Julie Unplugged

Creating Paper Flowers: Another Way I Practice Feminism

I attended a twitter chat recently and met some incredible women there. One of the take aways for me was the concept of "practicing feminism."

I have been walking around living the question, "How am I practicing feminism today?" It has helped me consciously create opportunities to talk about equality of women in literary history or anything simple that is walking the walk of feminism and not just talking about it.

I have enjoyed it so much - and then I realized something that made me even more excited to practice feminism in a tangible way.

For the past fourteen or fifteen months I have been working on a body of work called “Women’s Sphere.” Each work of art focuses on images and language about women’s roles and how women’s lives have been played out across the last few centuries.   I share images and language illustrating how things have changed and how things are still so similar to the way they were hundreds of years in the past.

When my daughter had a tea party for her fifteenth birthday, I gave a little speech about  for centuries women have gathered and used tea as their “reason for gathering” but in small groups like this, women learned, contributed to politics and business, eduction, human rights and more. Mostly they gained power and built power between women.

I had made such an effort to make it an ultra-feminine day.

I realized some people might not have gotten the woman – power – feminism I was teaching these high school aged girls who had donned gloves and hats and pretty dresses .  One young woman  came dressed with a dress shirt,pants and tie in a more masculine look which everyone welcomed, too.

I was reminded through Emma's tea party that my Women’s Sphere pieces were primarily lamenting some of the “cultural expectations” of women and seemed to downplay some of the glorious aspects of being a woman.

The stereotype is men get together to watch football games. They scratch themselves, burp, tell stupid jokes and share stories of sexual prowess.

The stereotype for women is we sit and gossip and talk about fashion and glitz and glamour and who is looking better and who has the better boyfriend or husband.

I was never into the whole glitz and glamour scene or the gossip scene, but I have always loved very pretty, conventionally “girly” things, so why should I assume these are not “Women’s Sphere?” objects to create?

I changed that this past weekend when I started taking my painted papers and crafting them into flowers. I am having FAR too much fun and after another evening at play, I have come up with some “second generation” flowers.

You’ll have to watch here as they develop. I figure they will make a reasonably priced piece of art for women (and men!) to purchase that will introduce them to the concept behind Women’s Sphere as well as share about the papers that have been repurposed and the woman represented in each particular flower.

It doesn’t get much more fun than this.

What do you think of my Women’s Sphere flowers?

 

 

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Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. 

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Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com  © 2012 by Julie Jordan

 

 

Will the Feminists in the Room Please Stand Up. Ummmm, please? Anyone?

I refer to it as my “Normal Rae Moment.”

It happened when I took a course at Bakersfield College: Introduction to Women in American History, even though I have my degree.  I took it as what I call “my non-chemical anti-depressant.”

I needed to be sure I had to show up someplace beyond schlepping my kids around and being home. I figured if I had paid for the class, bought the book, and starting going to classes I would be compelled to continue. I knew on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 I was expected to be in my seat, two rows from the front in the middle.

I didn’t expect it to be so life changing. I only took this class because Ethics of Living and Dying was full before I had the chance to register.

I worked harder in that one class than many of the classes I took when I was earning my B.A. thirty years ago. I was devoted. I talked about what I was learning to my friends all the time. I was taught in the old school way. We didn’t learn social history. We didn’t learn about women’s contributions to anything important. We learned about wars and presidents, basically.

This was different.

I also identified myself as a feminist. When I started this class I had been involved with the VDay Movement started by Eve Ensler to Stop Violence Against Girls and Women, partially through using her script “The Vagina Monologues” to raise money for local community groups.

I never gave thought for a moment about whether my fellow students of women’s history defined themselves as feminists or not.

I can’t remember what the occasion was, but I was busily writing something in my notebook when our professor, Ann Wiederrect, asked “How many of you are feminists.” I raised my hand and kept scribbling.

My professor said, “Julie. I see.”

I put my hand down and my head up.

I was the sole person in the class who defined herself as a feminist. I was dumbstruck at first. How could none of them call themselves feminists? Were they still stuck in the stereotype that feminists were all man-hating, camouflage wearing butch women who shook their fists at “the rest of the world” and marched around occasionally spewing man hate into society?

For whatever reason, I had a photo of my daughter tucked into the back of my notebook. It is one of my favorites and had been entered in an art show in the past so it had a suitable name:

Feminist, Age 10.

When it was my turn to speak my words came out in flames. My words and I were steadfast, slow-burning, hot but not scorching, passionate but not condescending. “This is my ten-year-old daughter. She is a feminist. She wants to be seen as equal with everyone regardless of gender” and other things which got lost in my fervor.

I passed the photo around, said a few more words and sat down, still mystified.

When the class was over, most participants – even the sole man in the class – were newly identified as feminists.

Average, run-of-the-mill community college students who finally understood just the tiniest spoonful of feminism and for some, were left thirsty for more. Like I was and am and will continue to be.

For reference, feminism equals “movement to end sexism, sexual exploitation, and oppression”, including but not limited to oppression based on race, sexual/gender identity, disability, class, and age.

Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot

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© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

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5 Simple Steps to Get Over a 24 Hour “Apathy Bug”: End Creative Block, Confusion, Blechyness)

Yesterday I caught an Apathy bug. It is sort of like a flu, this all too common illness and if not watched, it may become long term or in the worst case, it may become lethal to your passion.

Thankfully it was only a 24 hour Apathy bug, but oh, it reminded me how simple it is to fall from the inspiration train and into the murky mire of “Is the work I am doing important enough to the world to continue doing it?”

