Master Monday | EMMA WATSON

#heforshe

YOU CAN WATCH EMMA WATSON'S THE U.N. ADDRESS HERE

Today we are launching a campaign called for HeForShe. I am reaching out to you because we need your help. We want to end gender inequality, and to do this, we need everyone involved. This is the first campaign of its kind at the UN. We want to try to mobilize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change. And, we don’t just want to talk about it. We want to try and make sure that it’s tangible.

I was appointed as Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women six months ago. And, the more I spoke about feminism, the more I realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.

For the record, feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes.

I started questioning gender-based assumptions a long time ago. When I was 8, I was confused for being called bossy because I wanted to direct the plays that we would put on for our parents, but the boys were not. When at 14, I started to be sexualized by certain elements of the media. When at 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of sports teams because they didn’t want to appear muscly. When at 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings.

I decided that I was a feminist, and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Women are choosing not to identify as feminists. Apparently, I’m among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, and anti-men. Unattractive, even.

Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one? I am from Britain, and I think it is right I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that will affect my life. I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men.

But sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to see these rights. No country in the world can yet say that they achieved gender equality. These rights, I consider to be human rights, but I am one of the lucky ones.

My life is a sheer privilege because my parents didn’t love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit me because I was a girl. My mentors didn't assume that I would go less far because I might give birth to a child one day. These influences were the gender equality ambassadors that made me who I am today. They may not know it, but they are the inadvertent feminists that are changing the world today. We need more of those.

And if you still hate the word, it is not the word that is important. It’s the idea and the ambition behind it, because not all women have received the same rights I have. In fact, statistically, very few have.

In 1997, Hillary Clinton made a famous speech in Beijing about women’s rights. Sadly, many of the things that she wanted to change are still true today. But what stood out for me the most was that less than thirty percent of the audience were male. How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?

Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society, despite my need of his presence as a child, as much as my mother’s. I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it would make them less of a man. In fact, in the UK, suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20 to 49, eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either.

We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes, but I can see that they are, and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled.

Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong. It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum, instead of two sets of opposing ideals. If we stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by who we are, we can all be freer, and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.

I want men to take up this mantle so that their daughters, sisters, and mothers can be free from prejudice, but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too, reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned, and in doing so, be a more true and complete version of themselves.

You might be thinking, “Who is this Harry Potter girl, and what is she doing speaking at the UN?” And, it’s a really good question. I’ve been asking myself the same thing.

All I know is that I care about this problem, and I want to make it better. And, having seen what I’ve seen, and given the chance, I feel it is my responsibility to say something.

Statesman Edmund Burke said, “All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing.”

In my nervousness for this speech and in my moments of doubt, I told myself firmly, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” If you have similar doubts when opportunities are presented to you, I hope those words will be helpful. Because the reality is that if we do nothing, it will take seventy-five years, or for me to be nearly 100, before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work. 15.5 million girls will be married in the next 16 years as children. And at current rates, it won't be until 2086 before all rural African girls can have a secondary education.

If you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists that I spoke of earlier, and for this, I applaud you. We are struggling for a uniting word, but the good news is, we have a uniting movement. It is called HeForShe. I invite you to step forward, to be seen and to ask yourself, “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Thank you very, very much.

Lime Ricki Magic

Master Monday | JOHNNY DEEP

“I try to stay in a constant state of confusion just because of the expression it leaves on my face.”

— johnny deep

Photography | Been + Being

I am intrigued by two statements lately; first, poet and philosopher, George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It is most important to understand what has a gone before us, to understand the functionality of our medium, and through this understanding we may know how to push the boundaries, because without such a known history we would not know where the boundary line is even located.  Second, Pablo Picasso’s words, “good artists copy, great artists steal.” I feel both declarations are fundamental in the progression of photography or any school of thought if we are getting serious. Essentially, I feel both declarations create the perfect union, we should understand our past, take it, and make it our own. 

Photography is your own. The world has been seen in so many ways, but never before through my eyes, and through my thoughts. I am not entirely sure how one knows when they have taken a great photograph, aside from the way you respond to your own image, and eventually see how others respond to it as well. If you do not feel passionate about your work, how can you ever expect anyone else to feel passionate about it? Photography takes risks. It may make you feel uncomfortable, and often times being uncomfortable can be an impetus for growth. Get uncomfortable, and let yourself become what is unexpected for a moment. 

Photography is simple. I just start shooting, and keep shooting until it feels right, and then move on once it does not feel right anymore. I photograph people being people, people marrying people, people in places, things on the side of the road, children laughing and children crying. I feel inspired to explore the crudeness of photographing in such unconventional ways by knowing Diane Arbus’s work. There is the richness of life or the lack of life in every corner. I respond to my environment and my environment responds in subtle ways back toward the camera.

