In other words, she is talking about the same process that is one of the themes of Elderwoman – the process of crafting our selves and the lives we want to live. As she explains:

"We receive a flood of 'shoulds' about every aspect of our lives. But what is true for one person may not be true for another, what works for me may not work for you. We are overwhelmed with input. We need to be able to close our ears to the external chatter so we can hear the inner voice.
The closer you approach the essence of your life-- what gives you meaning and purpose, what your body needs to be healthy, what makes you feel excited about what you are doing, what kind of space you feel comfortable in, how you relate happily to others—the more distinctive your solutions will be.
In this sense, to be truly unconventional is to become authentically yourself, whoever that turns out to be. 'Yourself' may not bear much resemblance to the person your parents raised, or to the woman you thought you were."

Oh amen to that.

So how to go about this process of re-fashioning ourselves in the second half of our lives? The way Lisa sees it, the first task is one of self-examination: This means:
" …examining and cleaning out a kind of 'clutter' from our internal houses: our own seemingly endless assumptions and habitual beliefs as well as the signals that we unconsciously receive from others which affect everything from our minute-to-minute emotional states, to our health, to what motivates us to action."

And then …?
"It requires getting new information and forming new attitudes, and perhaps new relationships, that nourish and support us."
Which is why Lisa has created 'Unconventional Woman' – a website crammed full with useful resources to assist other women on this journey of self-discovery and re-creation.
 
I have spent some time wandering around in her Aladdin's cave of essays, book reviews, teachings, suggestions etc. and this is high-quality stuff. I am not saying that just because she includes Elderwoman on her resource list, though I must say I am delighted to find it there. But because I think she has already assembled an impressive collection of first-rate material and has organized it expertly in categories – health, relationship, lifestyles, work and money … and many more.. And this is only the beginning.

Not only is 'Unconventional Woman' jam-packed with interesting material, it is also beautifully designed, with a rich and mellow look that feels just right for the subject matter. That should not surprise me. Lisa is a gifted artist who works in several media. Her watercolours are sublime and the visual richness of her oil paintings evokes thoughts of the old Flemish masters. You can see some of her art at her other website : http://www.lisawagnerartist.com

I urge you to go to Unconventional Woman and have a look for yourself. And give Lisa your feedback. I know she would love to hear from you.

Elderwoman by Marian McCain Review