Hello and Welcome!

I’m Debra Eve—late bloomer and possessor of many passions.

At age 36, I earned an M.A. in Archaeology while working full-time in a law firm. At 38, I started practicing Jeet Kune Do and became a beginning instructor. At 41, I backpacked solo across Europe, researching a book about Mary Shelley. At 44, I studied the cinematic Hero’s Journey via UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program. At 46, I found the love of my life and married.

But by age 50, financial woes dropped me back into a soul-sucking legal job. It worsened an autoimmune condition, leaving me depressed and exhausted. I still dreamed of writing, but my search for inspiration came up empty.

I found hundreds of Forbes’ 30 under 30 clones, but few places that celebrated the hard-won artistic and creative success of people older than 40. That’s why I started this blog. In a culture that elevates youth, I now excavate stories with deeper meaning.

Mythologist Joseph Campbell famously said, “Follow your bliss.” But Later Bloomers prefer science fiction author Bruce Sterling’s advice:

“Follow your weird!”

Later Bloomer is currently on hiatus. Please enjoy the archives!

Recommended Reading

And not just because I’m quoted in it. Lisa Congdon’s A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives is a gem.

The glory of growing older is the freedom to be more truly ourselves—with age we gain the liberty to pursue bold new endeavors and worry less about what other people think.

It features profiles, interviews, and essays from women—including Vera Wang, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Julia Child, Cheryl Strayed, and many more—who’ve found creative fulfillment and accomplished great things in the second half of their lives. I know you’ll love it.

See you soon,