Hello and welcome! I am a portrait photographer based in North London. I absolutely love what I do which I hope shows in the photographs that I've taken. I shoot predominantly with natural light at your home or on location which gives my images a very personal and natural style. If you're looking to book me for business headshots, please take a look at my dedicated corporate and personal branding page. I hope you enjoy reading my blog and looking at my photos, if you would like to make a booking please call me on 07527 711 967 or drop me a line HERE.
40 OVER 40 Karen Arthur
#21
Karen Arthur
Midlife Broadcaster, Author and Artist
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Karen Arthur is a broadcaster, author and artist who I first became aware of on the utterly brilliant Channel 4 menopause documentary with Davina McCall produced and directed by fellow 40 OVER 40 participant Kate Muir.
Karen's instagram accounts @menopausewhilstblack and @thekarenarthur are full of life affirming advice for women in midlife and beyond, and chock full of vital information especially for Black women navigating menopause. Her podcast, Menopause Whilst Black has been referenced twice in parliament as well as at No.10 and credited in the British Medical Journal.
Her zest for life is infectious and her style of dressing makes me want to chuck everything in my wardrobe away and start again! But it hasn't all been plain sailing for Karen. In 2015 she was diagnosed with depression forcing her to give up a 28 year career in teaching and stripping her of her passion for sewing and fashion. During this time her aunt Monica passed away and over the next few years she started wearing some of her aunt's clothing which rejuvenated her relationship with fashion and prompted her to launch Wear Your Happy®, a philosophy of wearing clothing to boost your mood.
She's an out and out legend and I could not be more grateful for her taking part in my 40 OVER 40 project.
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Tell us about your philosophy Wear Your Happy® and what women should wear.
I'm a big believer in re-wearing your clothes whenever you want to and not saving them for special occasions because every day you draw breath is to be celebrated so dress accordingly.
I love how choosing what to wear brings me, and often those around me, joy. I love that it feels effortless and celebratory to get dressed on a daily basis. And I love how I’ve learned not to care what I look like to others as long as I’m comfortable and happy. When you show up as your true real self you give others the courage to do the same. It’s infectious. Wearing your happy doesn’t have to be a full-on look from head to toe. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else but you. It can be something no one notices. It can be covered up by the rest of your clothing. It can be your private secret or your public announcement.
Wear Your Happy® is yours.
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
What prompted you to start your podcast, Menopause Whilst Black which now has over 70 episodes and seven seasons?
I was already speaking about menopause online and in my circles and was aware that menopause information wasn't diverse at all. Then George Floyd's world shattering murder launched my rage at the sheer injustice of racism into action (I caught a glimpse of ‘that video’ online and was forever changed). I created the @Menopausewhilstblack instagram account one month later after noticing a complete lack of menopause awareness for women like me. The menopause space is thankfully opening up. More people experiencing this transition are hearing more diverse stories which means many feel less alone. But it's nowhere near enough and we're not even close to done.
Equity for all is only possible when we all take part. Anti racism is a verb.
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
What key differences are there for Black women and their experience of the menopause?
Black people who experience menopause in the global north start up to 2 years earlier than our white counterparts and suffer from symptoms like hot flushes with more severity and for longer. But, of course, it’s deeper than that. Racial weathering, medical racism lead to even starker health outcomes for this demographic. Menopause research is ramping up but is still relatively new and nuanced research is teensy.
Black people who experience menopause are often gaslit, they're less likely to receive Menopausal Hormonal Therapy (MHT) if we want it, get given old stock/less safe meds. Accurate knowledge about MHT is hampered by a healthy and understandable mistrust of the medical profession. As a result, of those who are eligible, Black women are half as likely to take meds for menopause.
We have a long way to go.
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
What advice would you give to your teenage self?
No one really knows what they’re doing so just try.
Never let anyone dim your shine.
Always, ALWAYS go with your gut.
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Tell us about your book Grandma's Locs and your motivation for writing it.
I wrote Grandmas Locs out of love for my grandson, Keiko, a few months after he was born in late 2019 to celebrate our Bajan heritage and to make him proud of his dual heritage and never feel different or out of place in a society that will try its hardest to other him.
