Martha Stewart, 81, Explains Why She Isn’t ‘Afraid’ of Aging
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Martha Stewart recently discussed all things aging with Maria Shriver.
“I’m not afraid,” Stewart said of getting older.
She explained how staying curious and creative helps her embrace the aging process.
Martha Stewart, 81, lifestyle icon and queen of the “thirst trap,” has never shied away from the topic of aging. Recently, she sat down with Maria Shriver and Sounds True for a conversation titled: Radically Reframing Aging: Today’s Groundbreakers on Age, Health, Purpose & Joy, where she discussed all things getting older and how she ages gracefully.
“I’m not afraid,” Stewart told Shriver, in regards to aging and the thought of potentially one day losing her memory. “I don't really feel like I’ve lost too much of the knowledge that I’ve gained over the years…I might forget somebody’s name, but that's just natural,” she continued.
Stewart emphasizes embracing aging through learning and making the most of every day. “As one gets older, and we were getting older the minute we’re born, right away I think it’s terribly, terribly important that we learn something new every day,” Stewart said. “It really is about constantly enlarging your body of knowledge so that you can have interesting conversations, you can actually teach other people new things, you can help your grandchildren expand their vast and growing knowledge.”
She does this by waking up early in the morning and reading a newspaper, playing brain games like crossword puzzles and Wordle to keep her mind sharp, and prioritizing her overall health. Stewart also spoke about the importance of creativity and challenging oneself, which Shriver attributed to her success at 81.
“Creativity is really probably the best thing one can do—to be creative to keep one’s spirit alive,” Stewart explained. “Because if you can’t create you just sort of stagnate. So again, there are those words that are very important to me: curiosity, creativity, inspiration, information—all of those things are extremely important. And that’s what I live by.”
From writing her first book at 41, to starting Martha Stewart Living Magazine, to her television show, Stewart explained how she exemplified those values. “And now here I am…I’m a household name. I am a brand that has really good longevity and legs. And I do have good legs, still,” Stewart said playfully. “And I have, you know, worked with wonderful people who are like-minded people who really want to provide great ideas, great products, great inspiration, and information to a vast audience.”
Despite the mogul’s continued success, Shriver pointed out that “ageism is alive and well,” to which Stewart agreed. She shared that she was once interviewed for the board of a (“now defunct”) company that rejected her after learning her age, which was 63 at the time. Stewart explained that the company did not succeed because “they didn’t think in the modern way,” and continued to mention that older people have “so much experience,” so many “abilities,” and “so much to teach, and to exemplify.”
Stewart’s powerful conversation portrays perfectly how aging is something to be embraced and enjoyed, and that everyone, even those over a certain age, have amazing things to offer the world. “I think we’re on the right track to encourage the older population to stay active,” she noted—and we couldn’t agree more.
If you’d like to hear the entire conversation full of inspiring tidbits between Stewart and Shriver, you can do so by registering here.
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