Women Over 40 Project:
Celebrating women whose power, beauty, strength, grace, and spirit do not diminish with age.
I would like you to meet the UNSTOPPABLE
Jenn Floris
Jenn was one of my original project Leapfear’s participants. I was thrilled that she applied again to be a part of Unstoppable. When Jenn walked into my studio, she was a completely different woman from before. She walked in with confidence and a glow that was palpable. I am thrilled to see that she is thriving now.
Anita Watkins
Jenn Floris’ Portrait taken at Anita Watkins’ Studio in London, Ontario.
I have photographed, profiled and celebrated women over the age of 40.
WHY WOMEN OVER 40?
I have been witness to the strength and resilience of all kinds of women in my life but the stories that get to my heart the most often, are the ones of women that society used to label as “past their prime”.
What gives me hope for the future is that I have met woman after woman that have said HELL YES! Women that refuse to be labelled or diminished, are now stepping into their own power. Personally, I feel like I am only beginning to hit my stride. Now I feel called to give a platform to these women. I want them to be seen, celebrated and have a platform to use their voice to call out to us. I want women all over to hear their stories and be inspired. Will you join me on this journey
What is the one piece of advice you would give your 20 something self?
If I could go back in time, I’d give myself the same advice I’ve recently given my 20-something daughter: follow your own dreams and worry less about what others expect of you. I was a definite people pleaser (I’d still consider myself a “recovering people pleaser”), and I now realize that ensuring I was doing what was “expected” sometimes came at the expense of following some of my own dreams and ambitions. This is not to say that I don’t love my life the way it turned out – but I feel I’m making up for some of these missed experiences now. |
Follow your OWN dreams and worry less about what other people expect of you.
There is a lot to get up for!
What gets you up in the morning?
I have three incredible kids, an amazing partner and a career that challenges and inspires me every day. There’s a lot to get up for! |
When in your life, so far, have you felt most confident and why? What do you define as attractive now?
I think that confidence and attractiveness are intrinsically linked. It’s hard to feel confident – even when you know you’re doing something well – if you’re fixated on or worried about how you look. I also believe that when you are feeling confident about yourself, you are more likely to feel attractive too. I have felt both more confident and more attractive in my 40s than ever before. Part of this is thanks to a wonderful man who reminds me on a regular basis that I’m smart and beautiful (how lucky am I?), but a lot of it comes from being happy and settled and contented with who I am and what I’m doing. I truly believe happiness breeds both confidence and attractiveness. |
I truly believe happiness breeds both confidence and attractiveness.
Is there anything you would like to share with people in your life?
Life certainly doesn’t end at 39! Despite starting with the hardest year of my life (my marriage ended shortly before I turned 41), “40-something” has been my favourite decade so far. My 20s and 30s were certainly full of wonderful milestones and memories – graduating from university, getting married, buying our first home, and having our three babies – but in hindsight, I was consumed by the role of wife-and-mother and truly lost sight of my identity outside of that. I know that’s likely true for many women – motherhood certainly has that ability to be all-consuming – but it took losing my marriage to and “starting over” to make me realize that I needed to rediscover who I was as a person. While “Mom” is still my favourite identity, my 40s have been a real opportunity to reconnect with a woman I actually really like. I fell in love again, discovered some new hobbies (back country canoeing and camping) and rediscovered some others I’d forgotten I loved (singing in a choir). I realized that I’m capable of much more than I likely ever gave myself credit for. Professionally, I took the leap from teacher to vice principal to principal, and I can honestly say that I love what I do (almost) every day. Parenting teens and 20-somethings is completely different than parenting toddlers and preschoolers, and while it is definitely not for the faint of heart, I love the relationships I have with my three kids. I turned 50, and while it feels crazy to think I could possibly be “that old,” I am embracing it and enjoying the adventures that are still to come.
Do you want to learn more?