The book's message is to help celebrate our hair, from the African diaspora, in all its beautiful iterations. As a former teacher I have also seen first-hand how negative images of Black hair can affect the recipient and perpetuate bias. This should not be. It is important that we all address the bias that can lead to Black children and adults being discriminated against, treated differently or ‘othered’ simply for the way their hair grows naturally.
But I wrote this book for so many others, including my mum, Joyce who was taught that straight hair was the only acceptable choice. From hot combs to decades of damaging relaxers, my octogenarian mum finally reclaimed her hair texture in her seventies and now loves her beautiful silver crown.
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Here Karen gives us some top tips on how to Wear Your Happy!
How does the item in your hands make you FEEL?
Choose garments and accessories…
That cheer you up.
That lend you hope.
That nudge you onwards.
That soothe you.
That make you smile or straight up giggle.
That pull you down memory lane or settle you in a happy(er) place.
But YOU get to choose (cont..)
Karen Arthur
by Jenny Smith
Something soft?
Something colourful?
Something your bestie gave you?
Something that smells good?
Something that reminds you of your holiday?
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Will it be vintage?
Will it be old?
Will it be pre-loved?
Will it make a swishy noise?
Does it make you smile?
Does it make a stranger nod?
Does it take you to a happier place?
Does it bring you joy?
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Final thoughts?
Yes. Don’t let anyone put you in. a box. You can do more than one thing and excel at it. That adage ‘jack of all trades, master of none…’ is old was shortened to suit a patriarchal, capitalist agenda. Ignore.
You’re not too old and it’s never too late.
Karen Arthurby Jenny Smith
Thank you Karen for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.
I think it's fair to say our hormones have affected us all at some time or another. If you fancy a bit of a laugh, check out my podcast, Dear Hormones where women share their hormonal stories, the good the bad and the ugly - listen here.
40 OVER 40 Sarah Cawood
#20
Sarah Cawood
90s TV presenter and Midlife Blogger
Sara Cawoodby Jenny Smith
Sarah Cawood shot to fame in the 90s when she became a presenter on the somewhat anarchic TV programme, The Girlie Show, alongside Sara Cox. Being a girl of the 90s myself it got me thinking about what life was like back then, especially for women.
The ladette culture was in full swing which like it or loathe it, gave women permission to publicly let go and speak up. It is this generation who are hitting perimenopause and menopause right now, and possibly thanks to growing up in the 90s are banging the drum loudly and proudly for greater awareness. Unlike the generation before us, we are not shy in talking about our symptoms and spreading the word about what is happening to us so that others are more educated and can make sense of what can be a very scary and unsettling time.
Sarah Cawood for me represents that swathe of female public figures back then who were getting women seen, giving women the permission to say what they wanted, wear what they wanted, drink what they wanted and live how they wanted.
Last year Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer which thankfully was spotted at an early stage. She uses her voice on instagram to speak about her diagnosis, talks openly about the after effects of such a diagnosis and the fear women like her live with about it coming back. She's also speaking up for menopause awareness and midlife in general, helping women navigate this time and feel less alone.
Thank you Sarah for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.
Sarah Cawood by Jenny Smith
You are a girl of the 90s and the so called ladette culture. Were you aware of a gear change in attitudes towards women back then?
I definitely was. There was still a lot of misogyny but we had the feeling we could take that on and change it: beat the boys at their own game so to speak. I think that has been borne out to a degree but we still have a way to go!
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
What are your thoughts now on the phrase ‘ladette’ and how do you think 90s culture helped or hindered women?
It makes me cringe a bit! But I think the message is positive if you can look past the binge drinking and boobs! I was never a very good ladette: I don't drink pints and like to think I'm quite decorous! I've never fallen out of a taxi pissed with knickers on show, lol!
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
Did you feel a certain amount of pressure to act a certain way back then?
Most definitely! I think we all felt like we had to be strong, but also feminine. Sexy, but not slutty. Brainy but not brainier than the boys. It was exhausting.
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
You were very young when you were thrust into the public eye, what impact did that have on you?
I learnt how to fail in the public eye and I have taught myself over many long years that I can only be myself, and that not everyone will like me, and that's OK. I could never have been as authentic back then as I am now for fear of not being cool enough. Hallelujah for middle age!
