Aging is an art form, so be an artist

What Metallica's 61-year-old Danish drummer taught me about kicking ass after 50.

I don’t know Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s drummer, and I’m not really a fan of the band. But as fate (and a dip into a newly rediscovered, 5-year-old stash of CBD gummies in my bedroom closet) would have it, Ulrich was the source of a minor, late-night epiphany earlier this week.

Maybe epiphany’s too strong a word. Maybe I had something more like a cannabis-inspired awakening (a cannabakening?). Either way, it revealed the parallels between the artistic method and aging with strength. If you want to age with optimal strength, treat that process with the same vision and intent as an artist treats his or her craft: with relentless persistence, experimentation and a tolerance for short-term failure. And above all, a dedication to doing the work.

That’s it. That’s the epiphany (cannabiphany?).

But how does one implement that into a busy life full of existing obligations? We can’t all lead the life of a Nordic heavy metal drummer. But we can become composers and artists of our indisputable magnum opuses: the remaining decades of our lives. Below are a few thoughts about integrating the hallmarks of the artist’s journey into the process of becoming stronger with age. The foundation of that journey, as with any journey worth taking, is a commitment to aging with strength and purpose toward a goal.

“Some days inspirational stuff happens, other days you sit there and struggle. Be patient and let time be part of the process.”

This idea likely may not have occurred me had I not accidentally¹ watched one episode of a relatively new YouTube series called “And Metallica for All,” which comprises 10 videos purporting to show younger musicians how to make a successful band. The intended audience is Gen Z, not Gen X or older. But in Episode 2, called “From Riff to Song,” about how one bitchin’ guitar riff becomes a full song, Ulrich described how he and Metallica co-founder James Hetfield go to the studio each day to “clock in and put your eight hours in.”

This is where the parallels between the artist’s way and that of someone aging with strength revealed themselves. “Some days inspirational stuff happens, other days you sit there and struggle with this, just like anything else,” Ulrich says. “Be patient and let time be part of the process and respect the time element of it.

“It’s very labor intensive, and we respect that.”

“Clocking in” on your journey toward aging with strength

Metallica used the artistic process Ulrich described above to develop one short, catchy, arpeggiated lick, invented by its lead guitarist, into a song (“Enter Sandman”) that became its greatest commercial success. This is the same dedicated process that each of us can use to develop our individual visions of a stronger² older self into our daily lives, using the very principles Ulrich talked about.

source: Metallica Teaches Being in a Band Part 2 of 10 : From Riff to Song

These pillars of the artist’s journey, and the aging with strength journey, are:

• clocking in — a dedication to making regular time to do the work

• a willingness to struggle — some days will be frustrating or a failure; expect it

• “let time be part of the process” — a lovely phrase about the patience required to achieve the small gains that lead to big gains

• respect for that process — it’s what keeps you motivated and making progress

Applying those artistic principles to the process of aging strong, in all the different definitions of strong, may look something like this:

• Physically — creating a plan to move your body daily, with some form of resistance, and trying new ways to gain strength, balance and flexibility.

  • Examples: I’ve made a habit of walking at least 2 miles a day, doing at least 3 sets of some kind of weighted resistance exercise at home and raising my heart rate to 80% max. I tried pilates. I force myself to stretch every night.

• Cognitively — how can you keep your intellectual and creative brain actively challenged every week, beyond crosswords and Wordle?

  • Examples: writing in a journal or reading for pleasure or opinion (such as the editorials of a publication whose political biases you disagree with). Regularly visiting a museum or library. Experiment with AI prompts.

• Emotionally — holding yourself accountable to how you treat (and mistreat) yourself and those around you is essential to emotional strength.

  • Examples: I have a standing appointment with my therapist, who helps clean out my Full-O-Shit Filter™. Short meditation breaks are also incredibly revealing.

• Spiritually — clocking in, as it were, on creating a strong sense of daily, weekly and monthly purpose beyond only work and professional goals.

  • Examples: volunteering; parenting; recruiting new people into your personal network; and, not least, creating your own killer guitar/piano/poetic riff.

• Nutritionally — I equate this pillar of strength to the chorus of a song, because it confronts us several times each day. Why not make that chorus as strong, repeatable and enviable as possible?

  • Example: I started measuring my daily protein intake and reading every food label and ingredient list of every package I put in my grocery cart, to weed out ultra-processed foods and added sugars. Baby steps.

Aging as art form

Aging is an artistic experience, and we should think of it that way, rather than as something that only happens to us. We can excel at becoming older and stronger or, conversely, allow the years to pass through us. Why not excel?

1. The only reason YouTube’s algorithm fed me the Metallica segment was probably because I’d watched a few Police concert videos a couple months ago, which led me to write about the parallels between The Police, pro athletes and successful aging in November.

2. Stronger not just physically, but in all the ways that strength matters after 50: cognitively, emotionally, nutritionally, spiritually, and so on.