Why are women so afraid of aging? Probably because it has been instilling them in society for some time. Just think of common proverbs like "Men age like wine, women like milk". With such comparisons it is hardly surprising that Jo Blackwell suddenly had panic attacks at the age of 49.
When menopause turns life upside down
Her 50th birthday was just around the corner when the accountant suddenly felt that she had lost the thread of her life. She couldn't sleep at night, and felt depressed and highly sensitive during the day. Even the fabric on her skin seemed to bother her. For months, she struggled with symptoms that she could not identify – until she realized that Jo was heading for menopause. And that should turn her life upside down.
Out of the depression, Jo Blackwell founded Project 50, a blog where she wrote down her feelings. Her inbox exploded – women from all over the world contacted her. It was the exchange that healed her.
The photo project: make beauty visible in old age
The photo project grew from a blog. "The Midlife Movement" was born. Her mission: show women over 40 and their natural beauty. And not only to the outside world – but above all to themselves. With her project, Jo wants to tell women what they would have liked to have heard themselves:
It is good like that. You are good that way. It may feel like doors are closing, but I promise you, so many will open in front of you. You may feel a little lost at the moment, but you are not alone.
Any woman aged 40 and over can participate. Many of them know the disorientation that suddenly pulls them out of life as they get older. You just knew who you were, what you wanted – and suddenly there is a hole. Jo Blackwell learned to turn the many questions into answers. It reinvented itself and encouraged women to see a fresh start as an opportunity, not a crisis.
Jo photographs her participants herself. There is only one condition: the women have to be without make-up. Because the photographs are supposed to turn today's ideals upside down and represent the true beauty of a woman.
In the Instagram world, we've gotten used to seeing ourselves and each other through filters. With "The Midlife Movement" Jo wants to prove the opposite:
We are beautiful, just the way we are. Every wrinkle, every gray hair, every dent or bump tells of our experience, strength and character.
Click through our photo gallery to see a few selected pictures of the route. The whole photo project and all information can be seen on Jo Blackwell's website.
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