Meet lovely and beautiful Regan who was another participant in the 40 over 40 campaign. Regan has recently completed her Doctoral Degree and what better way to celebrate her massive achievement than to get some beautiful personal branding portraits done. I also have to add, Regan has to be the easiest client to get a laugh out of – we had such fun with so many laughs throughout this entire portrait session. 

Doing the photo shoot I was reminded of an experience we had with my daughter when she was 3 or 4 (she’s now 22). She loved to dress up and change outfits numerous times a day which drove me scatty. We were attending a music concert called Starlight Classics at Johannesburg Country Club and the main singer would come out in the most magnificent outfits at various times and after the 3rd or 4th outfit change I turned to her and asked: “Jen, have you seen the dresses that singer is wearing?” and she replied, “Yes and if she changes one more time her Mommy is going to say ‘NO MORE CHANGING” while wagging her little forefinger back and forth.’ ”

What drew you to this 40 over 40 campaign?

My best friend gifted me a professional photo shoot when I graduated with my doctorate earlier this year and the photographer with whom it was booked with moved suddenly and could no longer do the shoot I had booked and as fate would have it, shortly thereafter I saw a Facebook ad of Tamryn’s 40 over 40 campaign and I was drawn in to the whole idea of creating a whole experience of the photo shoot and doing this just for me.

 

If you could go back and tell your 20 year old self something that you think would change your life, what would it be?

Search for and nurture all the various aspects of yourself and remember no matter what path you choose engage in self care.

 

What are you post proud of yourself for?

Achieving my doctorate … and the work colleagues and I did in a primary school in Alexandra township and our collaboration with the principal that led to the school being transformed. The transformation of the school and the lessons we learnt is the focus of my doctorate.

 

What are some goals or things you still want to do?

Start an NPO that can help take this knowledge and learning to other township schools and schools that want to undertake a journey of holistic transformation.

“A world lives within you. No one else can bring you news of this inner world. Through the opening of the mouth, we bring out sounds from the mountain beneath the soul. … Yet the uttering of the word reveals how each of us relentlessly creates. Everyone is an artist. Each person brings sound out of silence and coaxes the invisible to become visible.”

~ John O’Donohue

Has there/is there anyone in your life who has made a massive impact, if so, how?

The principal of the primary school in Alexandra who welcomed me (and my colleagues) into that space and who was both humble and willing to learn from us and also graciously willing to teach us too. He daily goes into a traumatised community and is incredibly committed and courageous in daily taking an ethical stance and challenging others in that space to hold the learners front and centre, working tirelessly to inspire and educate them.

My friends and family describe me as:

Empathic and caring. Technologically challenged

Thoughts on aging?

Growing old is a gift and I intend to embrace the grey and the lines that come with ageing. What struck me is a quote from a book called The Olive Tree by the author Lucinda Riley who wrote “I wonder now why humans hate the map of their life that appears on their own bodies, when a tree like this, or a faded painting, or a near-derelict uninhabited building is lauded for its antiquity.”

What do you think some of your best qualities are?

My passion, curiosity and thirst for learning. I’m deeply empathic.

What advice do you have for other women 40+ out there?

I think this is a bit advice for not only others but for me too: We need to make sure that we carve out time for ourselves and do the things we love andensure that not all our time and capacity gets swallowed up in looking out for and caring for others.
Signing up for and taking part of this campaign is part of the new quest I’m on to do just that, as was doing my doctorate and now the art classes that I’ve signed up for and poetry I’ve begun to write.

What has gotten easier for you since turning 40?

Giving myself permission to do things for me.

What do you currently love about yourself?

The permission I’m granting myself to say “no” more; to trust my gut and make time to explore different parts of myself that I haven’t before such as painting and writing poems. I also love my new title of “Dr” and the huge amount of insight that came from six years of study on education in our country.

Click on images to be taken to their blogs

📍Johannesburg, South Africa 

Do Regan’s 40 over 40 campaign portraits look like something you might want for yourself too?

Are you interested in spending a day in studio having your dream portraits created, laughing and celebrating you, then you need to fill out this form!