Art Fart: A Celebration of Women

I made this collage on International Women's day. You may recognize it if you follow my personal instagram account! It was a lovely morning of meditation on women and all the beautiful things it means to be a woman, and a celebration of these things. Powerful. Present. Embracing our bodies. Causing ripples in the water, in the world we move through. Having impact. To me, this is what comes naturally to women, but is so often stifled - or rather, there are so many attempts to stifle these things - by the expectations placed upon us, the definitions fabricated to describe us, the double standards imposed on us, the misconceptions that surround us. I was really thrilled to see so much movement and action and discussion occurring on this day, and all other days, about what it means to be a woman in this day and age, and what it should mean to be a woman in the future.

I think of my grandmother (who is pictured in the background of this piece!) who wore jeans before women even really wore pants. Who got her Master's degree and worked and fostered children, on top caring for her own 4. My grandmother who learned how to build a house with her own two hands. Who was a passionate advocate for homeless youth, the environment, and more. My grandmother who made art and let an enthusiastic, young Katia cut some of her flowers from her garden to make bouquets when I would visit. Man, was she ever rad.

Who do you think of, when you think of amazing women in your life?

Fashion as Creative Outlet: Mixed Feelings

When I moved to a new city for school, I didn't bring my studio-worth of art supplies up with me. I knew I wouldn't have the space in my one room, nor the time, to store and use them. So I left them at home at my parents' house. I figured I'd make art on the weekends if I went home, or on school breaks. I had no idea how much I would miss making art on a near-daily basis!

My creative energy hasn't diminished, though. It's just surfacing in different ways. I've been really experimenting and having fun with my clothes since moving to school, and have increasingly been enjoying looking at fashion blogs, fashion posts on instagram, etc.

I'm still no fabulous fashionista that always looks done up and glam. I have a complex wall of feelings about the fashion industry, about makeup, about consumerism, about social media, etc. This wall basically keeps me from wanting to shop disposable, big-company fashion and spend all my money and time on my looks (hence the Year of Thrift challenge). But the truth of the matter is that I love fashion and I love clothes. I love wearing things that make me feel happy and like myself, and I love experimenting and being creative with my clothing choices. It's so fun!

Sometimes I wish I could just forget my worries about ~*the state of the world*~, so to speak, and shop without a care and just be merry and fabulous. It's especially easy for me, when the seasons change, to suddenly want a total wardrobe do-over. I also have my wardrobe currently split up, with some clothing at my place for school, and some of it at my parents' home for when I go back for work. So, I guess the whole point of this post is that I would really love to indulge in new clothing that make me feel fab but I also am really resisting for all the above reasons and it's causing me lots of FEELINGS! (I'm being dramatic, it's actually all good in the hood, just something that's been on my mind a lot, haha).

Do any of you love love fashion but also have mixed feelings about the industry and such? Share your thoughts with me!

Window Shopping || 18

(Cropped furry sweater: Shop at Milky, Pearlescent Vegan leather backpack: Golden Ponies, Otono Caramel Necklace: Sew A Song, Venus Head Planter: Brooklyn Global, Black Faded Levi's: Better Stay Together)

I'm at a strange intersection in my fashion choices that tends to happen yearly, mid-winter for me. I start feeling a little encumbered by big sweaters, giant lumpy parkas, and smelly winter boots (gotta work on that...). I want to experiment a bit with my outfits, pull out my summer pants, be a little wild. But then I look outside, see the foot-deep snow and trees bending in the bitter wind, and I just want to snuggle up with as many layers as I possibly can. Do you guys ever experience this? Is it purely a Canadian cold winter kind of experience?

Recently I found some beautiful shoes at a thrift store and have brought them to my school office so that I can feel a little bit nicer when I'm indoors on campus. This has been nice - they're Clarks ;)

I really want to share some outfit photos with these good thrift finds, but I just haven't had time. This term is kicking my butt with heavy duty theory-based assignments, and tons of TA work! I love it all - but it leaves less time for prancing around and snapping shots. So meanwhile, I will share these lil mood board window shopping outfits with you all, and I will find solace in the warmth of my marshmallow-style parka.

What have you seen in your window shopping lately? Anything you're eyeballing?


ps. I'm aware that venus head planter isn't really wear-able... but I got one that is quite similar recently and am super stoked on it!