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
How different do you think it is for young female presenters today?
To a certain degree. I think they are much more accepted on all platforms: there are now female football commentators! That would have been a ridiculous thing to think of back then! We still have a way to go as I said before, but we are strong and loud and no longer take shit like the gender pay gap lying down. I like to think we paved the way for the younger generation to take less shit than we and our predecessors had to.
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
If you could go back and give your teenage self some advice what would it be?
Stop caring what other people think. And don't kiss toads because they don't turn into princes. Also, if he's not treating you well, ditch him. Have much more self respect!
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
Are you able to share a bit more about your cancer diagnosis? I know you got the all clear but what impact has the diagnosis had on you going forward and do you have any advice for other women experiencing the same thing?
In some ways, my breast cancer diagnosis was incredibly good for the way I see life. It's so precious and I have learnt not to sweat the small stuff anymore. Every day I get to wake up healthy is a gift. I think when you are well you take your health for granted and worry about nonsense. I don't worry about anything anymore except staying well, and my family staying well. I am grateful for my little life every damn day.
Sarah Cawood
by Jenny Smith
How has the menopause been for you, any stories you’d like to share?
My menopause is surgical, meaning that I take medication that removes any naturally occurring, post-menopausal oestrogen and is therefore much tougher with no HRT to soften the blow. But I'm finding ways to muddle through it all with healthy eating exercise, cold water dipping, and myriad supplements. I won't lie though, the night sweats are a bitch! Also, my brain function now borders on ADHD and I find that I drop lots of my spinning plates routinely. But I'm getting better and make sure EVERYTHING is in our shared family calendar. I also have a TV producer hubby who delights in producing me and my brain fog, hahahaha.
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
Can you share some positive thoughts on getting older and how you feel now compared to when you were younger?
I have zero fucks left in my locker to give! But what I do have is one precious life to enjoy to the fullest every day. It's so true that you can't be miserable and grateful at the same time! I wish I could have told that lost 20 and 30 something that it will all be OK, but also: stop kissing bad men!
Sarah Cawoodby Jenny Smith
Thank you Sarah for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.
Listen to my podcast, Dear Hormones here.
40 OVER 40 Eleanor Lisney
#19
Eleanor Lisney
Cofounder of Sisters of Frida
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
This is Eleanor Lisney, co-founder of a wonderful organisation called Sisters of Frida. They describe themselves as an experimental collective of disabled women with the sole aim of raising the voices of disabled women and non-binary people.
They celebrate being from different ethnicities, cultures and nationalities, of different sexual orientations, of being mums, having partners and being single women. They celebrate creativeness which they say is born from their identities which in turn is all wrapped up in their disabilities. They hold meetings for disabled women to discuss ways to make real change for women just like them.
Elle contracted Polio when she was three and by the time she was in her twenties had started to use a wheelchair. She says her wheelchair is her lifeline and has afforded her her freedom.
Thank you Eleanor for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
How did Sisters of Frida come about?
We were invited to speak for Million Women Rise about domestic violence and disabled women and off the back of that we realised that whilst there were disabled organisations and women’s organisations there wasn’t anything in between. It seemed that disabled women as a group didn’t have a voice.
We wanted our group to be intersectional and used Frida Khalo as our inspiration for the name. She was Mexican, bisexual, a communist and feminist and kind of encapsulated everything we wanted to represent.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
Eleanor joined other women organisations at CEDAW (The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women) at the UN which spells out women's rights to equality and non-discrimination. They also met with Ana Peláez Narváez, the only disabled woman on the committee and spoke on the needs of disabled women and the importance of being visible at spaces such as CEDAW.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
Sisters of Frida also contributed to The UN Committee on the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) report. The report was to ensure that violations of disabled women’s rights were given attention. A key theme to come out of the report was a call for government to recognise that disabled women and girls face multiple discrimination in access to healthcare and a recommendation for targeted, measurable and financed strategies to eliminate them.
Eleanor says:
Disabled women face multiple barriers every day and these barriers have to be highlighted if anything is to be done. For example, smear testing is impossible for many disabled women simply because the beds are not accessible. We need to make sure that the government are ready and able to help. We need every GP surgery and healthcare provider to recognise where the issues like this lie and address them head on.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
What's on the agenda for Sisters of Frida right now?
