I've been feeling pretty great as far as creativity goes lately. Sean and I bought me a big IKEA desk that I can do all my projects on and it's been a wonderful addition! I have been a crazy crafter this week! Also! Some great news! I will be selling some of my handmade things at the Sex & IceCream Spring event this April and I am so excited! I will have my own booth selling some of my best creations, which has given me a lot of inspiration to begin creating some new stuff! I can't wait to show everyone! The necklaces and coffee print are examples of what I am leaning towards.
The last project I've done recently that I am super happy with is my Milo feltie doll! I am currently working on Penny's and then I will make this some clothes and accessories to wear. Adorable, right?! I am really feeling a lot better about my work than I have been this past year. Everything seems to be coming together in that aspect, and I am so looking forward to sharing it all with you in the future!
Sean and I have been taking advantage of the amazing temperatures we've been having this week to go out and explore. These photos were taken of our lunch at D'Bronx and Prospero's Books. D'Bronx is kind of special for us because the first time I ever went was senior year of high school for AP Studio Art (and as you can see from the photos, you can write on the walls there. The photo of my name was what I wrote when we went in high school. You can even see my art teacher's name "Mrs. Cox".) And the first time Sean went was when we began dating. It was our first KC date! D'Bronx is always a treat
Prospero's was very interesting. I'd never been before and I know I'm going to get some crap for this but aside from the aesthetics of the place itself, it was kind of a bummer. All of the books were super boring and you could tell they don't really have a selection process, they just take anything. I expected rare and interesting finds, or even just old 1930s cookbooks or textbooks. Instead, there was just a lot of 1970s and 1980s romance novels and history books (in my opinion, there are no books that are bigger wastes of space than post-1930s/pre-2001 history or science books). Still, the building was very old and charismatic, so it was a successful exploring day, I believe.
I'm really wishing this weather keeps up because I've been loving every moment of it. School starts again on Tuesday and I am really not too anxious about it. The weather should be nice so walking won't be an issue and plus! I only have classes twice a week this semester! (They take up my whole day, but even so.) I'm honestly looking forward to getting classes started so summer can be here. Lots of great plans coming up!
I hope you all are enjoying the weather and season, where ever you are. What have you been up to? Any explorations?
Women Aren't Funny is a "cocumentary" (comedy-documentary...ha) by Bonnie McFarlane about why people think women aren't funny.
It brought up a lot of issues that I expected, but honestly, just hearing all of the terrible things some of these men were saying about women really bothered me. Here are just a few examples:
- The only women who're funny are fat.
- The only women who're funny are lesbians.
- All female comedians have been molested.
- Women shouldn't be in movies.
My thoughts on why women are perceived as not being funny:
- Little boys are; at best excused ("Boys will be boys!"), at worst encouraged; to be boisterous, loud, dirty, and rowdy. While little girls are told that such behaviors are not "lady-like" and that they should be reserved and set an example for their younger siblings in a motherly way. I think this is a huge reason boys tend to be considered inherently more funny than women.
- There are less women in comedy because of this, in addition to being told that being on the road is "not for women because it is dirty and unsafe." This ratio of male comedians to female comedians was pointed out in the film and I think it is extremely true. If only 5 out of 100 male or female comedians are funny, but there are 1000 male comedians versus only 20 female comedians, how does this derive a fair conclusion that women are not funny?
- Considering males and females in our society are generally raised very differently, isn't it possible that the things each gender find generally humorous are different?
I also found a couple of moments in the film that disturbed me a little bit. At one point, Bonnie and her husband Rich are at a radio station to talk about the documentary when one of the interviewers asks, "What's Rich's part of the documentary?" Rich replies, "I'm not like a 'filmer' but..." The six or so men erupt in laughter "A 'filmer'?!" they ask, "What's a 'filmer'?!"
Rich says, "A guy who does the filming!" And they all hoot and holler with laughter.
It seems like this situation is normal enough but it reminded me quite a bit about my own experiences being with groups of men. I am pretty confident, based on my own experience and how they treated her throughout the interview, that if Bonnie were to have said that, they would have discredited her intelligence and as a documentarian because to them, it would've been very clear that her lack of articulation was due to the fact that she's a woman.
