The idea that women hold up half the sky has such as visual quality, women as a collective lifting together. Our muscles taut and bulging, sweat glistening, there are abrasions, bandages, a bruise here and there, brows furrowed from concentration and grit. Tears and jubilant grins.
The image in my mind is inspiring. And it is also feels heavy. We are moved into sky holding action by our deepest concerns and unspoken yearnings. Maybe it’s to inspire our daughters after growing up without a confident and secure feminine role model that left us faltering and overwhelmed. Maybe it’s to demonstrate to our father, sons or partner “See, us women are resilient.” Sometimes societal scripts push us to want to prove to everyone/ourselves just how capable we are. And maybe it’s our ferocious protective instincts of not wanting those we love to suffer, to shield/shoulder others consequences, or believing falsely they are not capable of withstanding what life is handing them. Thus our role becomes Atlas and we take on what is theirs to do to ‘save them’ or ‘help the.’ Often we lift to break cycles of oppression, violence, sexism, poverty and narratives around the female duty to be nice, kind, quiet, submit, supportive, chaste etc, etc.
I want you to know I see you in the supermarket juggling your screaming bub and a wonky trolley. I sense you as we jog past each other with just a quick glance and nod towards each other as acknowledgement. I notice what you don’t say on your Instagram feed. I feel our collective groanings and I feel our collective power. We are one, and we are many tired and fiercely determined warrior women lifting the sky. Creating opportunities. Working towards transformation. Equality. Re-Wilding.
In summary this blog post is about me saying hello and letting you know I see you and to let you know me a little better and how I work as an Expressive Arts Therapist. My informal bio is: Artist. Storyteller. Feminist. Intentional creative. Poet. Wanderer. Wonderer. Woman with a pathological aversion to conformity. Umbrella holder (aka the umbrella of grace). If you have any questions about how we might collaborate within a therapeutic journey please feel free to contact me for a free 15 minute phone chat to discover a potential therapy plan for your individual needs.
Stay curious, courageous & create something.
Rochelle x
Note: Women hold up half the sky is an ancient Chinese phrase often used to indicate that gender is an important consideration in social affairs. The phrase has long been associated with the Chinese revolution leader Mao Zedong.
