Anshu: It’s Never Too Late To Achieve What You Want

How often do you pause to truly see yourself—not just as you are in this moment, but as the sum of every step, every breakthrough, every lesson? At Renata Clarke Portraits, I believe portraiture is a profound act of self-discovery. It’s a gentle invitation to honour the woman you’re becoming, to celebrate both your quiet strengths and your boldest dreams. For so many of my clients, a portrait session isn’t about vanity—it’s about presence, courage, and reconnecting with your inner truth.

Anshu’s experience is a beautiful example of what happens when you let yourself be seen through fresh, compassionate eyes. Her journey wasn’t about surface beauty, but about celebrating all the layers of her story—her resilience, wisdom, and the transformation that brought her to this moment.

If you’ve ever felt a quiet longing to be witnessed, or to mark a personal chapter with intention and care, let Anshu’s story inspire you to rediscover the power and beauty within yourself.

Anshu’s story

I have always been confident and independent and I think this is due to moving so much when I was younger and always have to join new schools and make new friends.  My parents are wonderful and definitely the reason I am who I am as they are great role models and always encouraged me to explore my creative side and to be brave enough to try rather than run away and hide.  When we stopped moving I spent the rest of my younger years in a small town where I finally made life long friends and met my first husband, but it wasn’t to be and we were divorced by the time I was 28.  Life then took a bad turn and in 2005 life just fell apart when my Dad was diagnosed with COPD and we were told he had 3 years to live. Sadly on Christmas Eve that year he was rushed to hospital and he died on Boxing Day, I have never been able to get over the terrible choice we had to make and turn his life support machine off and it is something that haunts me to this day.

After my dad died I met a wonderful man just when I thought my life was over.  We struggled with people’s perceptions of our age gap (he is 13 yrs younger) and we had to prove how much we loved each other and that we were serious. I was still dealing with grief and terrible debt and he definitely showed how much he loved me and wanted to be there especially because we had so little money at times sometimes we only had £10 a week to buy food which would challenge any new relationship. I am childfree and always knew that I didn’t want children and this has been something that other people have been unable to understand, which has led to personal attacks on my life choices, but it is something that as a couple we knew was right for us.  

I started perimenopause in my late 30s and felt like I was going mad, I didn’t understand who I was and my mind was foggy all of the time, I struggled with everyday life and avoided going out and interacting with people. I started to hate myself and feel like I had turned into someone else and really didn’t like what I saw in the mirror as I have put so much weight on, my skin has changed, my hair has changed and I often feel awful, but I try to stay positive. My husband has been a rock through all of this and took up the fight to get my menopause recognised and treated, after 15 years together he has been my constant support and best friend, and one day I hope to feel as beautiful as he sees me. Despite challenges in my life, I am now in a positive place and am now teaching, which is something I really enjoy. It really is never too late to achieve what you want, something I have learned as I’ve got older and wiser, now I just need to get through the menopause!