The Art of Aging
What if we think of aging as an art?
…an effort called out of the soul that takes skill, guts and devotion to manifest…
with the power to create laughter, seriously tweak stereotypes, and inspire.
I told a late 50ish woman at a book store I was working on a project called The Art of Aging. She frowned and said, “Honey, you need to change out that title. No one wants to hear it called that,” she said.
“Called what?” I asked.
“You know, uh,” she rolled her eyes, “the aging thing. Call it something else.”
She went on to suggest alternative titles filled with ’glamorous’ age-avoidance words.
What about this aging thing?
What does it mean to mature as a woman in our culture?
Are you making it up as you go along?
I for one would like some help with this.
I do have a list-
What about you? What do you want to know?
I want to find wise, creative, funny, positive, kind, sassy, lyrical
full-of-spirit women,
women who are willing to share their thoughts, creative output, and images, and ask them:
What do you, your mother, daughters, your friends, relatives and neighbors want other women to know about aging?
Who were/are your role models? What did they say to inspire you?
Tessa 14, Janel 29
Please please ask yourself these questions (or make up your own) and let me know your answers.
O Happy Day…this is a community creation; stories and images will be posted. Maybe an ebook will be created!
The Rules: Short posts. No preaching, no politics. No pushy links to marketing stuff.
Not-a-rule: I asked my daughters to participate so we can learn together. I invite you to find someone who is not in your generation to collaborate with and contribute to the conversation.
Talk about beauty feeding.
March 31, 2010
Oh Sophie, you just ran into a silly woman who is ashamed of her experience, knowledge and life. I think many women are in tune with the known facts that today’s woman (and men too) live to be much older than 50, 60, or 70! With all the medical help and advice on how to keep healthy many will live to be 100 – easily. But the transition from being a young (20ish or 30ish) woman is difficult for a lot of us. I think it’s wonderful to have an outlet of sharing our experiences and sometimes our difficulties in making this transition from youth to accepting our selves as we gather years around ourselves. You’re on the right path and you deserves accolades for acknowledging, writing and communing with all of us experiencing the “Art of Aging”. Thank you and keep it up<3
Hi Michelle, I didn’t have a clue how to make that transition -I came up with ‘The Art of Aging’ project because I was pretty sure I wan’t alone. In a year I’ve learned a lot from Beauties like you-we’re all in this together, piecing it together bit by bit.
Thank you for your kind words.
2011 will be the year I stopped putting all kinds of artificial “menopausal red” colorings in my hair. It is now salt and pepper, and I let it grow long. I wear it with pride. I actually feel much younger with my natural color, as it suits best with my skin complexion, my eyes. It is.. ME. Finally. I started using henna when I was about 16. Now, (more than) 30 years later, I emancipated myself from that slavery and it feels great. The natural curls have come back too. Grey hair is not dull at all: it is full of light! Greetings from Brussels.
Sofi, I’ve followed you for quite a while and you are an inspiration. BTW, I’m almost 57 and have never colored my hair. It’s more salt than pepper ( I had very dark hair) and I wear it long. On some days I let it go naturally wavy and I look a little wild and crazy! I love it! lol!
Sophie, you have hit us aging beauties in all the right places. I love to be me – a woman who doesn’t care if I pin a feather in my hair or dance all over the house to Celtic music. I am a woman inspiried by your art – I am showing up Sophie! Thank you. Ollie B.