I just watched The Substance, the new film starring Demi Moore. Not only was it incredibly disturbing, but I’ll admit it resonated deeply with me. Demi Moore’s character, Elizabeth Sparkle, and her quest to maintain beauty really hit home. It reinforced societies (and my own self-inflicted) standards of how society glorifies youth and how natural it is to be in denial about aging. Everyone who knows me knows that I won’t reveal my age—I guess I’m in denial too!

After watching this film, I find myself acutely aware of the impossible beauty standards, especially in a world where even AI is generating younger, “perfected” versions of ourselves. (The picture on this blog? It’s not me. Or at least, not really. It’s an AI-generated idea of what I might/ should look like, airbrushed into perfection. But here’s the catch: this version of me is unattainable…obviously!)

This image highlights what The Substance drove home for me—that we (some of us) are chasing ideals created by society, media, and now, algorithms. These standards are not only unattainable, but I think they also rob us of the beauty that exists in authenticity and the grace of aging naturally. OK… this is my work to do. Just a reminder… this AI generated image reminds me that perfection isn’t real, and it shouldn’t be the goal.

Maybe it’s time we stopped striving for the unattainable and started embracing the beauty that’s already within us—lines, imperfections, and all. Because isn’t real beauty the ability to show up as who we are, unapologetically?

But this got me thinking: what truly makes someone beautiful as we age and how do we adjust to the changes that nature creates?  Let’s explore that together…. I’m here to talk.