I paint wild women. And that means I am surrounded by women who heal themselves, speak with their own voices, practice gratitude and are curious. A wild woman loves herself and honors her body with confidence. She is a self aware force to be reckoned with. And how I long to be a wild woman! But... I am a work in progress. I often struggle to feel good about my body. Even as I work closely with women, help them strip free their barriers, and revel in their beauty... I still struggle to see those things in myself. My response is anger at myself; anger and depression about being so willing to hurt my own feelings. It lays me low, every time. Maybe it's this insecurity that allows me to relate so well to other women. As Rumi once said, "We're all just walking each other home."
"She's Whiskey In A Teacup"
I recently divulged (on camera,,, gulp) that this painting is a self portrait of my butt. I painted it in response to an online shopping experience where I was labelled everything from a size large to a 3XL. Talk about laying a woman low! This experience negated all the good things I felt about myself, in one fell swoop. It diverted me from my journey towards being a wild woman. Against everything society is telling us, all women can and should feel good about their bodies. Like whiskey in a teacup, it will be unexpected, and it will be wild!
Wild Women... hold my hand and walk me home. I am still on this path and I am still working to be like you.
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