"Who does she think she is?"

Today for my art theory class we watched a beautiful documentary titled "Who Does She Think She Is?" about artists who are mothers and their struggle to balance those two passions when society condemns it. At first I was nervous (again) because I strongly believe that the most important thing for a mother to do is to take care of her family, but again I learned that that there is a place for creation in motherhood.

One of the women was LDS and a BYU grad, and I think she was able to explain it all very well. She said that she had tried to live without making art, and she had gone crazy. She needed to create. And she said that making art was good for her family and her husband. I think that as these women express themselves - and take care of themselves - through art, it helps them to be better mothers. Of course, there needs to be balance in all things and priority given to what matters most, but creativity is necessary and good. Elder Uchtdorf taught us this truth in the 2008 Relief Society broadcast.

I am grateful for a church that understands this need to create! Of all the women in the documentary, the LDS one was the only one who had a husband that valued her artistic endeavors and stayed by her. I'm glad that there are others in the world who recognize the beauty and need for art in our world.

"I think our society today tends to qualify success as financial success, but...the biggest success is to have inner happiness with what you're doing and the people around you and that certainly happens when I create, whether it's been my kids or relationships in my family or int the studio, I think it's core. That's success - it's being happy with what you're doing." - Maya Torres

"But then I began to understand the power of living on purpose." - Angela Williams

Even though I am not an artist or a particularly creative person, these women left me feeling empowered. I feel that I have my own opportunities to create, which I will discover in time. I am going to live on purpose.

Feminism

Today in my art theory class we talked about feminism. I had been afraid of discussing this topic because I have always had a negative prejudice towards it - angry women complaining about oppression and doing nothing other than being angry. The blessing of attending BYU is that after yesterday's discussion I have been able to reconcile feminism with teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While there are, of course, extremes in feminism, I feel that there is a place for feminism and I am now able to understand that.

God sees men and women as different, yes. We have divinely appointed in specific roles. However, this doesn't make one gender superior to another; men and women are equal partners in this great journey of life. We both need each others' skills, perceptions and strengths to help us in our own weaknesses. As my Doctrine and Covenants teacher Brother Perkins explained, husbands preside in the priesthood with their wives as counselors. Wives preside in parenthood with their husbands as counselors. In both of these divine offices, both men and women have the opportunity to do the work of Jesus Christ, to better ourselves as we stand in His stead.

And so, what feminism means to me is to advocate a perception of women based on how God perceives us. Women have been, are now, and will be a powerful force for good in the world. Men need us, and we need men. We have been divinely appointed to teach and nurture, which is not an oppressive role, but a glorifying and exalting one! There is great satisfaction and joy in doing the work to which God has appointed us. Women are worth great thought and study.

One of my professors asked on her blog for readers to describe their favorite "femocentric" art work and explain why. Here is mine - the statue of Joseph and Emma Smith on Temple Square. (Unfortunately I do not know the name or sculptor.)



I'll admit that I am a bit biased in this because I absolutely love Emma Smith; she is my hero. But I love this work because it represents the perspective on women that I have just shared. This statue depicts Joseph giving Emma a coin as a symbol of how she is to direct the Relief Society in caring for the poor. In this way, it shows the power of good women. Her face is resolute, determined and eager to do the work God has asked of her. Both her husband and her God trust her to do great things, and she did do them. I feel that this work portrays both the equal importance and different roles of men and women in God's eyes. Here's another angle.



I just love it. How grateful I am for the gospel of Jesus Christ which opens my eyes and helps me to see.

A Long Pull

"But you see, Jo wasn't a heroine, she was only a struggling human girl like hundreds of others...It's highly virtuous to say we'll be good, but we can't do it all at once, and it takes a long pull, a strong pull..." - Louisa May Alcott

Sometimes I feel like I am battling all these little monsters inside of me. But the harder I fight, the better I get at it. These experiences are difficult, but I am truly grateful for them because they are opportunities to practice a Christlike attitude and love. I am so grateful for this gospel of transformation that changes my heart a little more each day. It is so wonderful to feel myself being changed by Him! I am so grateful that my Savior considered me worth Atoning for, even though I still have so much to learn and work on. I am grateful for opportunities each day to stretch a little taller and come a little closer to Christ. He is truly my friend.

Fame and Fortune

OK I don't really have either...but I did get my 15 minutes of fame in the BYU world yesterday.

Divine Comedy is a comedy sketch group at BYU that is really funny. I went to their show a couple weeks ago and they issued the "Toboggan Challenge." The first person to get a letter to the editor printed in the Daily Universe, our school newspaper, containing the word "toboggan" would win free tickets to their show in December. I took the challenge and I won! Here is the link to their website, which has a picture of me and a link to my article.

Yeah, it was pretty exciting. Now back to my homework.

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven

"I gave my best to the [God] I love...Why should I complain, when we both have merely done our duty and will surely be happier for it in the end? If I don't seem to need help, it is because I have a better friend...to comfort and sustain me. My child, the troubles and temptations of your life are beginning and may be many, but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your Heavenly Father as you do that of your earthly one. The more you love and trust Him, the nearer you will feel to Him, and the less you will depend on human power and wisdom. His love and care never tire or change, can never be taken from you, but may become the source of lifelong peace, happiness, and strength. Believe this heartily, and go to God with all your little cares, and hopes, and sins, and sorrows, as freely and confidingly as you come to your mother." -Louisa May Alcott, Little Women page 82.