Right now we have some funding and have set up a new steering group of wonderful women with different skillsets to help the organisation make a real difference at a grassroots level. But we’re always looking for more women to get involved. The more disabled women we have on the roster the better we will be at understanding the array of different needs out there and how we can help.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
How have things changed over the years in terms of accessibility for disabled people?
There’s still a long way to go and it depends where you are and what country you’re in. The UK is a leader in accessibility and yet disabled people in the UK would probably disagree. Take public transport for example. So much of it is still not fully accessible, especially on the tube and even if there’s a lift it’s often not been maintained. And then there’s the issue of benefits. It doesn’t seem to matter what party is in government, benefits are always in danger of being cut. It's our job to make sure our specific needs as disabled women are constantly on the agenda, we need our voices heard.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
Eleanor has been campaigning for disabled rights for decades. When she lived in Coventry she was part of an organisation who secured funding to mystery shop restaurants in the West Midlands for their accessibility ahead of the 2012 Olympics (for which Eleanor was a torch bearer). They singled out 10 of the best independent restaurants for disabled visitors and graded them not only on physical accessibility but on staff attitudes towards disabled people too.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
Eleanor says:
Accessibility doesn't just mean you need a ramp to get into a building and an accessible toilet. It also means having a positive attitude towards the people themselves. It was important to us that we judged the restaurants on this as much as their facilities.
Eleanor Lisney
by Jenny Smith
How have things changed for you since turning 40?
Each phase in life is totally different. It was only after turning 40 that I moved to America and put myself through college and then moved to the UK to find work. I'd been a stay at home mum until then so I suddenly found myself looking for work and figuring out what kind of job I could do. I had to negotiate barriers and attitudes as to how people saw me as a disabled person along with the intersectional barriers too. It's hard to know if people reject you because you are a person of colour, or because you are disabled, or because you're a woman. I had to figure all that stuff out. Being older helped with all of that, you have more confidence to tackle that kind of stuff, but also less energy!
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would it be?
As a disabled woman I always had this idea that nobody would love me. I wish I had been able to see that I was an attractive woman. The disability would often come first and cloud my judgement of myself. I wish people had told me that when I was younger, they would have really boosted my confidence and then who knows what adventures I might have had.
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
Eleanor Lisneyby Jenny Smith
Thank you Eleanor for being part of the 40 OVER 40 project.
Listen to my podcast, Dear Hormones here.
40 OVER 40 Caroline Jones
#18
Caroline Jones
Fundraiser and Vintage Stylist
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
In lockdown 2020 I started a fundraising campaign called Front Door Photo raising money for Refuge by photographing people standing at their front doors. I expected the project to last for a few days and hoped to raise £1000 if I was lucky. It ended up going on for two months and in the end I raised £21,284. It was such a rewarding thing to do, but boy was it hard work. Cue a phone call from someone called Caroline Jones, a woman who had embarked on her own fundraising project nearly 10 years prior. We bonded instantly and were able to chat about all of the behind the scenes admin that goes with running a charity campaign. She wanted to start a podcast talking to fellow fundraisers and revealing everything that goes on to make it a success and she very kindly asked if I would be one of her guests. Her What Have I Done? podcast has been a huge success and she's busy planning season two.
Caroline has a life long passion for all things secondhand and her charity project, Knickers Models' Own (in memory of her mother) saw her donning a different second hand outfit every single day for an entire year. She raised a fortune for Cancer Research UK and even published a book which features a photograph of Caroline taken by non other than photography legend, Rankin.
Caroline has been talking secondhand clothing long before it became trendy with the likes of Vinted and her instagram feed @knickers_models_own is a real inspiration if, like me, you find yourself in a bit of a fashion rut. During our session she took me to her local Cancer Research UK shop, where she has her own curated rail, and you could just feel her enthusiasm for the place radiating out of her. Caroline has kindly answered some questions for me and I found her answers really inspiring. I hope you will too.
Thank you Caroline for being one of my 40 inspiring women over the age of 40!
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
How did your passion for second-hand shopping start?
