Leigh Kilton-Smith
You are in for a real treat with this 50 Women Highlight. Meet Leigh Kilton-Smith.
The moment I met Leigh at a gathering, I knew I had to photograph her. Luckily, she heard about the 50 Women Project and wanted to be part of it.
Women like Leigh are exactly why I started this project. I wanted to celebrate how remarkable we become through years of living, learning, and experiencing both the good and the difficult. There are four women in the project who are over 70, and I can tell you they have had the most fun in front of the camera. They bring an incredible vitality and a refreshing freedom from worrying about what others think. With that comes a radiance I find absolutely magnetic.
We need to see more examples of that.
From our very first conversation while planning her photoshoot, I knew this one was going to be fun. Leigh was all in, and she took the experience to another level. I hope you'll be as inspired by her as I am.
“If I have Trust I can rest, exhale,
my questions go quieter and
I am instantly more present.”
What really matters to you?
I think, as I've gotten older and experienced more of my own evolution I've recalibrated away from Success and Love as what matters most.. I've reached a level of success and been blessed to know Love but truly it is Trust that matters most to me. If I have Trust I can rest, exhale, my questions go quieter and I am instantly more present. With myself and others. And as long as I continue to question the stories that I tell myself, my own resistance, staying vigilant about my own trustworthiness my hope is for more moments of pure and beautiful Trust.
What brings you happiness?
My husband, my Chosen Famileigh aka, my friends, my actors, the children at our orphanage, young people, animals, art, spicy food, New York, a great perfume, teaching, learning, England, road trips, naps, and Burning Man.
"Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them."
— Elizabeth Gilbert
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced?
A complicated childhood that forced me, early on, to rise above so that I might see more clearly my way out. Of course, back then my thoughts were not so lofty, my goal was simply to play small to avoid certain consequences. I envy those who languished in childhood as a place of safety and love. I was old way before my time. The joys that many experienced in childhood I experienced in my 20s and my 30s and well, if I'm being honest, I'm still experiencing unspent joy at 70!
What would you change if you could?
Gun accessibility, cruelty, hungry children, extremism of any sort, bad drivers, bad listeners, close talkers, bullies, art funding, health care and any loud cars. Oh! And entitlement. My own and others.
What single word do you identify with?
FUCK
"I'd rather regret the things I've done than
regret the things I haven't done."
— Lucille Ball
Thank you Leigh!
More about Leigh:
Contact me at www.Leighkiltonsmith.com - my silly website
and please visit our non profit that benefits the children
at our orphanage in Tijuana, Mx.
www.friendsofelfsro.org
thank you...
