Did you ever wake up one morning thinking about something you wish would change dramatically in the world? For the past couple mornings I’ve had something on my mind involving a subject that has been near and dear to me since my middle school days. For those who have followed my blog and/or my Twitter feed for some time know that supporting women is a social cause I’m passionate about. I grew up around women all my life and learned all that I ever needed to know about being an ally to women and women’s rights. It’s with this passion for supporting women that I thought: How great it would be if the world came to its senses and became a more empowering place for women?
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Dear Society, Stop Pressuring Women
It’s both sad and disturbing you continue to be grossly obsessed with a woman’s looks instead of the amazing talents she possesses to change the world. Take a seat and prepare yourself for what I’m about to say because either this won’t sit well with you or you’ll think I’ve been “brainwashed” (that’s laughable): everyone is physically made differently. There are tall people, short people, skinny people and heavyset people. Big deal. All of us celebrate body diversity – and you should too. It’s what makes the world so special. And that crazy notion of yours about a woman not being worth anything unless she’s a size 0 to 2? Sorry to rain on your grossly antiquated viewpoints but a dress size never ever defines a woman’s greatness. What defines a woman is what she does to follow her heart, take risks and courageously lead while inspiring others.
Visiting The Walk of the Heroines
Yesterday, I took advantage of another Saturday adventure in downtown Portland to make a return visit to the campus of my alma mater Portland State University to visit a site that’s become my most favorite spot in all of Portland: The Walk of The Heroines. The Walk of The Heroines is a memorial dedicated to women of the past and present who have made advancements in society from technology to politics and more in the name of women’s empowerment. For this blog post, I’m going to let the images and quotes from the walk do all the talking.
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Brittany Gibbons & The Greatest TEDx Talk
In 2011, writer and humorist Brittany Gibbons gave one of the most empowering (and epic) TEDx talks known to humanity. Gibbons, who titled her talk “Courageous Beauty”, discusses about body image and her childhood struggles with bullying because of her weight. When I first saw this talk on YouTube, it touched me deeply — especially when Gibbons discussed about the cruel comments some people posted on her humor blog about her weight. It floors me to think that some people (men and women) go so far to troll and prey upon someone as beautiful as Gibbons just because if his or her own lack of self-confidence. Gibbons deserves endless praise for staying strong against her critics, loving her already-beautiful self and being a shining light to those who may identify with her in his or her own body issue struggles. I’ve said it today and I will continue to say it for years to come: “Courageous Beauty” is one of the greatest TEDx talks ever given.
Heather Hansen: An Artistic Genius
Everyone has their own definition of what art is. To the more conventional crowd, art is drawing or painting what one sees (still life, nude figure) on paper or canvas. But to others art is a way of liberating oneself creatively and expressing his or her inner feeling and emotions. There’s no debate here: most people would enthusiastically agree with the latter statement as the perfect definition of art. And there’s no greater artist that personifies this definition than Heather Hansen from New Orleans, Louisiana.
8 Women Musicians You’ve Never Heard Of…But Should!
Ask anyone today about how music plays a role in his or her life and you would receive a variety of answers. Whether it’s to relax us after a long day at work, to pass the time in the car or to give us an excuse to rock out, music has a powerful effect. But behind the music is the talented artist; an artist born with the gift for song and music, an artist that expresses creativity and often weaves a delicate balance of storytelling and music.
While today’s stars such as Lady Gaga dominate the music scene, handfuls of aspiring women musicians are out there creating captivating music that deserves much bigger attention. For this blog post, I present to you (and it was a hard decision narrowing the lineup down) eight (8) women musicians deserving of the world’s attention:
