March: 31 Words (Words 5-11)

If you identify as a feminist, when did you first do so? How did you learn about feminism? I've been thinking about these questions this week as I prepare to be part of a panel discussion on intersectional feminism next week. My work has employee resource groups that host learning sessions throughout the year; I'm on the leadership council for one and a member of several others. I love being part of these groups and hearing from so many different people around the organization. One of the questions the panel will be answering is about how we learned about feminism and how our own feminism was formed. 

I learned about feminism from older girls, books, and music. I was a child/teen of the 90s and I credit the decade with shaping my earliest feminist views. There was something about the early/mid-1990s. It felt like people were listening and people were open to equality and equity and accepting those who were not like them. There was a hopefulness about that part of the 90s. I went to the first ever Lilith Fair festival and listened to a lot of Riot Grrl bands. (I still do and I'd go to Lilith Fair in a freaking heartbeat if the festival came back.) The latter part of the decade was completely the opposite, giving way to the weird sexism of the late 90s and early 2000s. I blame Nu Metal and Kid Rock. 

Anyway, this month's theme has been very introspective for me. It's helped me prepare for the panel discussion, although I still have to figure out how to say radical things in a work appropriate way. It's helped me own things about myself more. It's made me laugh. Twenty words to go...

Here's this week's recap:

March 5: My aunt, uncle, and youngest cousin were in town last week. It's always so much fun spending time with them. I took my cousin record shopping (we both have very eclectic musical tastes) and talked about art with my aunt and uncle. I love being their niece.

March 6: My boss recently told me she thinks I'm a good writer. This means a lot to me as she is an excellent writer and editor. I love writing. I'm glad I decided to add a blog to my 365 project in 2021 and keep it going over the last two years. Even if no one reads these posts, I need to write them for my own artistic process.

March 7: I'm an election officer for the county where I live. I started doing this in 2020 since many long-time officers were unable to serve due to the pandemic. I felt it was important to serve in my community so my neighbors would have a safe place to vote. I've served in five elections and it's been a great experience overall. The only bad thing that has happened in those five elections is being insulted by an older,white man who didn't believe the 2022 primary was a single primary election. I can't help it if the party you belong to didn't want to hold a primary. Calling me and my chief liberal bitches didn't change the fact that your party didn't trust you to make a choice for the primary. You should also work on your insults because "Liberal Bitch" doesn't seem that insulting at all.

March 8: Happy 50th Birthday to my brother! He is legit the best person I know and I'm proud and lucky to be his sister. We've celebrated him multiple times this month and we're planning a trip later in the year to continue the celebration. 

March 9: I have a lot of opinions. I was told by a guy in college that my opinions would get more conservative as I got older. That has not happened and will not happen. I wish that guy the life he deserves.

March 10: I want to say I was called "bossy" for the first time when I was 4 or 5. It was either my brother or one of my cousins who called me this for the first time. I love being called bossy. I know a lot of people hate this word and wanted to ban bossy a few years ago. I say no, embrace bossy. It's another example of a word being turned into a negative thing rather than anyone pushing back and owning what this means. I'm not bossy in a cruel, bullying, or manipulative way. I use my bossiness to be decisive and get shit done. I know how to balance bossy with kindness, diplomacy, and how to compromise. You can be bossy and kind. You can be compassionate and bossy. You know what I hate being called? A girl boss. That feels demeaning and like Instagram feminism.

March 11: A coworker (male, same age as me) once described me as "funny in a Charles Grodin kind of way." I think this is hysterical. I have to assume he meant that I'm funny in a dry humor kind of way and I love that. Charles Grodin was in one of my favorite movies about the presidency (Dave), my favorite Muppet movie (The Great Muppet Caper), and makes an appearance in an underrated gem from the 90s, So I Married an Axe Murderer. I hope I'm funny in a Charles Grodin kind of way. Now, I need to watch Dave. 

Words 1-11

Words 12-18 have been added. I'm particularly excited about "Spinster" and "cat mom" being in the same week.

Other Projects - WIPs, Completed Projects, and Future Projects

I finished Nessie this week. Painting hoops has turned out to be such a great choice. I love how the hoop color makes the embroidery pop even more. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep Nessie or find him a new home.

I also started planning April's stitch journal. I'm focusing on knots and stem stitch along with some beautiful bugs. All bugs were originally designed for my 2021 project.