CORONA DEL MAR, Calif. – Without creativity, it feels like something is missing from Jane Drew’s life. And so, come rain or shine, she never misses her Food For Thought class. 

“It moves me. It gets me out of the house doing projects,” she said. 

This adult brain health class has become a highlight for her. She’s always eager to find out what craft she and the other seniors will be working on. After all, she's made a goal and she intends to stick to it. 

“It really is to be more creative in my life. I have created a whole room in my house for art,” she said. 

The Chuck Jones Center For Creativity created this class to help seniors exercise memory, executive function, visual function, and visual language and association through creative projects. The center says when we combine creativity with using our hands while being visually engaged, we use multiple areas of our brain all at once, and that makes crucial connections. 

In her mid 70s, Drew said she feels great, but she’s also always focusing on prevention. 

Cutting, slicing dicing, laughing, working together: it’s fun, meaningful and gives her purpose. 

“I don’t want to become a person that stays home all the time that sits and watches TV, I want to do something creative that makes my life sparkle,” she said. “I feel youthful inside. I have lots of friends."

And trying to put all the pieces together helps keep her life complete. 

“My mom had Alzheimer’s and I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to me. I do those brain games every day,” she said.