Pushing fifty

Ever since I turned 40, I’ve felt there must have been a miscount somewhere. I mean, aren’t I still only 32? But time kept inexplicably passing, and before I knew it, I was about to be staring 50 full in the visage.So I decided to draw it. Here are the results of that decision: 50 drawings, for my 50th birthday. Enjoy.

Highlights

If you only look at some of the drawings, then these are some of my favourites.

Spontaneity

Actually, most of my drawings are based on things that happened, but this one especially amuses me because it’s almost word for word. Yes, I do laugh at my own jokes.

Anatomy of 50

Most of the work here wasn’t in the actual drawings so much as figuring out just how many embarrassing details to share. In the end, I went with too many. I take no responsibility for your decision to read the captions. You’re a grown-up; you can pay for your own therapy.

The Takeout Fairy

I swear this is a real thing. Despite all your best intentions, no matter how much you say you’re not gonna, at some point, the Takeout Fairy will get you. We’ve all been there, which is why he looks so disturbingly familiar. (I’m still not sure how I did that.)


Bunny Girl

Lindt chocolate. Surely it’s any chocolate-lover’s downfall? The decadence of those beautifully thick bits, and the crisp snap of the delicate thin bits (thankfully not too many of them, though). I once got a Lindt Easter bunny where the head was solid chocolate. Achievement unlocked.

The full shebang

Here are all 50 drawings (although for the full Bunny Girl sequence you’ll need to look above). The drawings are in chronological order—my personal experience of nearing this unfeasible age, complete with perimenopause, midulting, emotional rollercoasting, and the deep suspicion that I really shouldn’t be allowed to adult at all.

About me

I’m Jo, a middle-aged wordy arty person living in Glasgow, Scotland. I couldn’t have done this project without the constant prodding from my accountability partner and devastatingly talented illustrator friend Soni Alcorn-Hender, or the unwavering support of my partner Alex, and best pal Ruth.

© Jo Levy 2025