Women’s International Day 2019 is coming up on the 8th of March. On this day we will again celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women all over the world. The theme for this year is, Balance for Better – better gender balance creates a better world. I am delighted and excited that my painting “Luminarium” has been included in ZeeArt’s International Women’s Art Exhibition at the Arabian Court, One & Only Royal Mirage Dubai, where I will represent South Africa. The exhibition aims to connect and celebrate 100 female artists from 100 different countries around the world.
“Luminarium” (meaning light in Late Latin), was inspired by Marie Forleo. When I first read the excerpt of a poem by Tony Hoogland, she was the first woman who came to mind. I saw a woman who stood out, who is making her mark in the world by knowing her value and what she is offering. Marie has created an extremely successful, socially conscious, online business training program called B-School, empowering women to build unique, profitable business brands, using smart and effective marketing strategies to make a meaningful impact in the world. She started with nothing more than a growth mindset and a passion to make a difference! Another woman closer to home that came to mind was Zaahirah Muthy, art activist, curator and founder of ZeeArts. She enthusiastically and tirelessly uses art to make positive changes in society through countless social and business initiatives all over the world. Her passion to empower communities through art is the endless fuel supply behind her vision. The nicest part about letting my mind wander was that the inspiration didn't stop. More and more female role models popped into my head, well known ones, not so well known ones as well as friends and acquaintances. I felt really lucky to be a woman in this day and age. Of course, while working on the submission for the exhibition I pondered the question of what we can do to create a more gender balanced world. My knee-jerk reaction was to look outside, into the world, at all the barriers, inequalities and discrimination that still exist in 2019. On the positive side, so much progress has been made. There are so many examples of females who have obliterated gender roles and made the world a better place in the process, yet, there is still so much more that can be done. But then, my dearest daughter unwittingly prompted me to ask different questions. About a month ago, when I collected her from school she was very excited to tell me what had happened that day. Until last year, the boys and girls really seemed at peace with each other but this year seems to be a whole different ball game. This year, it is girls against boys and boys against girls, some of it friendly banter, and some not so friendly. On many days this year, she has voiced her discontent about the boys who are sooooooooo very annoying. On this particular day, she tagged a boy during playtime that up to this point was always too fast. She did so after following her friend's advice who said that when she got close to the boy, she should stretch her arm out as faaaaar as possible. She told her: "You will be surprised, your arm will go much further than you think it can. Try it, you will get him.” She followed her friend’s advice and much to her own surprise and delight she tagged him. And then said to him: “DON’T UNDERESTIMATE ME!” I got the impression she said it as much to herself as to him, based on the determination in her voice when she told the story. As a mother of a ten-year-old girl, I am sure you can understand how happy this made me – not least of which the camaraderie of the girls, the giving and taking of advice, the vocal declaration and internalisation of a healthy belief deep inside her. Afterwards, I asked myself different questions about how to create Balance for Better. I asked myself in what ways am I still underestimating myself. I asked myself what barriers still exist in me that prevent me from fully showing up in my little world. I asked myself what limiting beliefs, perceptions and judgments I still hold onto as a female in 2019. I asked myself if I truly value my unique attributes and talents that I bring to the different roles in my life. I was really honest with myself and a little taken aback by some of my answers. The next questions popped up as soon as I was done with the previous (what can I say, my mind is a busy place). What can I learn from this? What would I do next if I didn't underestimate myself? How would I act if I valued myself more? What chances would I take? What am I willing to fail at, in order to grow? I am working on the answers…. In the meantime, here is the excerpt from Tony Hoogland’s poem “Grammar” that was painted many times in the layers of “Luminarium”. When she walks into the room, everybody turns: some kind of light is coming from her head. Even the geraniums look curious.... We're all attracted to the perfume of fermenting joy. we've all tried to start a fire, and one day maybe it will blaze up on its own. In the meantime, she is the one today among us most able to bear the idea of her own beauty, and when we see it, what we do is natural: we take our burned hands out of our pockets, and clap. I dedicate the painting and the poem to every woman who has made her vision come true, who has and is making her mark in the world, who knows her true value and is living her full potential, in the roles she has chosen. This is dedicated to you - we stand, we clap. And if there are any other women like me who are not exactly where they want to be, yet – let's thank the generations of women that came before us for the unquestionable progress they have made, let's acknowledge the millennia of limitations that still exist outside us and more importantly the limitations inside us as we continue this journey. Let us continue to step towards growth, stepping out of our comfort zones, continuing to be role models for this generation, for our daughters and our sons. This is how we co-create the new story. This is how we create Balance for Better.
1 Comment
Ronél Kemp
25/4/2019 01:43:15 pm
Enjoying your blog once again! Drawn into the depth of the layers
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