The 40/40 Exhibition

What can I say other than thank you for supporting my first exhibition featuring so many of you at The Belgian Brewer!

I started this project when I was 37 and I started having that panic moment over the concept of turning 40. So I did what I do best and I confronted those feelings by starting The 40 over 40 Project and honestly it’s been the best therapy for me. I have met so many of you and you are all so individually inspiring. I think back to how I felt about turning 40 at the start of this project and I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed over the pre conceived ideas I had over what turning 40 meant. Very clearly the media and all the anti ageing ads had made me feel that getting older just wasn’t ok. And then I met all of you… women climbing mountains, women who are enjoying the most incredibly adventurous lives. Women telling me stories over what they’ve achieved and what they want to achieve. Women who love themselves without shame or disappointment. And of course one woman who would have given anything to have reached her next decade, who we sadly lost not long after her session.

What I‘ve learnt is that in your 40’s you all seem so much more accepting over who you are and what has come before and what will come after. Your lives are intermingled with grief, joy, pleasure and occasionally despair but ultimately you’ve never felt more alive. There’s a sense of security and freedom. And so as I enter the final years of my 30’s I’m excited (turning 39 this week and I couldn’t be happier with who and where I am). And I want to make sure I fully embrace turning 40 by writing a bucket list of 40 things I want to achieve before I turn 40. I’m going to celebrate and look forward to being able to say I’m 40 and proud.

So not only am I saying thank you to you for being part of this project , but it’s also a thanks by showing me and guiding me towards something I was fearing. You paved the way to help me accept myself, and I hope thorough our photoshoot I was able to do the same for you. I hope I was able to show you just how incredible you are and how much you inspire me. I wanted to show you how I see you and in turn how the world sees you.

The incredible posters on the night of the exhibition didn’t survive the strong strength glue to keep them in place, but so many of you wanted to have your posters so I’m offering them to you to purchase at £40 each. I’ll be popping an order over to Douglas who designed and created them. So make sure to follow the link if you wanted your poster too.

Enjoy these images by Maria Akore who was also part of The 40/40 Project herself.