetry workshops to these seniors, including taking them to see an anniversary showing of one of my earlier photography exhibits at the Alexandria Black History Museum.”
“This is a wonderful honor for a wonderful lady,” said Janet Barnett, a friend and expert on seniors’ lifestyles. “Carol sets such a powerful example for all of us.”
Barnett said the Beautiful Minds campaign finalists included people from 58 to 90. One of the inspiring stories is about an 81-year-old who bikes nine miles to work, an 84-year-old champion swimmer and a 90-year-old Chinese opera singer.
Siegel said, “I feed my mind by helping others discover the joys of artistic expression I feed my mind by helping others discover the joys of artistic expression. I feed my body by eating nutritious foods. I stay active by practicing yoga five times a week, swimming twice a week and walking my dog.”
Many physicians and experts on the aging process say “the graying of America” is truly the second American Revolution. Maintaining good brain health, according to Dr. Gay Hanna, executive director of NCCA, “is easier than most people realize.”
Founded in 2001 the NCCA promotes creative expression as vital to healthy aging through education, research, advocacy through technical assistance in health and wellness.