The relationship between women and age is legendary and poses many questions. As a portrait artist, I have noticed that women of all ages refuse to accept themselves as they are. They want to be "retouched" and fixed to look younger, thinner, more like magazine models, and to erase all the beautiful marks of their wisdom and experience. Does youth equal beauty? Looking at the photographs, are the 20-something women more beautiful then the over-50s?
Our age is a number which is attached to us as children and remains, although changing, with us forever. Some years we are proud of our number (I'm five!). Other years we are frightened of our number (Yikes, I'm going to be 50). In fact, every number has a meaning, which of course may be different for different women. The numbers prompt us to action: kindergarten, menstruation, wearing makeup, driving, college, marriage, affairs, career decisions, pregnancy, motherhood, menopause, cosmetic surgery, retirement, divorce...even death.
Society dictates what is "appropriate" for every age: how to dress, how to act, how to spend our time, and whom to choose as friends and lovers. We often wonder about the age of others ("How old is she?"), especially if she is not following the accepted agenda of aging.
As we age, we notice that people who once would have seemed "old" to us now appear to be quite young. This is the shock of middle age, to find that our supervisors, physicians, and therapists are young enough to be our children. Many of the older women in the project expressed that they have lived "enough." With life spans increasing, how long do we really want to live? Under what conditions would a long life be most fulfilling?
Ultimately, every woman should be able to look at the photographs and see herself in the past, present and future. She may see a child who reminds her of how she was, or someone older who is exactly who she wants to become. She may marvel at women her own age who are very different from her, or very much the same. Ultimately, the series will be a rich tapestry representing the life cycle of all women. We are not just one age, but all the ages that we have been and will become. We are simply at one point along this journey.
My objective is to photograph any woman who is willing to show her age in the image, and the number of women who volunteered has been tremendous. Many felt it was liberating to be accepted at their true age, without artifice, and without any expectation that they would have to look younger or different from who they are. The photographs are not meant to be an end in themselves, but a catalyst for people to think and talk about all these issues: age, beauty, society, relationships, and life.
As we find our voices on this weekend's show (both literally and figuratively!), we're checking in with former GRG of the Week Nancy Mills, creator the Spirited Woman Approach to Life, which includes the Spirited Woman web site and blogger team.
Nancy is committed to helping women find their authentic voices and feel good about showing the world who they are and what they're all about. Known for her inspirational insight and interview style, Nancy is also the moderator of the Spirited Woman Circle, an exclusive monthly conversation series with famous women authors, actresses, radio personalities, editors, and more.
Check out Spirited Woman here and sign up for Nancy's inspirational e-newsletter!
Girls (and guys) just want to have fun...at every age! We chose to highlight Amy Zimmerman this week because she loves to spice up her life in lots of little ways. And she wrote a great blog for the "50-Something Moms" web site about a slumber party to celebrate the 50th birthday of a favorite girlfriend. It's about how the fun never has to end in adulthood.
She writes, "In only 23 hours we squeezed in massages, swimming laps, hiking a mountain trail, a soak in a glorious outdoor hot tub on a brisk afternoon, a wild dinner complete with balloon animals (don't ask)...and more topics and laughs than you could imagine. A diverse group of women, all in stages of turning or having turned the big 5-0. All still squeezing every drop out of life." Doesn't that sound fantastic?? Check out the blog post here.
I Lost My Job...and I Liked It. That's the title of a brand new book by Lilou Mace, a former Get Real Girl of the Week who's joining us from London for her first U.S. interview about the book. Yay! Lilou's a great inspiration; she co-founded The 100 Day Challenge, an online community of dream-seekers around the world. Thousands of people have set their intentions for big (and small) life changes and commited to tracking their progress online with blog or videos. Lilou, who's originally from France, was living in Chicago the last time we talked with her. But she moved to London for a job - and then lost it due to budget cuts. Her book chronicles her inspirational journey of losing her job and discovering her greatest dreams. You can pre-order I Lost My Job...and I Liked It: 30-Day Law of Attraction Diary of a Dream Job Seeker on Amazon. Listen to Lilou's interview during the first hour of Get Real on Saturday or listen to the On Demand audio.
This week on Get Real, we're talking about Spring Cleaning for the Soul - simple ways to freshen up your home, office and frame of mind that will help you feel great! We're checking in with a past Get Real Girl of the Week, Terry Grahl of Michigan. When she was on the show in 2007, this professional decorator had just completed her first "makeover" at a women's shelter, compiling donations from across the country to create a sacred, soothing space for the women there. She took run-down rooms with creaky bunk beds (pictured above) and turned it into a magical, welcoming space. The experience was so powerful that she has since closed her design business and opened a non-profit called Enchanted Makeovers, which transforms shelters for women & children into places of peace and possibility. Click here to read more of her story and to see how you can help her wonderful mission!
As you sweep your floors or organize a closet this spring, take time to think about and be thankful for all that you have. I'm trying to remember not to complain about all the windows that need cleaning, all the cabinets that need scrubbing, or the clothes that need to be sorted...and just be grateful that I have those things in the first place.
