A life enlightened: what does that mean? Melissa and I were pondering this on our recent trip to New York City (there we are, pictured in Dumbo, Brooklyn) as we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan in the autumn sun, observing its steel structure and webs of cables that support more than 120,000 vehicles, 4,000 pedestrians, and 2,600 bicyclists every day (according to TripSavvy).
Pausing for a moment along the 1.1-mile walk, we realized the symbolism in what the legacies of these transcendent women from the past, like Juana Inés de la Cruz, the history of the Brooklyn Bridge and the future of what we are planning for the ELEANORA platform all have in common: connection, innovation and purpose. This metaphor has been motivating us through our intensely challenging, yet highly fulfilling infancy phase.
It was an extremely busy November, spent tweaking, fine-tuning and tinkering with what we put into motion for our launch in September and October. We have re-introduced Oh, Eleanora as a column of the magazine platform, which allows me to frequently share casual, off-the-cuff content in a more intimate and informal tone with our readers. I won’t give any spoilers, but Melissa is cooking up a little something Atypical for her personal column too, which will be launching later this month.
Our intention with this December Issue was to tell the stories of women who are living A Life Enlightened (whatever that means to them) while pursuing their passions for the sake of honoring who they are and the legacy toward which they are already working. This is what was so special to us about the story of Juana Inés de la Cruz (read our S.H.E Is feature on her, in case you missed it), and to illustrate that essence, I turned to my college friend Taylor Dolan, who recently returned to the US after five years in the UK pursuing her MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Read the feature story of our recent Instagram reconnection because of our November Issue that led to our cover collaboration HERE. The second inspiring woman living her truth–another friend I’m lucky to have and someone whose story I have been itching to feature–Doree Simon, Director and Producer, is a creative who is using her gifts and her voice to tell social impact stories of others around the world through films and digital content. Read the story of her career journey, and watch her latest documentary film “In Her Shoes: India” HERE.
Taylor Dolan, Illustrator
@taylordolanart
Doree Simon, Director and Producer
@doreesimon
‘Juana Ines,’ an Illustration by Taylor Dolan
‘In Her Shoes: India,’ a film by Doree Simon
Editorially, I wanted to hear about this topic of ‘a life enlightened’ from contributors representing many of life’s stages and experiences. I am particularly excited about Brenda Coffee’s story of learning to embrace the danger of life, and denounce a bit of the safety that causes us to live on the sidelines of our truest potential. (Read her piece Inhale The Light HERE.) Additionally, I love Laura Max Rose’s take on enjoying the process of life’s day-to-day “game,” as opposed to trying to outsmart where we are and over-strategize natural stages, causing us to not be able to truly live in the moment and miss the quiet magnitude of the most beautiful times–like the significance of milestone birthdays, the simpler times raising children, and more. (Read her piece Enjoy The Game HERE.)
Inhale The Light, by Brenda Coffee
Photography by Jennifer Denton
Enjoy The Game, by Laura Max Rose
Photography by Katie Lenhart
As we whirl into winter and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year this Holiday season, may the promise of a pending New Year reset your inner compass and re-ignite your deepest passions. Thank you for your readership and support, and we look forward to an exciting and entertaining 2019!
Warm wishes for the Merriest of Holidays,
