In this week's episode of the AGEIST podcast, we're joined by Lyn Slater, Ph.D. Also known as the Accidental Icon, she is an author, former social worker, and professor. Along with her new book How To Be Old, Lyn discusses how her career in social work–dealing with trauma and violence–led her to seek creative outlets, which ultimately inspired her transition to fashion blogging. Lyn emphasizes her aim to explore fashion sociologically, as a tool for identity expression and subversion, rather than focusing on age. She then recounts her unexpected rise to fame via a Valentino ad, and how it shifted her identity from a person to a brand. As an influencer, she experienced a loss of creativity and control, leading to dissatisfaction. The pandemic provided a turning point, allowing her to reconnect with her passion for writing and reshape her engagement on social media. Lyn's insights on idealized aging, its relation to privilege, and the need for more inclusive and realistic portrayals of aging are thought-provoking. She advocates for aging as a creative practice, using her experiences to encourage others to embrace risks and accept life's unpredictable nature, regardless of age.

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Key Moments
“Being old is a transaction between a mind, a body and a context.”

“I think part of why it worked was because I was an ordinary woman, and so a lot of ordinary people saw me and said, wow, if she could do that, maybe I could too. And so that was the time I was getting like 100,000 followers in a day. And my phone was going crazy.”

“The difference between when all those things happened to me during my 20s is that I probably had a toolbox, a toolbox that had a hammer in the nail, and but at 70, I have so many skills, so many experiences, so many assets that I can bring to the challenges of age.”

Get In Touch with Lyn
Lyn’s new book: How To Be Old
Instagram
Accidental Icon Website

Full Transcript

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