tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37627577.post117062028351120681..comments2024-02-12T16:32:03.714-08:00Comments on Book of Kells: The Permission to WriteKelli Russell Agodon - Book of Kellshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01798460634708905783noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37627577.post-1171264696719363902007-02-11T23:18:00.000-08:002007-02-11T23:18:00.000-08:00Celine,Thanks for your thoughtful post. I agree. ...Celine,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your thoughtful post. I agree. <BR/><BR/>I've been thinking about my post and in talking to my friends who don't have kids, I've found this idea of guilt for writing, esp. if they are just starting out or not making X amount of dollars, isn't just limited to mothers. It seems that sometimes when artists (both men and women) "follow their bliss" /passion, it does have this self-indulgent feel to it.<BR/><BR/>Yes, I agree is that this is from a larger issue of women putting or feeling as if they have to put others first and we live in a society where art (or artists) are not appreciated. (Again, I wonder about $$ here as the arts are the first to be cut in a school and sports--the $ makers--always manage to stay.)<BR/><BR/>I'd like to look further into this and talk with all women to see what they feel guilty about and if they feel they need to ask "permission" from others or themselves to write. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, this is a much greater topic to be explored.<BR/><BR/>thanks for your note.<BR/>Best, <BR/>KelliKelli Russell Agodon - Book of Kellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798460634708905783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37627577.post-1171260963132371022007-02-11T22:16:00.000-08:002007-02-11T22:16:00.000-08:00I think this is a particular instance of a much wi...I think this is a particular instance of a much wider problem, which is that women have to "give themselves permission" for virtually anything they do that is <I>just for themselves</I>. Even when it really is just a hobby, there's a tendency for other people to judge the time taken for it more harshly than they would, say, a husband's weekly golf game. <BR/><BR/>And this in turn is just a symptom of a culture-wide illness: the idea that <I>women must always put themselves and their own needs after everyone else</I>. The worst non-sexual* insult that can be flung at any woman is that she's "selfish". Until we, collectively, start insisting that taking care of ourselves (both physically and mentally) is NOT selfish but healthy and normal, and making it stick, we will continue to have this problem. <BR/><BR/>* "Ugly", "fat", and other appearance-based insults are still essentially sexual in nature, because they carry the implication of "sexually unattractive". The only other serious contender in the non-sexual category is "bitch", and that one frequently carries the secondary connotation of selfishness -- a woman who isn't agreeable and pliable enough to the demands of those around her is immediately labeled a bitch.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37627577.post-1171227149430682362007-02-11T12:52:00.000-08:002007-02-11T12:52:00.000-08:00Dawn, You're welcome and thanks for the note. I a...Dawn, <BR/><BR/>You're welcome and thanks for the note. I appreciate it.<BR/><BR/>Best, <BR/>KelliKelli Russell Agodon - Book of Kellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798460634708905783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37627577.post-1171218025851123492007-02-11T10:20:00.000-08:002007-02-11T10:20:00.000-08:00Thank you for this.Thank you for this.Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04164833674841541784noreply@blogger.com