I Launched a New Photography and Storytelling Project on Substack
It's called Aging with Gratitude, and I invite you to join me there
Good morning from semi-nuclear hot Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m happy to let you know that I’ve launched a new Substack newsletter called Aging with Gratitude. It’s about the art of living a longer, happier, healthier life.
Because aging is unavoidable
Wisdom is optional. I’m not the wisest guy in the world, but I love sharing insights from my life and from those of others far more intelligent than I am in psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, and, of course, art.
“Creativity takes courage.” - Henri Mattisse
Why start another project?
Glad you asked.
Because, first and foremost, my love for writing, photography, digital, and mixed-media art blossomed late in life. I love my creative life, and we outsource money stuff to someone we trust so I can have more time to do things I love.
Second, retirement is vastly overrated for me. I notice the same thing with most of my retired friends; no purpose, no mission, big void.
I turn 65 this week. I’ve been blessed to work for myself since I was 30. That means I’ve enjoyed time, creativity, and ultimately, hard-won financial freedom. I will never stop doing things I love, whether they generate income or not.
Money for creative work is a bonus, not the focus. And owning a time bank makes me feel rich. Living a fulfilling life boils down to being creative, courageous, and persistent, as we were when we were kids.
Enough about me.
Aging with Gratitude™ is different from The Clarity Letter
But it comes from the same place in me. This project gives me a reason to get out from behind my desk, out of my comfortable home office and studio, and into the world.
It gives me a reason to sit across from real people, listen carefully, make a portrait, and share a piece of their story.
It’s a black-and-white portrait and story project focused on people who have lived enough life to tell the truth. People who have suffered, rebuilt, lost, forgiven, recovered, reinvented themselves, and somehow found gratitude on the other side.
Not the glamour and glitch b.s. Hardship that leads to transformation.
Here’s a portrait of someone you can read about next week on Aging with Gratitude™—no wowzer filters and no pretending.
No fake perfection because people who make progress make better stories.
Humanity, one person at a time
The people I am looking for are not necessarily famous. They do not need a big platform, a polished message, or a perfect life story. In fact, perfect is not the point.
The point is wisdom, vulnerability, and transparency. I love stories revealing what life teaches us after the big plan falls apart. The point is what remains when ambition softens, grief has done its work, and a person can look back with honesty and say, “I am still here, and I am grateful.”
That is the heart of Aging with Gratitude™. For those of you who subscribe to The Clarity Letter, I want to be clear about something. You are not automatically subscribed to Aging with Gratitude™.
It is a separate Substack publication. If you want to receive those stories and portraits, you will need to subscribe there as well.
And I hope you will.
Click here to start your free subscription.
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