More awesome women

This time about health and body image stuffs.

First, Kendal talks about gaining weight, losing weight, being healthy and getting strong and removing all the taboos that have been placed on food and loving herself no matter what size.

"This weight loss story is different.  I don’t hate the pounds that I shed.  I don’t think I have “let myself go”.  This isn’t a punishment.  It’s a revelation.  Time to get moving." ~read more

Then, Haley Morris-Cafiero writes about photo-documenting how strangers react to her in public places, the dismissive way people interact with those around them who are overweight.

"I suspect that if I confronted these narrow-minded people, my words would have no effect. So, rather than using the attackers’ actions to beat myself up, I just prove them wrong. The camera gave me my voice." ~ read more

Finally, Sandra Wickham's most Health Ally post: Guilt (What is it good for?) Absolutely Nothing. Can't even tell you how much I needed to read that this morning.

"Don’t let one missed workout or eating something you know you shouldn’t have sabotage the rest of your efforts! Here’s what happens. You feel the guilt, you feel terrible about yourself. You feel like you failed. You get down on yourself and sometimes give up, permanently....OR we try and overcompensate. “I ate that food I wasn’t supposed to, I’m going to eat nothing but vegetables tomorrow.” That never works out and isn’t good for you. “I missed a workout, I’m going to do two workouts tomorrow!” If you actually do both workouts in one day, you end up over trained, extremely tired or injured and that interferes with continuing to your goals." ~read more

Just had to put these all in one place here mostly for my own benefit. I've been dangerously underweight and I've been significantly overweight. I'm currently training for a second marathon. I rock climb every week. I eat healthy.  I like good food. And I struggle, a lot, with body image, and wonder if that will ever go away. Just one of those things.

awesome women

(just a random collection of awesomeness I've recently run across.)

Theodora Goss blogs about magical women:

"...They make the world more magical, show me the parts of it that are magical, in case I’ve forgotten... To the arts in some form, specifically to the mythic in arts, and to arts that change the world. I think it takes a great deal of courage to be one of the people who tries to change the world in some way — I’ve heard too many people say that they’re not trying to change the world, that they’re just trying to entertain (particularly in their writing). But that’s the point of that? If you’re not trying to change the world, what are you doing, and why? I mean, doesn’t the world need changing?" ~read more 

Shanna Germain talks about turning 41:

"You climb to the pinnacle of this mountain. There: You’ve learned something about yourself. How to love or be loved. How to let go. How to hold on. How to dress. A little confidence. How to hold your heart in your hand and give it to someone else. How to ask for help.
Down the other side. Broken. You forget what you’ve learned. You sit in the shade of the valley for a long time. Wet, cold, hungry and pissed off. You’re trying damnit. Why doesn’t the world make it easier? Fuck this.
Eventually your ass is wet and you get up again. Start up the other mountain. Those things you learned join you like torpedos, like jet packs, like best friends, like the perfect tools. You learn, you discover, you ask with the echo of your voice through the sky and sometimes you get answers." ~read more

Rosalind Robertson discusses 21 things to help keep you shit together when you're depressed:

No. 5 is "Pick up a paintbrush, a pencil, an activity you got joy from in the past and re-explore that.  Or, sign up for the thing you always wanted to try. There is a long history and link between depression and creativity. It’s a bright light of this condition, so utilize it to your best advantage."

No. 18 is "Simple exercise, if you can. It can be something as simple as taking the stairs up a flight, or walking around the block. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, it doesn’t have to involve climbing a mountain or running a marathon. Baby steps." ~read more 

Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin designed an invisible bike helmet.


The Invisible Bicycle Helmet | Fredrik Gertten from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo.


Finally, this is an old one. but I love it. Amanda Palmer, in my mind

"The Thing About Things" (AFP)

Amanda Palmer has a new song out. You can listen to it here, (lyrics here).

This part~>

"i can carry everything i need in one collapsing suitcase
i can carry everyone i love in one phone application
built to optimize the facetime with the ties i’m bent on making
actually i want to be alone
to mourn the loss
of what this cost
i collected you but now you are all lost" ~more

That part hits close.

(And this....

"the thing about things is that they can start meaning things
nobody actually said...
and if you’re not allowed
to love people alive
then you learn how to love people dead" ~more

 Struggling, lately, with being able to feel much.)

But then there's this:  a murmuration of starlings. (And I do start to feel something.)  

women praying in Gen Conf.

So. this is kind of crazy. A woman praying in General Conference.

I mean, it's been due for a long time. Seriously, like forever. And was specifically the topic of a petition earlier this year (tho church leadership merely titters about prayer assignments were given way before that. Silly petition-signers.)

My sister-in-law texted me this morning, so excited when Elder Utchdorf announced the name of the individual giving the benediction. I just smiled and said "I know :)"  But it actually brought up all sorts of conflicting and intense feelings for me.

