![Kaye Cleave makes friends with an elephant at the Chiang Mai sanctuary in Thailand. Photo courtesy of Kaye Cleave/ Instagram Kaye Cleave makes friends with an elephant at the Chiang Mai sanctuary in Thailand. Photo courtesy of Kaye Cleave/ Instagram](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/WBg7wa35fLCPd8Zx4SprVq/58f82ef4-b18d-4f69-b7f2-f46f87a37835.jpg/r0_313_1080_1006_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Who says Instagram is a young person's game? Kaye Cleave is on a mission to "flip off" ageist stereotypes, and she's taking social media by storm.
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The 75-year-old influencer from Adelaide - who holds a doctorate in philosophy - has amassed more than 1 million followers on her Instagram account - aptly titled Ageing Disgracefully.
"Ageing gracefully, to me, implies ageing in the way society thinks we should age," Dr Cleave said.
"It kind of implies - particularly for women - we should look nice, be quiet and just fade into the background. That's not me, I've always been a rebel."
The lifelong storyteller made her first feature length documentary at the age of 70 - Catherine's Kindergarten. The deeply personal film was a huge success, being shown around the world and winning numerous awards.
At the age of 73, she wanted to keep telling stories, but the film had left her feeling tired and emotionally drained and she didn't want to take on anything "big."
After some thought she decided to start "playing around" with Instagram. She said she wasn't sure where the idea came from - her friends didn't use the platform, and she admitted it was a "steep learning curve".
She had no set goals in mind - no aspirations of going viral, and she wasn't trying to sell anything. Her sole ambition was to have fun, but being a storyteller, she needed a message to share.
![Kaye believes it is important to practice mindful eating, but is aware she is fallible. At least once a week she allows herself to eat whatever she wants. Photo courtesy of Kaye Cleave/ Instagram Kaye believes it is important to practice mindful eating, but is aware she is fallible. At least once a week she allows herself to eat whatever she wants. Photo courtesy of Kaye Cleave/ Instagram](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/WBg7wa35fLCPd8Zx4SprVq/0136cfb5-155a-422f-b643-14e84a731e02.jpg/r0_0_1080_1350_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The life long activist decided to focus on the largely "invisible" problem of ageism - an issue she admits she wasn't truly aware of herself until she entered her 70s.
"Like most people, when I was younger I never really thought about being old. I didn't have grandparents who were alive. Didn't really know old people...they weren't part of my world.
"Even in my 60s I didn't think of myself as old. Now I'm in my 70s I'm aware that I'm seen as an older person."
Not that ageism is her only core message. She also posts content focused on normalising conversations about grief and loss, and ageing intentionally.
So, what does ageing intentionally mean? To Dr Cleave, it's all about being present - making smart decisions about what we want to do and the way we want to live our lives. It's a message that is just as important for younger people as it is for seniors.
"Most of us live in our heads and life passes us by. We're not fully in the moment.
![Kaye in Cambodia, where she completed a run for charity Feeding Dreams. Photo courtesy of Kaye Cleave/ Instagram Kaye in Cambodia, where she completed a run for charity Feeding Dreams. Photo courtesy of Kaye Cleave/ Instagram](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/WBg7wa35fLCPd8Zx4SprVq/ecd26081-6ea8-45fd-920c-5bddcc83fbdb.jpg/r0_0_1080_1350_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"What I would say to people in their 20s, 30s and 40s is put in place good habits now."
And now for the million dollar (or follower) question - what makes good Instagram content and how does she select her stories?
To Kaye, it's just about sharing her day to day activities. She has an acrobatic background, has practiced yoga and has been "seriously" meditating since she was 50. A lot of her content demonstrates exercises, dance moves or wellness tips. But she is just as likely to upload stories about her playing with dogs, or explaining why she likes thrift stores.
"I just make posts about my life. That's my measure - is this enjoyable? If it's not, I don't do it."
To find out more about Kaye, follow her on Instagram @ageingdisgracefully_