Photography is limitless. We spend half of our lives trying to define ourselves, and the other half trying to live up to what we defined ourselves as, when in the end we could have had a full life just living and being. I am not saying do not examine your life, but definitions can set boundaries and limit us from achieving our full potential, and to reach something never before obtained, we have to do extraordinary things. I do not believe we are solely defined by what we do, but how we choose to do it, and as I continue with the photography more and more people want to know what kind of a photographer I am, and I just want to do it all, this way I do not feel limited in my options to live and do what feels right for myself. We must be willing to be taken places we never before dreamed we could go, or possibly places we did not even know existed. 

Photography is beautiful. I can say this because beauty is indefinable, and undeniable in the eyes of those it plagues. The softness or harshness of the image may make someone cringe or tilt their head a little to the right, the way a concerned friend would do as you tell them about your dilapidated love life.  We all know we even love things we hate, and can find beauty in uncommon things. This is what photography can do; it can make the acronym of the very word beautiful, beautiful, and beauty ugly in a beautiful way (read that a few times and it will make sense).  We have to take from deep within ourselves, place what we found in front of us, and photograph it. The world of photography is taking us places, and wherever we are going, I will have my camera to take photographs of it. 

Master Monday | IRIS APFEL

“When you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like everyone else.”

— Iris Apfel

In the world of fashion and style, there’s aging gracefully, and then there’s Iris Apfel. An icon in advanced style (as well as the fashion industry in general), Apfel has always had a long-lived role in fashion and a passion for collecting—from haute accessories to art and textiles (this is the woman we’d like to bring with us when flea-marketing).

Iris Apfel dresses for Matisse

Amen Ansel Adams, Amen

Master Monday | Banksy

A pseudonymous English graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter who scores the walls of city streets with witty imagery and social commentary. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humor with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. Various cities have removed his "vandalism" and later kicked themselves when they realized it was the works of a master.  

The Sexy Smoothie

Thought we could all use a little drool sesh and good snack ideas to keep creativity flowing! When my blood sugar drops, so does my creativity and my sanity, so always keep it up!

A delicious fruit smoothie in the making:

2 heaping Tbsp of Plain Greek Yogurt
1 cup mango, pineapple, strawberry mix
1 cup blueberry + raspberries 
2 cups frozen or fresh spinach
2 Tbsp Whey Protein
1 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Almond Milk (optional)

Enjoy!

Master Monday | Dorthea Lange

Doretha Lange's photographs humanized the consequences of the Great Depression and influenced the development of documentary photography. Lange believed photography was going to save the world. Her husband asked her "What is it going save the world from?"  She declared her camera an appendage and later wrote her experience while photographing people like you and me forced into such difficult times, "It is difficult to photograph a proud man in a background of poverty." 

Below is one of the most influential images in the history of the world taken on a not so special day, during a very difficult time. 

MIGRANT MOTHER - 1936

Snow Day with the Fam

Also working on my #21daysofbrave and pursing my video skills. I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!! I have seen the world with new perspective, and there is no going back! Video is my boyfriend for now. :) 

A Sense of Wonder

For the first few months of our lives we are perfectly content being swaddled in our mother's arms, then something happens, we begin to walk and this is where things really get interesting. It is mind blowing how quickly a tiny tot can conquer the vastness of a room, scale the bookshelf and snatch that irresistible, shiny object dangling high on the wall.  We were natural explorers, treasure seekers and aww gazers who most likely preferred to do all their expeditions and plundering in the nude (you know who you are). The truth is, we are perma-seekers, and the tendency to run wild and free still pitter-patters in the hearts of us all, instigating a moment we have to see more, do more, and feel more. Our sense of wonder instills an inclination to experience what is around the corner, to scribble your name in the sand, and try something out of your comfort zone. It makes us run faster, climb higher, and breathe deeper, a feeling only satiated through true adventure!

Adults are just big kids who sometimes forget to be fearless, who forget to dream, and have forgotten what they wanted to be when they grew up. A brief, fond, flashback of our eight year old selves, full of fascination, I was supposed to be the first woman president, and am clearly off course, but my desires changed.  One thing we can embrace from our childhood, is the ability to dream freely and openly, giving life to our natural sense of wonder we keep tucked snuggly inside ourselves. 

Listen to the amazing words of Dallas Clayton,on discovering the childlike sense of wonder we all know exists in each of us! Well worth your time! 

#21daysofbrave

A BRAVE NEW YOU

 

I love the hustle + bustle about the New Year, glitz + parties, self reflection, and thoughtful intentions set for the next 365 days with tactical resolve, that is the idea anyway. For most of my life I have been an avid list maker and organizer, but when it comes to setting goals, my palms get a little sweaty and butterflies ensue, getting a little dreamy eyed about all the things I want to do, followed by a pinch of panic that I might fail to accomplish some of my newly set goals. So let’s do something a tiny bit different, something fun! 

