"Why do you read women authors, listen to women musicians and songwriters, and follow the work of women technologists?"
I am trying to create an alternate universe.
The current universe we live in is one where most of the major works were made by men. History books focus on men, their relationships with men, and women are sidelined. Cross-culturally, women are viewed as an 'other'. Even where they have a fair amount of respect and power in their society, they are still marked as a deviant from the male. It is a male-centric world.
But what if it weren't? What if we lived in a world where there were as many women composers as men composers? Where women proliferated throughout science and the arts? Where traditional women's work was taken seriously and reevaluated for technical and artistic merit? What if our stories were about girls and women, and the struggles they face in living realized lives in society?
We're not there yet. Feminism and women have made progress, undoubtedly. One need only compare the numbers against previous decades to see that so much has changed for women. Even the very ideas that we're allowed to think have changed. Feminists of the 1970s could not have imagined that in the future, discussion of female sexuality would be relatively open and frank. They were still fighting the battle of having it be mentionable.
When doing 'the work', it can be easy to get discouraged from the challenges we still face. Violence against women and girls by men remains a tough problem. Issues of childcare and family support and poverty. And that's without thinking about areas where there is still fierce in-fighting. If I think too much about the barriers today, I start getting pessimistic and thinking we're never going to get there. Or even losing faith in what 'there' is.
That's why it's important to refresh yourself and focus on what we're trying to do. Focusing on women's work - all of it - and women creators and thinkers reminds me of the people we're fighting for, and the type of world we could live in. There is so much amazing art being made by women! There are such cool things being made by women tinkerers! Even in traditional areas like textiles, there's so much knowledge that one could spend a lifetime learning it. Immersing myself in women's works, past and present, connects me to a long lineage of women who, in their own way, challenged the subordination of women.
Not to mention, there are many people today who are making things and fighting. I like supporting young and current creators, who are the ones who most benefit from financial support and from attention. It even encourages me to focus on my own creative, scientific, and political endeavors. There's a lot that we've won, and we need to take advantage of it.
When this universe drains my spirit, going to my 'alternate universe' replenishes me and makes me want to continue the work.
Every woman can make her own 'alternate universe', a future she imagines for us. She can focus on the things she considers importants and the changes she wants to make. Nobody can do it all or focus on every possible issue, so diversity of concern is a strength. We need lots of imagined futures!
Are you building your alternate universe? What future are you fighting for?