Celebrating More Than 140 Stories of Late-Blooming Success
Here’s a complete index of articles, biographies, and book reviews in the Later Bloomer archives. I hope it’ll help convince you that it’s truly never too late to create!
Explorers
As J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost.” These late-blooming explorers highlight the connection between creativity and adventure. Whether we travel through books, dreams, or distant lands, we find ways to bloom in our own time.
Matthew Henson: The Extraordinary Artic Explorer You’ve Never Heard Of
Matthew Henson was born to Black sharecroppers a year after the Civil War ended. At age 13, he became a cabin boy on a frigate to China. And at age 43, there’s a good chance he “discovered” the North Pole.
Alexandra David-Néel: Her Mystical Adventures in Tibet and Beyond
In 1924, at age 56, a genteel Frenchwoman disguised as a peasant hiked through the Himalayas to become the first Western woman into Tibet’s forbidden city, Lhasa.
Maria Sibylla Merian: Her Daring Midlife Expedition Changed How We View the Insect World
Maria Sibylla Merian, age 52, voyaged to Suriname when women were still burnt as witches. Her incredible paintings of insect metamorphosis grace these web pages.
It’s Never Too Late To Do Archaeology
International Archaeology Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday in October, though events occur all month. Here’s a guide that proves it’s never too late to do archaeology!
Agatha Christie: Her Brilliant Late-Blooming Encore as an Archaeologist
In her 40s, after a divorce, a breakdown, and a mysterious disappearance, bestselling author Agatha Christie found true love and became an archaeologist.