My brain felt as if it was coated with a sticky malaise.

I didn’t allow myself to fuss about it, I just relaxed a little bit and focused on different things: helping a friend with organization and chores, chatting with other friends, purposefully staying away from the keyboard.

This morning when I got up, I did my usual routines with my son, Samuel. I read some Rilke as we sat at the kitchen table. I googled some quotes of one of my newest heros, Angela Merkel, the current Chancellor of Germany.

I then discovered another European Woman Political leader, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is now in prison while keeping her name and image in the headlines. I don’t even know her politics but I can’t help loving her.

Once again my writing flows, proving sometimes the best medicine for what ails you is to step away and focus anywhere except “the block” or “the problem” or “my ridiculous inabilities.”

1.      Leave the problem where it lives. Walk away and restrict your thought about it, especially if those thoughts are coated in negative self talk.

2.      Do mundane, meaningless activities, especially if they will be of service to others.

3.      If you are compelled, research another area of passion in your life.

4.      Stay away from the “problem” until you are at peace with “it” and, in fact, are able to not consider it problematic anymore.

5.      Remember, it isn’t “the problem” that is the problem, it is your opinion about the problem that creates the lack of movement and the sticky malaise. A philosopher from more than twenty centuries ago taught me this: a one time Greek slave named Epictetus. He was a very wise fellow whose wisdom has never let me down.

The next time you catch the Apathy Bug, don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, follow these five simple steps and come back to your passion refreshed. Why? Because you know deep inside your work is important enough to the world to continue doing it. I am certain it is.

Photo of Yulia Tymoshenko courtesy of

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Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot

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© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & soon will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

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This Current Affair Must Be Noticed: #VaginaGate - the #VaginaBlogs are Speaking

I have been part of a counterculture for a long time now. I didn’t necessarily realize I was a part of a counterculture, but gauging from the uproar over the word “Vagina” in political – or any sort of public – arena, the movement is not only necessary it is over the top essential now.

It is also essential for us, those of us who carry a vagina and the vagina-less, to come together and tell the world we love vaginas. We wouldn’t be ourselves without our vaginas and to ban the name of one of our defining body parts would be like not being able to utter “leg” or “index finger” or “elbow”.

I am sure there are people out there who find those three body parts quite exciting sexually. In this society, so much is sexualized but besides that, some people might just get tickled by the idea of an elbow or “oh my the index finger” and forget how much your leg might through that person over there miles across the moon.

I have performed in The Vagina Monologues many times as a part of the V-Day Movement started by Eve Ensler to combat violence against girls and women. It was through these performances I met many other vagina carriers who helped me see my vagina differently.

Not only did we perform together, we grew together, we cried together, we painted masks on our faces and did yoga together. We reclaimed both our vaginas and our femininity. We weren’t a bunch of “militants” who walked around with fatigue clothes, black boots and the requisite crew cut.

We were all sizes, all shapes, all belief systems.

Our one common part was our vaginas.

We had mothers and daughters.  We had long time friends. We had friends who were angry at each other. We naturally had drama and hurt feelings AND we have, year after year, resolution and coming back together for a common cause: raising money to protect women who have been sexually or physically abused in their homes or workplaces – and our secondary cause which isn’t named but always happens: vagina loving.

Now, if your mind went to something sexual that wasn’t what I meant at all.

We loved our own vaginas and came to love the other women, too. Let’s remember not to sexualize everything. Imagine what would happen in our society overall if we just stopped being so hypersexualized. Think of how productivity would increase!

Back to what happened thanks to performing in the Vagina Monologues:

We came to admire vaginas.

We came to learn from other vaginas.

We came to appreciate the intricacies of vaginas.

We came to know women who were older or younger than us. We networked with other vagina-friendly activists. Note in these photos, we don't exclude men. We love men and appreciate their contribution to our cause. After all, each and every person alive has been conceived, birthed, or held safe during pregnancy near a Vagina.

We created from a fresh perspective of loving our own vaginas and not bad-mouthing other vaginas.

We practiced our right to free speech, which includes using words like Vagina, shoulder, penis, eyes, breast, nose, buttocks and brains.

See what I mean about Counter-Cultural?

Join us in loving our Vaginas: there is a new movement afoot because of an uproar in the government leadership here in the United States, primarily from Non-Vagina-Carrying participants.

We each have a voice, Vagina-carriers. It is time for you to use yours.

 

What you can do

• Write a VaginaBlog post on your blog then email your post to the Michigan House Speaker: [email protected]  
• You can also email it to your representatives telling them you are't going to stand for such nonsense anymore. Tell them to stay out of your Vagina and deal with the more important issues at hand
• Post your #VaginaBlog to Twitter and Facebook
• Reclaim the word Vagina and stand tall

You can find out more about how you can help by going to these sites

• The Vagina Blogs: NYC #Vaginagate #Solidarity Event

• TAKE ACTION: Word 'Vagina' banned in...MICHIGAN?

Follow me on Twitter: @juliejordanscot

Be sure to "Like" WritingCampwithJJS on Facebook (THANK YOU!)

© 2012 by Julie Jordan Scott

Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield. She leads Writing Camp with JJS & this Summer will be traveling throughout the US to bring this unique, fun filled creative experience to the people wherever she finds the passion & the interest.

Did you enjoyed this essay? Receive emails directly to your inbox for Free from Julie Jordan Scott via the Daily Passion Activator. One inspirational essay and poem (almost) every week day. Subscribe here now -

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