TWO people told me in person today that they have heard of/reads my blog. It´s so great to know! I mean, I see my stats and stuff, but really knowing who notices this blog is a great inspiration!
So I am currently attempting to formulate an entry about why you should embrace your individual life (popularly known as “single life”). Watch out for it!
When I took Introduction to Women´s Studies with Dr. Askeland in the spring of 2009, I was exposed to many new influences and factors in society. Dr. Askeland wove together much knowledge within the subjects of women´s studies, African American literature, American women´s literature, etc., helping me see how they are intertwined in many ways. Among the texts she had us read was this: White Privilege: Unpacking the the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh.
This text is focusing on white privilege, but by reading it I think one can be helped recognizing other privileges: male privilege, non-handicapped privilege, heterosexual privilege, etc. READ IT, I think it will open your mind a bit (and that´s a great thing).
Dr. Askeland also explained racism and sexism in a way that has helped me a lot. Basically (and you tell me if this is incorrect Dr. Askeland, I am retelling the main points as I remember them) Dr Askeland told us to think of racism and sexism as an sickness that has infected society. From the moment you were born, you have been breathing in these thought patterns and your whole brain is full of it. But you did not choose to be infected, you did not create the sickness. It was all over society long before you were born. But it is there, in each and every one of us, in one way or another.
I sometimes catch myself thinking prejudiced thoughts, thoughts with opinions that I do not agree with. It scares me, but I find it useful tho think of the prejudice in this way that Dr. Askeland described, like a disease that has come to me because of the way that society is and has been for a long time. I don´t have to feel like a bad person for these thoughts coming up, BUT I do need to be aware of them and try to find the source of them. I am responsible for the way I deal with this disease. I will fight it, and becoming more aware of it and makes it a lot easier.
So I am trying to stop feeling bad for my prejudiced thoughts, being aware of them and working on becoming more open-minded and little by little this disease will go away. Don´t beat yourself up when you recognize these thoughts, be happy that you are aware of them enough to see them. And then use that knowledge to defeat them.
Thoughts?
Love,
Hanna
Hello,
so this amazing Swedish comedian/actress/allover awesome person Bianca made a video of an experience she had being called a whore and “blatte,” (=a Swedish derogatory word for foreigner/person with origin other than Swedish). She has now published a version of this video with Swedish subtitles. The rapper is her sister Tiffany K. Watch:
At the beginning of your career, you may not get to work with all things that interest you. Granted, you do not KNOW what you´re interested in (neither do I). But as events and time progress, you will figure more of it out. If you feel like you still do not know, think about what you do NOT want to do, I find that it is sometimes easier. You will see that at some of the groups you belong to/meetings you go to/jobs you have, you will know that parts do not interest you. By cutting those out, it may get easier to figure out what yo really do want to do.
The next step is figuring out how to combine the things that interest you into one job/task/life. It may sometimes seem impossible, but imagine the reward and success you will feel when you actually do succeed! One person that seemingly have got this all together is Swedish entrepreneur (which is my labeling, not hers) Veronica Henryson Stavby, founder of the brand Lou & friends.
According to her blog, Henryson Stavby began selling bags made of leather in 2008. Traveling the world she has been inspired by other cultures, something that has added inspiration to her products. She writes, “it is […] very important that [the products] ha[ve] been produced in a way that is sustainible and benefit the local societies.”
One example are the boots that Henryson Stavby sells in her webshop, so called keliboots. These boots are made by old Moroccan rugs, reusing this old and beautiful material, and leather. They are handmade by craftsmen in Morocco, ensuring that this knowledge lives on.
All pictures: keliboots.com
Lou & Friends is also supporting ActionAid, an organization that “help poor and vulnerable women and children all over the world.” (quote: louandfriends.com). I´m not sure exactly how they are supporting ActionAid (money-wise or in some other way), but I find this to be brilliant!
All in all, Henryson Stavby has integrated a lot of factors that matter to me when buying a product:
– Fashion. The boots look amazing! Plus there´s a lot of other products too.
– Local craftsmanship. The makers of the boots live in Morocco and use an old traditional method.
– Recycling. The boots are partly made of old rugs, putting another craft into good (and fashionable!) use.
– Quality. Leather boots will last longer than some plastic stuff you buy, so even though the boots are a bit pricey, it´s money well invested.
– Social entrepreneurship. Lou & Friends support an organization that benefits women and children in the world, aka investing in the future.
Wow! I´d like to be able to combine interests like this!
WIP IT 