As a child growing up in the 1970s hand-me-downs were a big thing, I would eagerly anticipate the moment my older cousins' outgrown clothes made their way down the line together with bundles of well thumbed Jackie magazines, this was the catalyst for wanting to wear other peoples' clothes and the roots of my love for styling. Second-hand has always felt 'new' to me and as a teenager in the 1980s - pre-charity shops and the designers of shopping apps probably not even born - I would regularly raid my mum's or grandmother's wardrobe for authentic '60s pieces, my love of the music from that era defining (and still defining) my style. Jumble sales were also rich pickings, diving into piles of knitwear on a church hall trestle table. Oh the joy! Shopping in an actual second-hand shop came thanks to my JustSeventeen magazine pull-out shopping guide and age 15 I took myself off to American vintage emporium FLIP on Long Acre, Covent Garden, London. Vintage fringed suede jackets, original Levi's 501s, Ivy League baseball jackets, flat-top haircuts, music blaring, a buzz like nothing I'd ever seen. I was hooked.... (Side style note: its now a flagship Hobbs store and whenever I'm in the area I'll always pop my head in, just to remember the magic).
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
Is there an art to charity shopping? What are your tips?
Patience and curiosity are your friend. But, before you step one toe inside a charity shop or click 'buy' STOP right there and ask yourself honestly: "do I know what's already in my wardrobe?" and "what are my wardrobe 'gaps'?". Having that mental checklist will help you narrow down what it is you're looking for; it might take time - imagine that? - but when you step out of the fashion lane and into the styling lane you realise that there is no time pressure and that frees you up to shop slowly and with consideration. My number one tip is to shop in-store on your local high street, that way you are using all your senses to really decide if a purchase is right: try it on, hold it up to the light, look closely at the tailoring, examine the fabric, the trim, the buttons, the weight of the fabric, see how it hangs, walk around in it. Look on all the rails, including menswear and teens, you never know what you might discover. Oh and it's okay to leave a charity shop empty-handed, there really is no rush.
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
What does fashion mean to you?
I see fashion as the gateway to styling and styling is how I express myself, bringing me far more pleasure than the 'what's-in-fashion' lane. I'm 56 in August which means I've been around the fashion planet many times, so I see retailers and designers hitting the repeat button over and over and that means I can dismiss styles that I don't feel work for me and instead focus on gathering up pieces - velvet, tailoring, denim, tweed, t-shirts, lambswool knits, costume jewellery, rolled-edge silk scarves... that bring me joy.
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
Is there anything in your life that you’ve done that you would only have done thanks to being older?
Without doubt, at the age of 46, my year-long 2015 fundraising campaign 'Knickers Model's Own' pushed me way out of my comfort zone, both creatively and from a public facing perspective. I found myself well and truly under the spotlight and I think had I been any younger I probably would've talked myself out of it. I discovered both my second-hand styling 'voice' and my fundraising 'voice', giving me huge confidence to stand up and speak publicly. Discovering a passion for a topic is a wonderful feeling and I try and use it to make a positive difference.
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
What advice would you give to your teenage self?
To see what I now see and to tell my teen self "My gosh Caroline, you have the most beautiful eyes, skin, hair, tummy, bottom, arms, teeth, knees, elbows, eyelashes...."
Caroline JonesBy Jenny Smith
How’s the menopause been for you so far and what kind of impact has it had on your life, if any?
Joining up the dots has helped: the aches, the fog, the lethagy, the facial bloody hair, the lack of confidence spilling over into my life and an acceptance that my body has and is changing. I do my best to help myself, so I talk about it with my husband, my family, my close friends, I take HRT, I have days where I go slow, I have days where I'm full of energy, I walk, I love my yoga and I use styling as my armour of choice.
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
Any words of wisdom for women over 40?
From my teens through to my thirties I thought far more about my age, my capabilities and where I fitted in. Now I rarely stop to think about how old I am, I just do stuff, somethings work out, somethings don't quite happen, but I never use my age as a reason to think I can't do something. I also love to have friendships with older and younger people, conversations full of insight, observations and laughter. We've gotta find laughter!
Caroline Jonesby Jenny Smith
I think it's fair to say that our hormones have affected us all at some time in our lives be it puberty, PMT, pregnancy or the menopause. If that's you then check out my podcast, Dear Hormones, hopefully it'll make you smile. You can listen to it here.