Art I love: A Growing List

*Michelangelo's "David"
*Jan van Eyck
*Leonardo da Vinci
*Jan Vermeer
*Marc Chagall
*Van Gogh
*Picasso
*Degas
*William-Adolphe Bouguereau's "The Young Shepherdess"
*Byzantine mosaics
*Giotto's "Lamentation"
*Monet
*Jackson Pollock
*Mark Rothko
*Ansel Adams
*Dorthea Lange
*Jacob Riis
*"Man Proposes, God Disposes" by Sir Edwin Landseer
*"The Babylonian Marriage Market" by Edwin Longsden Long
*Maggie Michael
*Greg Olsen
*Minerva Teichert
*Edward Hopper
*Dan Steinhilber
*Dr. Brainwash

And people expect me to pick a favorite artist? Goodness sakes.

Art and the Gospel

"God’s purpose for the artist is to inspire, to give us visions of ourselves that we might not otherwise see, to make us better than we would have been. The world is better for the arts and righteous artists in it. In the quest to achieve greatness in artistic pursuits—whether in painting, dance, music, drama, film, sculpture, or the written word—we should always seek first to achieve God’s purposes. 'All great art is the expression of man’s delight in God’s work, not his own,' said John Ruskin, the great nineteenth-century English art critic.

"We call upon all members, those in the arts and those seeking to appreciate the message of good art, to expand their vision of what can be done. If we are going to fill the world with goodness and truth, then we must be worthy to receive inspiration so we can bless the lives of our Heavenly Father’s children."

-M. Russell Ballard

I love my mother

I just got off the phone after an hour long phone call with my mom. I laughed really hard, I teared up a little, I felt the Spirit and was inspired to be a little better. Fortunately for me, this is a normal occurrence in my life. I am so blessed to be able to say that my mom is truly my best friend.

She knows all my secrets and inside jokes, my strengths and my weaknesses. She loves me without restraint and encourages me in all that I do. She recognizes the best in me and chooses to overlook my many flaws. She could have done anything with her life, yet she chose to stay home and make sure I was raised in a home that was full of love.

She is remarkably strong and never fails to stand up for what is right, even when it is not convenient. She has a burning testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. She deals with many trials, yet bears them with little complaint. She lifts up my knees when they hang down. Even though my problems are probably so insignificant compared to hers, she listens, cares, encourages, and advises. She is one of the hardest and most selfless workers I know. She is a woman of many talents, and yet she has the humility to recognize that they are only to be used in the service of the Lord.

My mother makes life magical. Being with her is a pleasure because she helps create adventures, hilarious moments, spiritual experiences, and a home full of love and peace.

She never wavers in her honor and respect for my father and the other priesthood leaders of the Church. She recognizes and embraces her special role as a woman. She has taught me to be obedient with exactness, to love without restraint, to find joy in the simple things of life.

I hope these feeble words can describe some measure the love and gratitude I have for this remarkable woman. I am so grateful to have her as my mother and my best friend. I could not get by even one day without her.

Proverbs 31:10

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

I can find a virtuous woman; she is my mother.

Thanks for everything, Mom. I love you.

Interpretive Dancing Pirates?

Today I ran across this fact: "Maps with x's to mark the spot are a creation of the movies, pirates would simply memorize where they left their treasure and communicate it to others through dance." Movies pirates are now lame compared to interpretive-dancing pirates. MLIA.

My life is average

I discovered the coolest website today, mylifeisaverage.com (also known as MLIA). Basically anyone can go on and post funny, random, happy things that happened to them during the day. Here are a few of my favorites:

Today, I felt something small and cold fall directly onto my head. I reached up and discovered that a penny had fallen into my hair. I was inside and no one was standing near me. I still have no idea how this happened, but I plan on keeping this Magic Penny forever. MLIA

Today, in my college physical science class, my professor said "this part of the lesson is really boring, so I am going to put on my mullet wig." He then proceeded to pull one of out his bag, place it on his bald head, and teach with a straight face. Never have I enjoyed physical science class so much. MLIA.

Today, a kid in my class told the teacher that his dog ate his homework. The teacher laughed, until the kid silently pulled out a clear ziplock bag with an obviously chewed piece of paper in it. We all applauded. MLIA

Today I was calling for my cat who was outside, her name is Pancake, after calling for a third time my neighbor shouts out his window, "I've got the syrup." He's 90 years old and now I remember why I've always thought he was cool.

Today, I watched Bear in the Big Blue House for the first time since I as 7. I'm 18 now and the first thing Bear said when he opened the door was 'My, how you've grown!'It made me feel good to know he remembers me. MLIA

Today, I gave my spanish 2 class an exam which consisted of pictures of household items and the question "What is this used for?", asking them to respond in Spanish. #3 was an armoire. I gave full credit to 75 students, including the 18 who said "to find Narnia" and the 2 who said "to hold boggarts" MLIA

And my favorite...

Today, I was sitting in my room and heard a little boy outside sneeze. I said bless you, and five seconds later, I heard a very hesitant...."God??." MLIA

This website gives me hope in humanity and helps me to appreciate the little things in my day. Enjoy!