This really hit close to home because Sean and I share a lot of friends who happen to be male, and there are many times when we all hang out that I am kind of forced into this place of inferiority. I always have to watch what I say and be careful about any mistakes I might make so that they are not attributed to the fact that I am a female. Because the truth is, (white, straight) men's flaws are accepted as part of who they are, whereas women's flaws, by comparison, are seen as traits which prove her inferiority or unintelligence. At least, this has been a very obvious trend in my life.
I don't think these are things that men particularly think about. I think the reason all of this bothered me so much was because it is the first time I've ever considered that I may not be liked or accepted or given the same opportunities because I am a woman rather than because I am myself. This is an extremely disheartening realization.
The biggest thing for me right now is to become as educated as I possibly can and talk to women and men alike about their thoughts on the issue. I know there are a lot of varying opinions on the concept of feminism and I will admit that because of past encounters with people who abused the word, I hesitate to identify as such.
I guess in short, I believe in human rights.
Have you seen Women Aren't Funny? What are your thoughts on this topic?
I've begun this post many times before this one, but I could never find the right words to say. Everything got jumbled up and nothing sounded right. So here I am trying once again, but I think I will just say what I mean this time without embellishments and fancy things.
I am proud of you. You've endured so much throughout the years, and I won't pretend there weren't times when I worried a great deal about your future. But you did it. You finished school early. You made it to adulthood in once piece. And now you've moved away to the coast to pursue your dreams and experience something new. I am amazed by you.
You and I have been on each other's good sides and our worst throughout our lives. There were times when you claimed you hated me in your own boyish anger and angst, and of course, I antagonized you. But there were other times when you stood up for me, and you wanted more than anything for me to like you. I never forgot those times.
Things have changed so much over our eighteen years together. You were my baby brother, then my little brother, my playmate, my friend, annoying kid who just so happens to occupy a bedroom near mine, just a family member, to my friend again, and now you're an adult who lives in Oregon on his own! What happened?!
The memories have come and gone. From playing with Legos and Hot Wheels in your room to holding our sister's baby for the first time to walking me down the aisle at my wedding. You're my brother, my friend, and I am proud of you.
I am so excited for this new chapter in your life and remember that no matter what happens, it's all part of the story.
Hello, everyone and I apologize for such a delay. I've been reading all of the 2014 recap posts and I debated on whether or not to write one. In the end, I decided not to. Save the fact that I got married to my best friend which was the best day of my life, I didn't have a very good year. To be honest, 2014 was filled with a lot of uncertainty, sadness, and struggle. We had a lot of special people pass away and the aftermath of those tragedies seemed to expand and permeate throughout our year and into our outlook of our future.
The holidays were very weird because of this, and the whole season just felt very out of place and odd. The snow was non-existent, The cold hadn't quite hit yet. It was our first (and hopefully last) year of four Christmases which was very stressful.
So, Sean and I entered 2015 quietly. Plans have fallen through, but it seems like this careful entry has allowed us to take our time and allow everything to come back into focus. We've spent these first days with friends, sleeping late, and filling our days with movies and quiet activities. This is why I've waited to post until now.
Because 2014 was such a bummer, I've created a lot of resolutions but most importantly, my word of the year is: progress. This just means that in 2015, I'd like to be working actively towards my ideal self and being better. There are a lot of changes that Sean and I will be making this year. They're not bad, they're just changes. I think having "progress" in the back of my mind is going to be a great help in dealing with these changes. Additionally, keeping in mind that I should only ever be in competition with myself rather than others.
I'm sorry to be such a bearer of negativity, but one thing that really cheered me up this season was reading all about everyone else's holidays. I imagined what everyone was doing at moments and felt relief and happiness in the thought that some of you might have been having the best holiday season of your life. So thank you for sharing your wonderful memories! I hope you had an amazing holiday and that your new year has begun similarly.
What is your word for 2015? What are you working towards?
