Kayla James for The New York Times

Some of the most prominent creative people over the age of 75 spoke to The Times about their careers and their professional motivations. “Sometimes in the morning when I wake up, it’s hard to get out of bed,” said the artist Betye Saar, above. But, she added, “I do it. Not everyone has a reason to get out of bed, something they love to do and that gives their life meaning. I am so lucky that I have that.”

Lives lived: Peter Higgs won the Nobel Prize for discovering the Higgs boson, or “God particle,” which helps explain how other particles acquire mass. He died at 94.