I was originally going to publish a conversation this week. But I had so many thoughts popping up in my mind that I decided to plug the mic in and record a solo episode, which has become my go-to medium these days for working through the questions taking up real estate in my brain.
My hope is that by sharing some of these reflections, you can help me make sense of them, and let me know how they maybe mirroring some of your own thoughts and questions these days.
What’s been bubbling up for me as I rip open and explore this season’s theme—creativity at midlife—is whether this phase of life is truly age-specific… or something more nuanced. Something broader. Like a spectrum.
There have been moments in my life— like when I was applying to colleges in America, or when I was mesmerized and overwhelmed by my changing body during pregnancy, and also the first few disorienting months of my new life inParis—that felt so immersive and all-consuming, that I literally couldn’t think of anything else. The shutters were closed tight around my main interest. Nothing else could get through.
The inspiration for this solo episode was this Vulture hook!
Much to my surprise, midlife feels the same and I’m dying to understand why.
So this solo show peels back that question and touches on:
Gen X being the last generation to come of age pre-internet—and how our version of midlife is infused with the flavor and nostalgia of a more analog world.
Whether midlife topics have universal resonance—or if this is just one big Gen-X niche mood.
The idea of turning your life into a “work of art,” à la Annie Ernaux’s passionate affair-turned-literary masterpiece.
Glennon Doyle’s abrupt departure from Substack and her refusal to stay in any space that demands self-abandonment—and why that feels like a quintessential midlife flex.
Why we keep expecting intuition to explain itself with bullet points—and what happens when we stop needing a why and start listening to the quiet Yes or No.
How beginner’s mind at midlife isn’t just about picking up a new artistic outlet—it also applies to life skills we’ve yet to master, like boundary setting, hard conversations, emotional fluency, and healing our inherited stories.
I also talk about Type 2 Fun—a concept I just learned about from Chip Conley. It’s the kind of fun that’s awkward or challenging in the moment but becomes joyful and life-affirming in hindsight. Maybe that’s exactly what midlife is: one long, beautiful stretch of Type 2 Fun.
So, voilà. That’s what this solo episode is about. I’m really curious to hear what resonates.
And if any of this lights a spark in you, I really hope you’ll join me and my amazing co-hosts for the inaugural edition of Creative Camp—a series of in-person Paris events designed to reignite your creative fire and invite your beginner energy into something you’ve been aching to explore.
There’s a ceramics workshop, a choux-baking class, a caftan-making afternoon and even a steamy discussion group to explore the ways that sex, fantasy and creativity intertwine. Get your tix while you can!!
xxx
Zeva
PS. As always, you can listen to the episode on the above browser or on anyone of your preferred podcast players, like Apple, Deezer or Spotify.
PPP. Really, there aren’t that many spots in the Creative Camp, so snatch yours up quickly here while you can.
Share this post