Words of the wise

New website be-bolder.com is dedicated to sharing the worldly wisdom that comes with age. Curated by Helen Cathcart and Dominique Afacan, each interview has only one requirement – that their subject be over 70.

A treasure trove of inspiration, life lessons and motivation, it seeks to champion those who are redefining what it means to be old, and trust us, it’s well worth a peek. Here Dominique shares how this wonderful collection came to be.

How did you start your collaboration?

Helen is a photographer and I am a writer and editor, so as well as being great friends, we've worked together on various projects for years. We wanted to embark on a personal project that got our creative juices flowing and meant a bit more to us – and Bolder was born.

Why did you choose the stories of over-70s to share?

Quite simple really. We noticed that in our careers and in our personal lives some of the most interesting people we'd meet were much older, but this didn't seem to be translating in the media we consumed. We'd often go on work trips together and meet these fascinating characters but of course they weren't the ones we were being paid to photograph or write about, so we decided to do something about it.

What do you hope to impart on your readers?

We just want to show readers that their perceptions of growing older might be off target. There are plenty of people doing exciting things in later life, embarking on new projects or still creating. The media currently makes people of a certain age seem invisible – and we hope to change that to some extent. They also have a lot of stories to tell that other generations can learn from.

How have you come across your inspiring subjects so far?

In many instances there has been a happy domino effect where one person recommends the next. We both also come across people while we do our day jobs and we also look to friends and family to recommend people.

Best life lesson you’ve discovered from them so far?

I imagine Helen and I may have different answers from this. Honestly, they have all taught us so much – every time we meet someone we come out on a total high. Muffie, who we both met together after a chance encounter at a wedding in New Zealand, was one of my most memorable. She is a really beautiful character with a fighting spirit and a no nonsense attitude. She is still playing competitive tennis and likened the game to life – 'you win some, you lose some, but you fight again.' I think that's so true.

Visit be-bolder.com for more stories or to recommend someone you know to be featured.