I've mostly removed myself from Mormon issues.  Ceased banging my heart against a monolithic organization, unhitched my hopes and dreams from the proclamations of a quorum of octogenarian men in suites. I have better things to focus on now than weeping in joy over baby-step crumb-throwing. (Yeah, that sounds bitter. I know.)

Just last week I received the double good news that some of my art would be featured in the upcoming Spectrum 20 annual. And also that I was nominated for a Hugo award in the fan art category. The collection of geek erotica that I helped put together is fresh off the presses. And I am two thirds of the way through a training program for my second marathon. In other words... there's just other stuff I think about more right now.

I am honestly happy about the steps any group takes towards equality. I am happy that there are Mormon women out there with a bit more hope (or relief, or validation) in their hearts now because of that 1:57 min prayer.  I'm glad to still be in a position to be somewhat aware of these events when they happen.

This used to be such a huge thing for me.  I hope that it's some sort of progress (or something) that I just no longer feel any personal attachment to these events.

asking for money

Over at my art blog I just posted 4 items of interest to me regarding creative individuals asking for money.

Also,  recently, I stumbled across this video that visually graphs wealth distribution in america:



I do not have a whole lot more to say about this right now, just stuff on my mind, currently.

how to be alone.

i like this. a lot.

a little compare and contrast (after the election)

Because I value debate "between good ideas from both sides about real problems in the real country" and find it reprehensible and ignorant to moan about Blacks,  Hispanics and Women voting differently than you.



vs 



Also... I am so in love with Rachel Maddow.

Heavenly Mother's Day interview w/ Troy Williams

After guest editing a stellar issue of Sunstone Magazine, Holly Welker got in touch with Troy Williams of KRCL RadioActive to organize an interview with several of the contributors to the issue. I had the opportunity to be included: it was a wonderful experience to join Holly, Troy and Mary-Ellen Robertson for the first part of the show to talk about creating the cover for this issue. Also interviewed are other contributors to the issue, discussing their experiences.

You can listen to the full interview.
And obtain a copy of this amazing issue of Sunstone.

a laptop and a suitcase.

So.
Tomorrow we pack up the last of our stuffs, put everything into storage and move into an available spare bedroom. (Thanking our lucky stars for supportive family members). A temporary situation while we wait for word about an offer on a home. At the moment, I'm zen. Multiple panic attacks over the past few months has apparently prepped me. (Or maybe this is just the calm before some F#CKINGSH*TSTORMFROMH%LL type fall out. We'll see.)

So, yes. Zen. And actually kind of excited. I'm heading to the Illustration Masters Class in two weeks and my laptop + wacom tablet are basically all of the art supplies I am bringing. It feels refreshingly un-burdened.

It has me remembering this article from a few years back; The Cult of Less, Living out of a Hardrive. Here's an excerpt:

"Let's face it - digital files, applications and web services are replacing the need for many of the physical goods that pepper our homes, crowd our desks and fill our closets. From online photo albums to virtual filing cabinets to digital musical instruments, hi-tech replacements are becoming ubiquitous. But as goods continue to make the leap from the bookshelf to the hard drive, some individuals are taking the opportunity to radically change their lifestyles...
Since boxing up his physical possessions and getting rid of his home, Mr Yurista has taken to the streets with a backpack full of designer clothing, a laptop, an external hard drive, a small piano keyboard and a bicycle - an armful of goods that totals over $3,000 (£1,890) in value. The American University graduate, who spends much of his time basking in the glow emanating from his Macbook, earns a significant income at his full-time job as a travel agent and believes his new life on the digital grid is less cluttered than his old life on the physical one. "I don't feel a void living the way I'm living because I've figured out a way to use digital technology to my advantage," Mr Yurista explained. Mr Yurista feels by digitising his life, he no longer has to worry about dusting, organising and cleaning his possessions. And he says his new intangible goods can continue to live on indefinitely with little maintenance" ~read more

An intriguing concept (one that relies heavily on first world privilege, I might add.)  My situation is different; I'm not a trendy single 20something; I have a kid, a dog, a cat, a partner who likes to garden, plus I do miss the messier aspects of traditional art making.

BUT... Still. We'll be getting our feet wet in the idea for the next two months.

Here goes.

Breathing.

Sitting here at my desk at my dayjob, my last day here.

Also, texting about last supper plans tonight with some close friends: after 7 years sharing meals, vacations, and babysitting, they moving and we'll have to figure out how to live without them.

I'm just kind of breathing through this day. So, when Tracie posted this on twitter, I decided to put it on repeat:



(... because tomorrow I get on a flight to Kansas City for Spectrum Live, and then when I get home, we are packing up the last of our boxes and moving. (again.))

Breathe.