I have been following Karen Walrond’s work and life for a very long time. When I first started reading Karen’s blog her daughter was a pig-tailed toddler—now she’s in college. But I still remember the friend who introduced me to her website. She said that seeing Karen’s photography each day made her a better person. It sounds like a wild claim, but it’s true.
I’m a better person for having followed Karen’s work all these years, I am absolutely sure of it.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Karen a few times and consider her a friend. But even if I hadn’t, following her social media and reading her books would have made an impact on me. It would have changed me for the better.
Karen’s first book—a gorgeous collection of essays and photographs called The Beauty of Different—has been out for more than a decade (I keep mine on the coffee table, because it’s a great conversation starter). In the past three years she’s also published two more books, both on topics that feel deeply important right now; the sort of books you want to give to a whole list of friends.
When I first heard Karen was writing a book about activism and joy called The Lightmaker’s Manifesto, it made me smile wide. So perfect, so necessary, so Karen. In a time that desperately needs us to step into community and into mutual care, Karen shows how it can be restorative, rewarding, and—dare I say it?—fun. She draws on her own experiences, and those of a cadre of activists and friends, and breaks things down into steps that are easily relatable and replicable.
I should mention that Karen has a background in engineering and as a lawyer—you can see the research and structure she puts in. She’s also a photographer and a great believer in beauty, so the work is always in the background, never a distraction. It makes for an engaging, accessible reading experience. (Karen also narrated the audio version of her most recent book herself and it is delightful. She even won an audiobook narration award for it! I read it on paper and then also listened to the audio, because I found it that compelling).
Karen then followed up with Radiant Rebellion, which came out last year and—WOWZA, was it the book I needed to read (and, also, to pass along to all my similar-aged friends). It was eye opening to learn that our cultural distaste for aging is a recent phenomenon (and why it took hold), how much ageism affects us all, and that the current target for anti-aging marketing is twenty-five year olds. TWENTY-FIVE. (Get ‘em early and you have a customer for life). There was a lot that was mind blowing in the book.
I also appreciated the discussion of the difference between passion, mission, and legacy. This is a book is about finding and fostering meaning—and I love the subtitle: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell. We could all use a dose of that, right?
Radiant Rebellion is not only for those at mid-life and beyond. As Karen points out, we are all aging (if we’re lucky). This book changed my perspective, in good ways. (I am also now the proud owner of a hula hoop, a sentence I never expected to write).
I’ve never told Karen this, but she feels like the slightly older sister who encounters everything in life a few years before me—and I have been the lucky beneficiary of her hard-earned wisdom, experience, and perspective.
It’s also the way Karen navigates things: with curiosity, intelligence, and kindness. To have an older sister character like that in your life—real or virtual—is priceless.
I wanted to share Karen’s work with you, and to ask her a few questions. I highly recommend seeking out her books; she also has a blog, newsletter, and Instagram feed (all with her gorgeous photography, which you can see here in this post). I can’t guarantee that following her will make you a better person, but I strongly suspect it will.
KAREN WALROND: THE ENJOY INTERVIEW
What does joy mean to you?
Joy is deeper than happiness: happiness is superficial, like the barista gets your coffee order right, or someone remembers your birthday. Joy, I think, comes from things like meaning, and purpose, and intentional, focused gratitude. In many ways, I think joy requires intention. It’s not flighty, you have to work for it. But the rewards are always greater than mere happiness.
What are some things you do to access joy, delight, or wonder?
Photography has always been a tool for joy for me, because it requires me to be intentional about seeking beauty and story, and that always makes me feel grateful. Ritual is another thing that helps me access joy – from a journaling practice, to decorating for the holidays for my family—that’s always joyful.
What is something you like to do for or with your family or friends to bring the magic?
My daughter laughs at me because whenever I help her decorate her own spaces (whether at home or at university), she knows I’m always crying out, “Pools of light! We need more pools of light!” (In my considered opinion, there can never be too many string lights.)
I’ve recently begun candle-making, because I love lighting candles any time people come over (lighting a candle to welcome guests is a Norwegian tradition I learned from my parents, who lived in Stavanger for several years). I think creating spaces of comfort and peace and delight often encourage joy.
What do you wish more people knew or understood about finding wonder or joy?
I wish more people understood that finding joy requires intent—I think most folks think, if they aren’t living a joyful life, that maybe they’re just not lucky enough.
Over the years, I’ve realized that joy isn’t passive. Also, seeking joy isn’t about ignoring pain or hardship, or fixing what needs to be fixed. The hard stuff will always be there, but we naturally pay more attention to those things, rather than the good things. I think the secret to a joyful life is paying equal attention to the good things, as well.
[All photos by the uber-talented Karen Walrond, of course.]
“The novelist Edith Wharton once said, ‘There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.’ I’ve always loved this quotation… Yet over time, I’ve come to believe that Wharton’s words omit a third way to spread light, and that is to make it. More than simply defaulting to kindness, or waiting for an act of generosity to respond in kind, we can proactively take the things that fuel us—our gifts and our passions—and use them to serve the world. We’re called to activate others and advocate for the causes that mean the most to us.”
—Karen Walrond, The Lightmaker’s Manifesto
”In a world that capitalizes on our despair and disillusionment about ourselves, joy is the ultimate act of resistance.”
”And when there’s a critical mass of us, we can shift the discourse on what it means to get older. We can collectively illuminate the value that age brings to ourselves, our communities and the world.
Together, we are the radiant rebellion. And it’s time to raise a little hell.”
—Karen Walrond, Radiant Rebellion
To learn more about Karen, to stay in touch:
Website
Substack newsletter
Blog
Instagram
Books
Another something lovely to enjoy: my books