A post-birthday still life (making-of is saved in my Instagram story highlights ☺️)

For my whole adult life (and I suppose my childhood as well) our culture has told me to dread turning 40. For so long (although it's better recently) it seemed as though women just disappeared from culture/media/etc after their 30s, and I'll admit that there was definitely a time in my early adulthood that I figured I'd be 'done' by 40 and if I wasn't, that would be sad and life would be 'over' for me anyway (remember those conversations @carlycohen18 ??!) (Thank goodness I don't feel that way at all anymore, considering I just feel like I'm getting started, ha!)

Somehow, despite all of the societal brainwashing, I have actually been looking forward to turning 40 for the past half a decade ☺️ Maybe it's because of all of the amazing, badass women over 40 whom I had the pleasure of meeting through my 30s. Maybe it's because I always thought this age would lend some sort of legitimacy to my life/my work that I feared I lacked. Maybe it's just because I wanted to get it over with or, on the other hand, because I'm an optimist at heart. In any case, I'm happy to report that our weird culture of youth-worship did not ruin this milestone for me and I am so excited to see what the next decade brings. Here's to celebrating aging like the freakin' gift that it is! Cheers :)