Permission to Be Seen: Creativity, Resilience & Recording Your First Album at 50 with Becca Kidwell

The Midlife Feast

The Midlife Feast
Permission to Be Seen: Creativity, Resilience & Recording Your First Album at 50 with Becca Kidwell
Apr 13, 2026 Season 6 Episode 189
Jenn Salib Huber RD ND

What if the dreams you thought you missed the deadline on are the ones you're meant to follow now?

Becca Kidwell spent her 30s teaching high school English, convinced it was too late to pursue a creative career. She'd learned what so many of us Gen X women can relate to: if you didn't lock in your path by 30, the door was closed. But then something shifted and she started noticing older artists who were just beginning their careers and thriving. She met her now-husband, who encouraged her to move to New York and start a theater company, and on her 40th birthday, she performed her first cabaret show.

Ten years later, Becca is releasing her debut album, What You Don't See, on her 50th birthday. And the title track? It's about something so many of us feel in midlife but rarely say out loud: I'm tired. I'm tired of performing, of smiling through exhaustion, of pretending I have endless capacity. But what you don't see is how tired I really am.

In this Story Session, Becca shares her journey from being afraid of being seen to stepping fully onto the stage as herself. We talk about the permission piece that midlife gives so many of us, the resilience it takes to keep showing up for your dreams, and why creativity isn't just for the young. If you've ever felt like it's too late to follow a passion, chase a dream, or try something new, this episode is for you.

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Guest Bio: Becca Kidwell is a singer-songwriter and cabaret performer from New York. After spending her 30s as a high school English teacher, she began her creative career at 40 and has spent the last decade performing in cabarets across New York. Her debut album, What You Don't See, releases on her 50th birthday, May 1st. You can find her at beccackidwell.com and on Instagram.

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Episode Artwork Permission to Be Seen: Creativity, Resilience & Recording Your First Album at 50 with Becca Kidwell 23:11 Episode Artwork #188 - Turning Down the Critical Voice: Body Acceptance in Your Midlife Body with Kristina Bruce 39:02 Episode Artwork #187 - Second Helpings - Decoding Cravings & Emotional Hunger in Midlife & Menopause 28:55 Episode Artwork #186: GLP-1s, Intuitive Eating & Finding Food Freedom: A conversation with Sam Previte RD 39:12 Episode Artwork #185: The Science and Symptoms of Burnout: How to Build Capacity in Midlife with Dr Ashley Margeson ND 46:12 Episode Artwork #184: Pelvic Floor Freedom: Why Kegels Aren't the Answer & What Works Instead with Lauren Ohayon 42:01 Episode Artwork #183: Decision Fatigue and Menopause: Why "What's for Dinner?" Makes You Want to Scream 23:14 Episode Artwork #182: Visibility As Generosity: Rethinking Photos, Aging, And Confidence With Photographer Kristen Vallejo 36:38 Episode Artwork #181: The Political Hot Potato of Menopause: Cutting Through Noise with Fiona Clark 38:35 Episode Artwork #180: Seed Oils, Protein Obsession & Nutrition Misinformation: Cutting Through the Noise with Colleen Christensen, RD 40:47 Episode Artwork #179 - Fiber Without The Fuss in Midlife and Menopause 22:11 Episode Artwork #178 - Perimenopause Without Panic: Body Changes, Food Freedom, And Real Support 38:31 Episode Artwork #177 - Reclaiming ‘Selfish’ as a Midlife & Menopause Power Move with Suzy Reading 26:12 Episode Artwork #176: Anti-Diet Menopause in the Age of Ozempic With Dr. Mara Gordon 56:52 Episode Artwork #175: Food Guilt in Midlife: Why Your Alarm Keeps Going Off (Even When It’s Just Toast) 21:15 Episode Artwork #174: How to Rebuild Your Habits in Midlife: A Kinder, Science-Backed Approach with Signe Darpinian, LMFT 51:37 Episode Artwork #173 - How To Age Without Apology with Deb Benfield RDN 31:56 Episode Artwork #172 Q&A Episode: Soy, Metabolism, And Food Noise 23:04 Episode Artwork #171: Sleep in the Messy Middle of Midlife and Menopause with Dr Shelby Harris 31:11 Episode Artwork #170: The One Thing Menopause Dietitians Want You to Know About Nutrition 39:42 Episode Artwork #169: Style, Not Size: Dressing for the Life You’re Living with Jacquelyn Prattipati 34:49 Episode Artwork #168: ADHD, Menopause, and The Messy Middle with Diana Reid RD 41:40 Episode Artwork #167 - When Perimenopause Unmasks ADHD with Dr. Jen Wolkin 48:34 Episode Artwork #166: What if “healthy” is a pattern, not a prescription? Redefining lifestyle medicine in menopause 18:27 Episode Artwork #165- Mom Rediscovered: Jen Butler on Breaking Up with Diet Culture and Drinking to Find Herself Again 33:17