“It’s never too late to be who you were meant to be.”

I’m fast approaching age fifty, and while I’ve managed to have two successful careers that twist around each other like strands of DNA, yet I still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. That all changed recently, however, and with this post I’m stepping out of a sleepy fifteen year dream, opening my eyes wide and taking that first daunting step towards my future grown-up self.

My love affair with art and aesthetics goes back as long as I can remember. Watercolor painting was my first love, in the tragic Shakespearean style of Romeo and Juliet. Doomed to fail because of societal indoctrination that warned against “starving artists,” I killed the idea of pursuing an art career in favor of something “more practical and less self-indulgent.”

However when it comes to love, the heart wants what the heart wants. A couple of weeks ago something sparked in me, and an overwhelming sense of clarity and purpose overcame me. I’ve toyed with the idea of becoming a professional makeup artist and esthetician for years, but it always felt more like an alternate reality or fantasy. There are several reasons for this, ones I won’t get into here, but as my story unfolds you will understand the barriers I’ve had to confront.

In the meantime, I’m feeling the giddiness of reuniting with my true love, and finally embracing it with unconditional acceptance. It’s never too late to be who you were meant to be. And right now is a perfectly good time to get started. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, or something cliche like that.

I invite you to join me on my journey as I explore my education options as far as cosmetology schools, and learn everything I can about mature skin and beauty. Oh, had I not mentioned that part yet? The part about aging and beauty? I’ll write more about that more tomorrow. Right now I need my beauty sleep.