A Soul Redeemed

truebluemeandyou: “I Am Who They Were” Necklace by...

inspiredbygod — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:57:54 -0400

“I Am Who They Were” Necklace by Artist Ashley Gilreath 2011. Read the history behind this amazing piece and see more photos at Ashley Gilreath here. Ms. Gilreath created this necklace by casting dollhouse frames in silver and bronze and printing family portraits directly onto microscope glass.

I am so inspired by this project. Not only is the necklace beautiful, but it carries such history and symbolic meaning. More than fashion, it is a statement about the past and its direct ties to the future, and the people who contribute to make us who we are.

“Your dresses should be tight enough to show you’re a...

inspiredbygod — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:01:02 -0400

I think presentation is so important. It's really amazing what a certain amount of editing will do a photo, even just in basic color alteration.

“Your dresses should be tight enough to show you’re a woman and loose enough to show you’re a lady. ”

— Edith Head

Everyone who knows me pretty well knows that I’m not a big fan of dresses - not in the contemporary sense, at least. I don’t like low necklines, especially not strapless dresses, and nothing that ends above the knees. I just don’t feel comfortable in dresses that end above my knees (nor shorts or skirts for that matter!), it just makes me feel self-conscious.

Basically, I go for comfort over style. I’d really prefer not to have to pick out an outfit at all, and just wear jeans and a t-shirt every day, but I am interested in fashion. And I like the dress-casual look. So my preference is a nice pair of jeans, and a nice top, maybe flowy. Generally dull colors, monochrome black to white, or blue if I need a touch of color (that’s what the jeans are for).

Yet every time I’ve gone shopping in China, I’ve always been reprimanded for my “old taste” and for “not dressing my age” - which apparently means really girly, doll-like dresses with frills and bows, or punk-rock style with studs and chains.

So basically, girl, or anti-girl. But not boyish - at least, not in the classic definition…

Since I’ve gotten in the habit of shopping with and for Joe (because it’s fun dressing up others, especially when it’s your boyfriend), I’ve really noticed a difference between guys and girls clothes, even in the display.

Girls’ outfits tend to be layered, with pants, a top, and numerous accessories. Guys’ outfits are much simpler, usually just a shirt and a top, if they bother putting on a top/putting together an outfit at all. Girls’ outfits are also often pinned in the back, to sizes that no actual girl could fit. Guys’ clothes also tend to focus on shirts, whereas girls’ clothes put a lot of work displaying shirts, dresses, and pants. Oh, and the girls’ section is usually considerably larger in any department store.

Just so general trends I’ve noticed…

So… This past Saturday, I went dress-window-shopping as part of a gender experiment (and also kind of just for the heck of it), to see how I felt in “girly clothes”. Since it’d be too complicated to go for the whole selection, I limited myself to the types of girly clothes I never wear, but which are very prevalent on campus: short, breezy dresses with low necklines.

These pictures are the result.*

It was really interesting. I felt really strange trying on the dresses - and having to get a strapless bra to actually really try them on properly. It was such a weird feeling, with all these dresses that I would never really wear, in a very stylized dressing room (there was a curtain over the mirror, and four benches, and floral lights - and we were only in JC Penney’s, like really? is that necessary for dressing rooms?) - I felt so out of place.

The weirdest part was seeing the dresses on me though - just because I have a lot of friends who wear this sort of thing, but never me. They felt weird on, and I looked unrecognizable to myself. Like an alien twin. =P

I wonder if it’s because I made an absolute decision for myself though, to avoid this “girly-girl culture”, because I didn’t agree with and couldn’t stand for the objectification I associated with it. Even if women do beautify themselves for themselves, the spaces where these clothes are worn are not ones where I feel like women are particularly strong. And if that’s my perception, as much as I fight social dictates, I wonder how much more so it is for others? Especially men (boys, really). Say what we want about empowering women. So long as women aren’t dictating the social standards, even if we talk the talk, are we walking the walk when it comes to taking a stance about what we will and will not tolerate in behavior towards us and devaluation through media?

*I modified all of these images from the original raw file. With facebook, Google+, and Instagram, I feel like photo-manipulation of self-shots (also something rare for me) is super popular, and very much “trending” in “feminine culture”. So, here’s my play on image presentation - I especially like the look of four different filters on the same photo.

“Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture....

inspiredbygod — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 02:59:49 -0400

“Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture. ”

— Allen Ginsberg

Day I of SOCY 49, Sociology of Gender, we were asked to examine the popular song, “Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake. While I had already had the notion of how awful pop media was in terms of determining gender relations, I was still repulsed by the messages sent by the latest wave of pop media persuasions about boy-girl behavior.

I refuse to call them men-women behavior because honestly, how can you? Women who see themselves as just ditzy possessions are objects, not people. Men who objectify women and just care about “getting some” are animals.

That might seem harsh, since it’s all around us, but when you look at prescribed gender roles in pop music, it’s really really hard to get away from it all. How many songs praise women’s thoughtfulness or care or nurture? How many JUST talk about their looks? How many songs do we have talking about real men, for that matter? Not the oogling adolescent-adult who actually has his own opinions and not just those of the guys around him?

