Here’s a theory that I heard about midlife: as people age, they either become a more extreme version of who they’ve always been, almost a caricature of their younger self, or they balance. They can reach around into the unlit parts of themselves and start building something there, instead of putting up a sign in the window that says, “I’m just this way.”
So, the loud ones can become brash, or learn to listen; the quiet ones can recede from the world, or find their boldness; the ambitious ones can burn through themselves, or learn how to do nothing; the A-students can fulfill someone else’s vision, or they can start to break some rules.
I heard this idea when I was quite young and it got pasted to the wall of my mind like a map. I don’t know if it’s a good way to think of things, but it clicked with me then, perhaps because I grew up around some extreme people and feared veering toward that myself. Now, decades later, I still think about it. It’s what I wanted to tell you about today when I sat down to write, even though I don’t think it has that much to do with this new painting.
— this is the intro from my essay about “love you as you change,” the painting i made into a sticker for this month. to read the rest, follows links on my page (
@britchida ) to the newsletter
Today is the last day of April, so the window for this month’s print and sticker closes at *tonight* midnight (PT). Join the
@britchidapatreon tier with the rewards you want now if you’d like in on this run.
Tomorrow we’ll begin again: Danielle leading the 2 week process of printing the art and assembling everyone’s envelopes with addresses and stamps and the right combos of rewards, and I’ll be back to the canvas to work on two new pieces for next month. I have an idea I’m excited about already.
-brit
