The My Aging Face Project started with a reflection in the mirror. In my mid-40s, I started to notice changes – more silver threads populated my head, my skin looser around the edges. True, I was more comfortable in my skin than ever before, yet I still felt at odds with what I saw in the mirror.
On social media and in the press, I saw competing wisdoms about what aging gracefully “should” look like. Should I embrace aging or fight it? When I looked around, I felt relief seeing my peers show their age, too, but I was just as tempted by the promise of bottling my youth with serums and interventions.
I figured I wasn’t alone.
So, I started a conversation. I created a space for women to come together and share their reflections. To say out loud what we oftentimes think in the mirror….and, in the process, challenge the expectations society sets for us.
Since the start of this project in 2021, women of different ages and backgrounds have courageously shared what aging looks like to them. Their stories are honest, vulnerable, and personal, and often very relatable.
What do you see in the mirror? The etches of your life’s journey? A family member’s features? A red lip you wouldn’t have dared to wear years before?
If I have learned one thing from these extraordinary women, it is this: We may not get to choose if or how we age, but we can choose how we experience it.
Welcome to the conversation.
Allyn
Allyn Rippin, Artist and Organizer
Allyn is a writer, artist and advocate for well beings based in Georgia. Through her platform, Live Nourished with Allyn, she curates events and experiences that bring people together to explore complex subjects, build community, and support individual and collective wellbeing. Allyn is currently the Center for Active Living Director at Athens Community Council on Aging, where she develops programs that challenge norms around aging and encourage us to age and live well. For more, visit www.allynrippin.com.
Live Nourished with Allyn is on Instagram
The Aging Us is on Instagram