But First, a history lesson:

Dr. Maxwell Maltz, from the 1950s made a unique observation in his practice of plastic surgery, it would take 21 days for patients to adjust to their new face, or stop sensing a phantom limb from an amputation. He later published a blockbuster hit of a book, Psycho-Cybernetics, and one of his quotes became all the craze, "These, and many other commonly observed phenomena tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell." There is one tiny little problem, society eventually took out the “minimum of 21 days,” part, and rephrased it to, “It takes 21 days to form a new habit." Whoops! It is important to understand habit formation is different for every soul, and we wanted to emphasize the “minimum” part before we invited you to join us for our divine little challenge. Read more about habit formation Here. 

To christen the site and really get this New Year started off properly, we thought it best to be Brave and enter with an explosion of new creations, and we wanted to invite the world (that is you) to join us for 21 days of being brave, exploring something new, and start down the path of forming a habit you might enjoy. We are taking on the minimum days of habit formation, so please feel to take it further if it tickles your fancy! 

Self Create seemed fitting as this is about you and allows expansion in any capacity you desire! This means, you can choose anything to work on for 21 days, and the kicker is, you can do this anytime, not just the beginning of the New Year. Our team is kicking off our 21 day challenge together, and you may join us anytime you like; however, I vote nowish!

So take a moment and think about what you want to explore, perhaps try your hand at a 15 minute watercoloring session each day, wake up a little earlier and jot down your first thoughts of the day, add a little spinach to your diet, run for 10 minutes each day, embrace something that helps you relax, the possibilities are endless, because you are infinite.

a few things we will be doing @ Brave Forest

Mandy Booth’s #21daysofbrave

For my 21 days of Brave I have decided to combine my desire to practice hand lettering and expand my vocabulary. I totally have a thing for the alphabet. There's something amazing about how a set of random shapes can be combined to form countless words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, short stories, novellas, novels, and communicate anything and everything in the languages of the world. Letters are so versatile and abstract, but at the same time extremely structured. I love the idea of how letters and words can easily transition from serving an everyday purpose, to becoming an art form. So over the next 21 days I am going to pick a new word from the english language, and not only learn the definition, but remember the word's meaning by putting thought and time into turning that word into a simple sketch.

Definition:

TITTYNOPE: n. – a small quantity of something left over

 

 

 

 

 

Jordan Huntington’s #21daysofbrave

For a long while, I have wanted to embrace video work, and learn the ins and outs of adobe premiere. I would like to challenge myself, to film something each day, and put together a compilation of my experience filming, and share it with you. I am all about the process, so I am not set on specific content, and I am just going to go with the flow, and film what inspires me, and we shall see what happens!

Here is a small taste of video love I am growing into:

 

Jessica Peterson's #21daysofbrave

I would like to a "brave" photo everyday, something that takes me out of my comfort zone.  

 

Kyle Muir's #21daysofbrave 

I have been wanting to better understand contemporary society relative to those in times past.  So, I grabbed a two volume book set, Culture + Values: A Survey of the Humanities, from my college days to begin a study on culture and values.  My 21 day challenge will be focused on spending 15-30 minutes daily surveying humanities and meditating on applications in my life and those around me.  
 

IT IS SIMPLE IF YOU FOLLOW OUR THREE STEP PROCESS

THIS IS WHERE YOU BRAINSTORM ABOUT YOUR DREAMS AND GOALS AND DEVELOP A PLAN OF EXECUTION. 

NOW YOU YOU GET TO START YOUR PROJECT, AND DEDICATE 21 DAYS TO TRYING SOMETHING FUN AND NEW.

MY FAVORITE PART, THE FEEDBACK, REFLECTING ON THE PROCESS, AND SHARING IT WITH OTHERS.

 DREAM IT, CREATE IT AND SHARE IT.

Be sure to Share it with us by hash-tagging #21daysofbrave + mention us @braveforestcreative to enter giveaways each Friday for the month of January, and a few others each month! Here is to New Year with wild dreams, and simplified expectations. Have fun with your challenge, trying means improving, and that is what matters! Good Luck, May the Force be with You.  

A little Christmas Tune

One of our Favorites! We wish you the Merriest Christmas, and hope you dance around your Christmas tree with the wildest, free-spirited dance moves you've got! 

#beyourself

BE YOURSELF, AND ALL THE CREATIVITY WILL FLOW FROM A FAMILIAR PLACE, A PLACE YOU CAN RECOGNIZE. IT IS WONDERFUL TO BE INSPIRED BY OTHERS, BUT THE BEST PART IS TO BRING IT BACK AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN.