A WOMAN
IN THE WORLD
A Woman in the World is a photographic diary exploring aging, identity, perimenopause, and the stories beneath the stories.
Back in 2019 I found myself firmly in a slump. My body was changing, my skin was visibly aging, and I was trying to navigate all the unknowns of perimenopause. I was disillusioned with social media and influencer culture and I felt overwhelmed by the constant barrage of curated content showcasing lives that didn’t look like mine.
Since I couldn’t see my reality reflected anywhere else, I decided to share my own.
I began A Woman in the World in 2020 as a year-long documentary diary. My goal was simple: tell the truth. Each day I committed to sharing a photo and a snippet from my world. Broadly, I focused on exploring aging, identity, perimenopause, and the stories beneath the stories.
I had a tiny following. I often wondered if anyone was really reading what I shared. But it was important to me to keep going. I had committed to tell the truth, so that’s what I kept doing.
After 365 days, my project was complete. I still had a tiny following but I had the honor of 120 days worth of my diary being featured in the U.S. National Women’s History Museum as part of their Women Writing History project.
I never anticipated returning to the project.
“What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open.”
But then, as I approached my 50th year, I found myself craving a container in which I could show up entirely at ease. Without being swayed by an algorithm or anyone else’s views. Where I could write freely. Creatively. Truthfully.
It is four and a half years since my original docu-diary and it is still a radical thing for a woman to tell the truth about her life. Especially a visibly aging woman who is doing her best not to absorb ageist stereotypes and succumb to oppressive beauty ideals.
I decided to commit to another year of sharing my inner world. Not because I think my life is special or extraordinary, but because I think it isn’t.
A Woman in the World: The Year of 50 gives visibility to my own aging process and what that really looks like. The images are in black and white, to symbolize what is usually unseen and to highlight the ways that our stripped back moments are still significant.
Truth matters. Representation matters. This project is, in part, resistance to a World which condemns aging and fuels the myth of perfect glossy lives, leaving little room for realities that simply don’t look like that.
I’ll be sharing updates on Substack so you can follow along weekly, or you can follow along daily on Instagram. I’ll also be sharing some of the extra in-depth personal shares for my paid Substack subscribers.
Thank you for joining me and my messy midlife journey. It’s an honor to share with you.