Come Back
Wounded Pride
Walk of Shame
Time to Color
Out to Pasture
Retrospect
Glory Days
Fountain of Truth
The Emptiest House
Dress Your Age
Crepe Erase
The Change
Until Then is Now
Until Then is Now is a project born from both personal and shared experiences of growing older within a youth-centric American society. From childhood, many of us carry an undercurrent of fear and dread about aging—associating it with physical decline, health challenges, and eventual loss of independence. The title, Until Then is Now, reflects the common denial that aging is something distant or avoidable, a postponement of an inevitable reality. Unlike many cultures that honor their elders, American culture often regards aging with discomfort and pity. Older generations are frequently marginalized, seen as symbols of what we dread becoming rather than respected for their wisdom and experience. Our culture’s obsession with youth is reinforced by an overwhelming market of anti-aging products promising prevention or reversal, and by media saturated with images of youthful beauty. Appearance becomes the primary marker of age and social value. For those who cross the threshold out of youth, this reality often brings a sense of invisibility and diminished relevance—especially for women, who studies show begin feeling less seen by their late 40s. This work reflects my journey into middle age amidst a culture that relentlessly pursues the “fountain of youth.” It is a meditation on the alienation and complexity of aging, a challenge to societal norms that undervalue the beauty and significance of growing older.