Watch
#pushing 50 (2018) |
#pushing50 + 5 (2023) |
Listen
The Idea Behind #pushing50
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Life today is very different for 40-somethings, yet it's very hard to find rich, insightful, critical dialogue that captures this moment in time from the vantage point of this age cohort.
Most of the content we see online is targeted toward the 20- and 30-something demographic. Many images representing 40-somethings have been created to scoff at what is presented as a socially-constructed generation gap related to music and technology. Yes, I get it, no one uses rotary phones anymore - but there is so much more to 40-somethings than that! This project provides an honest, personal voice through the familiar digital medium of video with the intention of getting some real conversations going, with ourselves, and with each other, |
by listening to real people share their personal views, accumulated wisdom and very real fears about aging in the modern day.
40-somethings often face ego-crushing challenges of being awkwardly sandwiched between baby boomers and millennials, yet many find solace in meaningful relationships with people who are both younger and older. Who are we?
We are #pushing50. |
7 Questions
What does age “50” mean for you?
Take a moment to reflect on
when you were “25.”
How have you changed
as a person over that time?
What things do you like/dislike the most
about your aging mind and why?
What things do you like/dislike the most
about your aging body and why
Have people ever stated that you look
younger than your actual age?
If so, how does that make you feel?
Have you ever been in a situational
context when you felt old and out of
place? Share that experience.
What are your greatest fears related
to aging from this point on
(health, longevity, sickness and death)?
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Thank you for taking the time to watch (or listen to) #pushing50! This project is not about occupational titles, educational attainment or career accomplishments. Instead, it boldly reaches into the very core of the universal consciousness of simply being a person - without reliance on labels created and used to communicate the identities we take on both voluntarily and involuntary.
ORIGINS OF THE IDEA - A TRUE HOMEGROWN EFFORT The idea for #pushing50 had been swirling around in my mind for a very long time. At the end of the summer of 2018, I found myself at a point anxiously waiting for the right opportunity to present itself before I could create something, instead of just going forth on my own. This stifled my forward progress, so I decided to "just dot it." I took inventory of the resources available to me, the time I could realistically devote, and all the other factors that can easily stop an idea in its tracks. The very core, the nature, of this collaborative "homegrown" production resonates with me because of my lifelong inclination toward being immersed in the truth. Even when it stings. Especially when it stings. Growth is painful; life is growth - and growth won't come looking for you, you have to seek it out for yourself, in your own way, in your own time. FILMING I envisioned listening to people openly share their thoughts about seven questions, while alone, in their "native habitats." I asked those willing individuals to record themselves with only one take and speak about whatever came to mind first when the questions/prompts were posed. The length of time suggested was around 60 seconds, although some responses went on for as long as 90. Time limits can often help people get right to the most significant points and ideas, but being flexible when someone is in the zone of self reflection, is necessary. I honestly had know idea what I would see/hear in those recordings, which made it even more thrilling for me in the editing process. Furthermore, the opportunity to watch and listen to ourselves and really hear inner dialogue speaking out loud on camera is a profound experience. Everyone who participated got to see themselves answering these very personal and profound questions - simply because they were asked. That's some unfiltered, facilitated, self-reflection magic right there. Keep in mind, however, that the individuals in #pushing50 are indeed, optimistic, positive, and thriving. The ideas shared in #pushing50 encompass just one small moment in time and in no way represent the totality of who they are, how they live their lives, and how they see themselves or see the world. Everyone involved is grateful to be alive and look forward to making the very most of each and every day they are given. MORE THAN A VIDEO I couldn't be more proud of what we were able to accomplish together in creating this video. This project is, by far, the most "cathartic, creation experience" I have had to date. I hope you will find something meaningful from this as you move through your own life, and that you will consider opening your mind to hearing ideas from people all along the age spectrum. I hope that you will engage in meaningful dialogue, and elevate the vibrational energy that you have with those in your social circle and beyond. We all have something to learn from one another. We all have something to say. |
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~ Akello
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