Finding My Inspiration

This newsletter probably isn’t for everyone. But if you are a woman over 50, I would love your thoughts. Lately, I have been pondering where to find inspiration. Last month I had the opportunity to see Chicago on Broadway. That performance reminded me of a line from a Rumi poem: “Unfurling its dazzling wings,/ the peacock calls to the bird of the soul./ You without wing and feather, come and dance.”

Now I cannot dance, not even a little bit, but I can appreciate the strength and beauty of others dancing, and Chicago offered much of that and seemed to invite me to dance, in whatever way that I can. While I was mesmerized by the athleticism and dynamism of the chorus, I was particularly captivated by one of the female leads, Charlotte d’Amboise. She had so much presence, energy, charisma. After the show I looked her up and found out that she will turn 60 this year. I immediately did the calculations, 8 shows a week, two and a half hours each show, that’s 20 hours a week of exuberant, strenuous singing and dancing, including an on stage cartwheel. I was consoled and inspired by her achievements. If she could do that, I could pull weeds in the summer heat.

It got me thinking about how frequently notable accomplishments are often associated with age in our culture, (and mostly young age)–30 under 30, 40 under 40. Forbes did start a list of 50 accomplished women over 50, three years ago, but I bet most people don’t know about it. I discovered it when I went looking for over-50 inspiration. I am enamored when young people accomplish a lot at an early age, but I could also use more celebrations of wisdom and life experience. I started following Charlotte on social media and what leapt out at me were comments from her colleagues about her leadership, mentorship, wisdom.

When I decided to retire from teaching and start the flower farm, I struggled with the idea of starting something brand new as I was retiring. The physical work would be too much, the learning curve too steep. I knew I would make a lot of mistakes. Besides, all the flower farmers on Instagram were mostly in their 20s and flower-field beautiful. I don’t consider myself overly concerned with my age, but I realized that a lot of my fear was about my age. Maybe I was too old to do this. I was quick to blame social media and the outside world for my trepidation. I had read the Atlantic article (and numerous other articles) about female invisibility after 50, but I also questioned whether I was doing enough to search out my own inspiration. Lately, in addition to learning how to be a flower farmer, I’ve been cultivating my own “over-50” inspiration.

I thought I would share a few:

One of my initial inspirations was Alka Joshi. She published her first novel, The Henna Artist, at 62. She talks regularly about the power of starting her novel when she was in her 50s because she had the life experience to fully develop her characters.

I have also been listening to a podcast, Wiser Than Me, hosted and created by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She felt like she didn’t hear enough from older women, so she set out to interview some women icons to get an education in how to live a full and meaningful life. There are many inspiring interviews, but one of my favorites is the first episode with Jane Fonda who talks about what she learned in her “third chapter.” Jane Fonda interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfuss

This year I also watched Nyad, the documentary about Diana Nyad’s efforts to swim from Cuba to Key West, making her final attempt in 2013 at the age of 64. I swim only slightly better than I dance so this one blew my mind.

Of course there are my flower industry inspirations:

Isa Catto is a college classmate of mine who creates art and gardens at 8,000 ft in Woody Creek Canyon, Colorado. By profession Isa is an artist, textile designer, and writer. In her garden, she successfully cultivates flowers and vegetables in a short growing season and in what most New Jersey gardeners would consider inhospitable, bordering on impossible, conditions. She has a long-standing ethic of improving her soil through composting and by growing an ever-expanding number of native plants. The visual impact of Isa’s garden is beautiful, but I especially love when she writes about the interplay between gardening, grief, and healing and the power and importance of creating gardens for all living creatures, including, in her landscape, everything from elk to voles. Her webpage and instagram account are full of inspiration.

Isa Catto Gardens

Isa Catto Studio website

I also draw inspiration from a florist from my home state of Maryland, Ellen Frost. She led the way in designing with only local flowers and has a shop in Baltimore that sells local flowers and serves as a community hub for her downtown neighborhood. Recently, she has been reimagining her business to include a larger online community where she teaches and shares her flower wisdom. She is completely transparent about the process of trying new things, including a weekly newsletter and a YouTube channel full of all things flowers. Her willingness to share and be vulnerable about the evolution of her business has helped me put my status as a beginner flower farmer in perspective.

Ellen Frost Flowers

With more of this inspiration filling my feed and giving me courage, I am ready to be the one “without wing and feather,” brave enough to dance.

Where are you getting your inspiration? I’m always looking for more.