If you or a loved one are age 55+, you may wonder about the most effective ways to continue staying connected, curious, and creative. According to recent research, doing things that foster creativity, participating in passions you enjoy, and connecting with others are among the top ways to ensure that you stay happier and healthier.

With that research in mind, a new program for Chicagoland residents aged 55 and better has been designed to support wellness with a unique combination of at-home creative art projects that are also supported by an online community. The program, Do it Together (D.I.T.) Art Community Kits in a Box, is the latest offering for older adults from the nonprofit organization Mather, based in Evanston, Illinois, whose mission is creating Ways to Age Well.

"At Mather, we know every memory and moment is better with a bit of color. That’s why we’re kick-starting this unique creative community,” explains Cate O'Brien, PhD, senior vice president at Mather. Even if you've never picked up a paintbrush or worked with fabric or paper arts before, you can have fun exploring new creative activities with a complimentary D.I.T. Art Kit. After signing up for the free program, you'll have a box delivered to your home containing all the materials and instructions you'll need for six unique fiber arts projects.

Each D.I.T Art Kit is designed to be suitable for beginners and experts alike. The projects include Tissue Paper Dyeing on Silk, Shibori Dip Dyeing and Shibori Immersion Dyeing with Color Pigment, Weaving, Fabric-Wrapped Jewelry and Foraged Weaving — plus a bonus project.

You can work on a new project every week, and you may also choose to join a weekly online instructional session. During the virtual Zoom learning sessions, everyone can learn at their own pace, ask questions and build lasting connections. Participants are encouraged to share their work on a dedicated Facebook page to ensure that the creativity doesn't stop once the project is finished, and that the conversations and connections continue.

"This program is designed specifically to support participant wellness through creativity — which is a powerful tool — as well as through learning something new and being part of a community," says O'Brien. "Older adults who actively participate in creative pursuits have shown improved physical and mental health."

Mather will ship up to 1,000 free D.I.T. Art Kits to participants in late May, with their instructional online meetups beginning June 6, 2023.

If you're a Chicagoland resident aged 55 and up, register before May 24, 2023, for the upcoming complimentary D.I.T. Art Kits.