Body & Mind

Body & Mind, sounds like the name of a body product or a new age yoga group. Sadly, it's not. But don't worry, it's this month's theme. Yes, fellas! March 2015 will be dedicated to creating a union between these two important aspects of our existence. Plato will turn in his grave as I try to understand how I can center my life equally between my flesh and intellect. I will have lots to share, because this has been the fruit of my thoughts throughout the past few months.

How do I balance my life between my physical self and my psychological self? Is one more important than the other? Does our society have a bias on the subject? These our some of the questions that have been floating around me, and I will try to explore them as much as possible for the next 28 days.

Body&Mind from Imogen.Andersen on 8tracks Radio.

Devil Got My Woman

Devil Got My Woman - Skip James

Hi everybody! As you might of noticed, I haven't posted anything during this short month of February and I'm not planning on posting anything either. I have been sick with a cold, and lots of little things have been happening, so I would prefer to take a rest until March. Don't worry, I'm doing fine. I'm just searching for inspiration and sorting things out slowly. I will be posting at least once on Grime Vibes though. (That's a plus for you!) Anyways, I hope you are all having a wonderful Valentine's day and a fabulous month.

Peace out,

Imogen.

Grown Woman

Grown Woman - Beyoncé

I've thought a little bit about womanhood in the past, although this month I put a little extra thought into it. I know we're technically in February and I should be moving on to a different theme, but I believe it's important to finalize what I want to say on the subject. To give an idea of how I proceeded in my exploration, here are some questions I used to guide myself. What is womanhood? Is it important to emphasize the use of this term? Could it simply be adulthood?

Firstly, I'd like to clarify the definition of this word that can sometimes be very vague to some. Womanhood means the state or condition of being women. It defines women as a whole, a collectivity. It also stands for women who are no longer girls. Basically, this word signifies maturity, aging and the responsibility of women in general.

Now that that's out of the way, let's carry on to our main analysis. Though, adulthood and womanhood are very similar in their form, I believe there should be a slight differentiation between the two. On one hand, we have a term that includes the world population. There's nothing wrong with that, except that women have a particular status in society that should be pondered upon more.

To me womanhood is about understanding the position of women in society and sharing our knowledge about it with others. It is a way of taking a stand against the unrealistic standards of our society and distancing ourselves from them by doing whatever we have to do. I see this concept as a informal solidarity group for women around the world. It serves the purpose of encouraging each other and uplifting ourselves into a position of fulfillment and richness. Therefore, I think transitioning into womanhood is very important, because it is like signing a paper saying: "I will encourage my peers and not feel subjected to follow all of our societies norms."

I would also like to particularly emphasize the idea of transition. Womanhood and adulthood is all about evolving and change, it isn't a level up in Mario Bros. It might sound obvious to some, but it wasn't to me at first. I often expect things to change drastically from one day to another without any effort, but that's unrealistic. If we want change, there is an effort that has to be put into it. That is valuable for anything in life. It's also something I'm working very hard on lately. Thus, to fully flourish in womanhood, one must await to put energy into it. Miracles are rare.

On a last note, i'd like to share an observation I would of never thought about if it weren't for this article by Junot Diaz. It shows probably one of the only advantages there is to be placed second in society. To paraphrase what he says in his short text, Junot says women have a bigger point of view on society. We are born into a world were we are taught the mentality of white, cis-gender, heterosexual men (WCHM). Consequently, everyone outside that category has the advantage of having both the experience of the average WCHM and their own. He develops his point of view through literature, saying women create more refined characters because of their larger acknowledgement of what surrounds them. Basically, this is a great example that shows that it's possible to use our disadvantages to elevate ourselves.

All and all, being a woman can be amazing if we learn to work in solidarity, and if we encourage each other to take a stand in a world where women are still seen as unequal to men. I would also like to add that this idea of unity is applicable to any group of people who face inequality in this world; people of color, transgender people, Native Indians, you name it! Be curious and discover what others have to say about their experience in society.

Adulthood//Womanhood

I went to my friend's cottage during the holidays and it felt really great. I was able to get the adult and child experience all at the same time. We went skating and played outside, but we also relaxed and partied. It felt refreshing to be with 12 other awesome people!

Not only did we goof off like children, but we were also pretty independent and efficient like "real adults". We did the dishes and made delicious food. I even took part in solving plumbing problems (sharing toilets with so many teenagers can be quite a mess). Anyways, it was nice to feel like I can look after myself and others, and still enjoy myself to the maximum. That week came to show me that entering adulthood and womanhood isn't synonym of boring and serious. It shouldn't be scary at all!

I hope you all have youthful and happy day!

My Evolution of Style

Nice to Come Home - Julie Doiron

When I look at how I dressed throughout the years, I see how I've evolved into the woman I am today. As a 12 year old, I didn't feel any pressure on my appearance. I wore what I wanted, when I wanted to. It was an ideal time for me. With age I grew self conscious and I stopped myself from expressing myself clearly. Now, that I'm 18, I allowed myself to follow a middle way. I have a conscious of others, but I don't let it stop me from having fun with my wardrobe.

Also, I see in the way I dress that I've matured. I know I have full control over my body now, therefore I can do what I want with it. I dress less and less for "attention" and the eyes of others, and more for myself. I know I can be many things at the same time. I am allowed to look childish or classy or sexy, and most of all, I don't always have to look my greatest. I can wear sweatpants without feeling lame and I like that. Most of all, it's refreshing to know, looks aren't everything and that I can focus my attention on things that are more important than my appearance.

Day 39

Day 41

Day 42

Day 43

Day 45

Day 46

Day 47

Day 58

Day 59

I Am a Woman

January's going to be short this year, because I'm pretty busy. First, I did a big cleanup of my room, which might not sound like a big deal to you, but to me it is. Then, I went to a cottage for a week with some friends. Now, I'm back home planning the last week of vacation I have. Basically, I had hardly any time to think about what this month's exploration would be.

After talking to my friend Léonie about a project we're thinking about, I decided this month would be dedicated to womanhood. Not just my idea of womanhood, but womanhood across the world. I want to know what it means to be a female. I want to know what womanliness means. I want to know where I stand in this world and where I want to go. 

Womanhood from Imogen.Andersen on 8tracks Radio.