Karen Williamson: Legendary Ladies Spotlight
In 2022, I completed a portrait project called Legendary Ladies which was all about celebrating women over 40. As I’ve started a new project, This is Me, I’ve been thinking back on the sessions from my first portrait project in my studio in Cisco, TX.
Over the next several weeks, I’ll be featuring each participant of the Legendary Ladies project on my blog. Follow along as I share these amazing women’s stories.
Today we’re taking all about Karen Williamson. Oh what a joy it’s been to get to know Karen. She was my first client in the studio that I had no idea who she was. Haha! Eastland County is pretty small… everyone knows everyone. Obviously, I’ve got to meet a lot of new people since then who have come to me from all over.
I actually accidentally got to meet Karen in person a week before her shoot. We saw her at my niece’s Kindergarten graduation. Before that, we were doing all of our communication through phone calls and email. So that was a nice surprise.
Karen is a sweet and optimistic human who I’m so glad I got to meet through this project. So without further ado, let’s get into her interview.
Get to Know Karen
“I am a late in life bloomer that took up running at age 58 on a whim, and have since completed multiple half marathons, and many 5K/10K/15K’s, including on-road and off-road events. Currently I am training 4 days a week for my first full marathon of 26.2 miles. My runbuddy and I like to plan runcations, or destination runs, that require overnight stays. Most times our husbands join us and we plan extra excursions to keep peace (ie. Bass Pro, Academy, etc.).
Running has been such a positive influence on not only my health and lifestyle, but on my entire family. My grandchildren like to run with me both in training and in organized races. Being active helps me feel young at heart and keep up with my grands and great-grands.”
What advice would you give your younger self?
“There is only one ‘you’. Don’t try to be anyone else.”
How did your view on life change after turning 40?
“Age 40 was when I began wearing bifocals and had to re-learn how to walk up or down stairs! Bifocals can trip me up! But, age has never been an issue for me and I have always looked forward to each birthday.”
What is one of the most rewarding things about aging?
“My grandchildren and being able to enjoy them with their activities! Sleepovers. Camping. Camping in the living room. Gathering firewood. Naps. Being available to help them and their parents. Hiking. Picking up rocks. Gathering eggs. Making pancakes with chocolate chips.”
Karen also stopped by the studio for a video interview sharing her experience working with us and what inspired her to participate in the project. You can view that below.
My new portrait project: This is Me, is accepting clients. This project is not age based, but is designed for women at all stages of their adult life to step into their highest self confidence. If you’re interested in learning more about the project, click here.
