Glamour Photography

Interview Transcript

Irene (Beauty Photographer):

Let's start with your name and age, and give me a short history of your life from the beginning up until now.

Karen:

My name is Karen. I am 50 years old. I'm originally from Northern Indiana and now live in Washington, DC. I've worked as a communications professional for the past 30 years. I like fitness, food, and whiskey. 

Irene (Glamour Photographer):

What's your favorite kind of food?

Karen:

I'm actually a vegetarian. I like to take some sort of traditional food and do my own vegetarian twist on it. So, anything I can add a mushroom or spread to? That's what I do.

Irene (Beauty Photographer):

Do you like cooking, then?

Karen:

I do. COVID has taught me a lot of things about myself and about what I like. I was vegan in the past, and then I realized how much I like butter. So that's why I decided to go vegetarian last year. 

Irene (Glamour Photographer):

Do you have a bucket list? What's your favorite thing on your bucket list that you've already done versus what's left?

Karen:

A lot of bucket list items involve travel. In October of 2019, I had a chance to go to Machu Picchu in Peru, which was really cool. So I got to see one of the wonders of the ancient world and had a chance to climb to a high altitude, which did not agree with me, but it was beautiful. I still want to go back to the Mediterranean and visit Croatia. I like the Mediterranean and I like food. Having been to Rome and other places in that part of the Mediterranean, it'd be cool to go to Croatia. 

Irene (Beauty Photographer):

Let's talk about confidence. When in your life, do you think that you felt the most confident, and what made you feel so confident at that time?

Karen:

I think this past year has taught me a lot about leaning into who I am. Even sharing a little bit of why I decided to do the project... is that for far too long, women haven’t celebrated themselves enough. Once I turned 40, I was like, "You know, I don't look good for a 40-year-old. I look GOOD." I appreciate what I've accomplished and I'm really proud of who I am.

I think once the male gaze kind of went away,  I started dressing the way I wanted to dress and cut my hair. I started being who I always wanted to be. 

Irene (Glamour Photographer):

Was that at 50? Or during your 40s?

Karen:

I've worn my hair short on and off for years. And like many of us do, you'll meet someone who's like, " oh, you should grow your hair." And now it's just like," No, I will not. I will not make choices based on what others think is attractive. I will make choices based on what I think is attractive and what makes me feel good.” And that takes confidence.

Irene (Beauty Photographer):

What's your favorite trait about yourself?

Karen:

I like my sense of humor.  I'm a big goofball. I also like my ability to kind of flow in and out of multiple situations, people, and places.

I think that comes from working in communications. I was also a consultant for a long time. So you have to kind of come in and quickly get a sense of what's happening, make some choices, and then push through them.

Irene (Glamour Photographer):

Do you think you're extroverted?

Karen:

I am not. I am absolutely not. Being interviewed right now is a little horrifying. When I can, I enjoy a lot of me time and a lot of self-care time.

Irene (Beauty Photographer):

Besides going to Croatia, do you have any other ambitions for the future? And how do you think your aspirations have changed since you turned 50?

Karen:

So my great big ambition is to be an expat. I have been looking at moving to South or Central America. I'm looking at Honduras or Belize. I want to live a simpler life. I realized that all you really need are your people and yourself. I want to live on the water, where I can wake up with the sun and go to sleep with the sun. Eat off the land...

Irene (Glamour Photographer):

While you're still in the workforce, what do you want employers to know about women who are 50 and over? 

Karen:

I think stability is a big selling point. We know who we are and what we know and are comfortable saying what we don't know. You won't find people who are more committed and passionate, especially if they're doing something that they're passionate about. It's less about the climb at this point. I don't have a desire at this point to play any of those corporate world games. Give me good, solid work that I'm passionate about. Let me learn new things. Let me show my creativity. Let me be collaborative. And you'll get great work from me.

Irene (Beauty Photographer):

Is there anything else you want to share in terms of what made you decide to participate in the 50 over 50 and Fabulous project with glamour photography? 

Karen:

It's good to see now... maybe you didn't see it so many years ago... but I think people are recognizing that age is not as important as it used to be. Women of all ages are still vibrant. We have stories to tell. We have a point of view. I wanted to be a part of the project because it was really cool to be a part of this very accomplished group of beautiful W\women.

Irene (Glamour Photographer):

Well, now we’ve finished your glamour photography styling concept consultation. We've got your photoshoot scheduled. What are you most excited about at this point in time?

Karen:

I'm excited about putting together my looks. I feel very model-y right now. I think it's going to be fun picking out outfits and thinking through the different looks for the glamour photography session. I'm also excited to share it with my friends.