If I sound mad, it’s because I’m mad at and for myself. I don’t have a problem with free speech. But is it still free speech if all the messages are the same?

I’m concerned when songs that I find really catchy, like Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” has one of the most ridiculous and absolutely unconstructive messages about marriage possible, and falls in line with so much of the absolute BULLSHIT that is the reason why there’s SO MUCH DIVORCE!

Those who find divorce to be a good thing, please go ahead and support it all, but for those of us who would still like a marriage to last without numerous affairs or domestic abuse, can we please try to stand up for something?

Seriously. I personally really think “Marry You” is a very catchy song. I had to stop myself from humming it all the time after I actually listened to the lyrics. Marriage is something for when you’re “looking for something dumb to do”? It’s okay to get married if you’re “trashed” and “have some cash to blow”? And taking “shots of patron”?

Look, it’s great if you want to marry someone. But not on a whim, I don’t care HOW beautiful their eyes are.

Unless it’s some God-ordained miracle, you are setting yourself up for disaster. That’s not how marriage was made, and not how it works, and it will end badly, I would bet you almost anything (if I was the gambling type).

I was actually looking for a relatively catchy, pop-y, recent song that did not project awful gender-role expectations or completely unrealistic romantic ideals (hello Taylor Swift) or break-up songs, or sad songs.

Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up On Us” was actually the only song that I could come up with. With everything on the radio these days, do you have any better suggestions?

sosuperawesome: Multicolored Infrared Landscapes by David...

inspiredbygod — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:30:28 -0400

sosuperawesome:

Multicolored Infrared Landscapes by David Keochkerian

These are just really beautiful. I always appreciate new takes on photography - I think it opens us up to a brand new perspective on the world we live in, which, while often distorted and broken, also holds so much to be cherished.

Philosophy of Miyazakiby sapphiresky1410 I love Studio...

inspiredbygod — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:30:25 -0400

Philosophy of Miyazakiby sapphiresky1410

I love Studio Ghibli films. =)

I think this philosophy is so accurate and needed in today’s society. We are often so poised to think of things as right or wrong, or “relative” but it’s none of those.

Life is composed of choices. Some will hurt you, some will hurt others. Some it’s difficult to know the consequences of. But each choice begets further choices, and we are all influenced by things beyond just ourselves. I truly believe that hurting people hurt others - I myself is a prime example.

But what we need is not a system of punishment and alienation, but love and healing. Only then can the world heal and stop the cycle of destruction.

I just love this so much. =) Not entirely biblically accurate,...

inspiredbygod — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:30:36 -0400

I just love this so much. =)

Not entirely biblically accurate, of course, but I think it captures homecoming nicely?

Sometimes I just really want a pet… These illustrations...

inspiredbygod — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:30:29 -0400

Sometimes I just really want a pet… These illustrations are just so beautiful. It captures a very magical sentiment about nature that I sometimes have found - like when you walk into a forest near sunset and it just glows orange… or the strands of light falling through leaves… the stars, of course, and the fresh scent of rain…

It’s just really breathtaking and nostalgic, to be at peace and harmony, not as tourists, but as a tiny visitor, coming and saying, “Thank you for letting me trespass a while here in your spacious home.”

Ellie: Can I hold your hand?Carl: No.Ellie: But why?Carl:...

inspiredbygod — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:04:34 -0400

Ellie: Can I hold your hand?
Carl: No.
Ellie: But why?
Carl: Because it’ll hurt when you let go.

The beginning to Up still makes me cry every time. =(

It’s just so sad… She got sick just when he bought the tickets to go to Paradise Falls finally…

So sad…… >_<

Listen to this. You probably need to hear it. Or someone you...

inspiredbygod — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:35:35 -0500

Listen to this. You probably need to hear it. Or someone you know needs you to tell them, that you are more than just “pretty.”

devidsketchbook: STUNNING MINIATURE SCULPTURES BY JOE FIG Joe...

inspiredbygod — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:22:18 -0500

devidsketchbook:

STUNNING MINIATURE SCULPTURES BY JOE FIG

Joe Fig is an artist born and raised in Long Island, New York. Fig’s work has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Joe Fig’s naturalism and attention to detail are astounding, his sculptures (Table Sculptures / Artist at work), paintings and photographs have garnered critical acclaim and can be found in numerous museums and private collections. In his new book, ‘Inside the Painter’s Studio’, artist Joe Fig documents the day-to-day lives of 24 contemporary artists with photos of their studios, notes on their work habits, and interviews about where and how they make art.

This is just really neat. Not just that it’s miniatures, but as a study of the differences between artists and their “habitats”.

inspiredbygod: This is just so beautiful. Truly, truly, love is...

inspiredbygod — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:46:01 -0500

inspiredbygod:

This is just so beautiful. Truly, truly, love is the greatest thing.

remediosthebeauty: Li Hongbo makes these seemingly simple paper...

inspiredbygod — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:09:00 -0500

remediosthebeauty:

Li Hongbo makes these seemingly simple paper sculptures. But wait, you say, they’re made of paper? They are indeed! Not only are they made of paper, they’re flexible. Like a slinky. Watch the video made at Dominik Mersch Callery.

Inspired by traditional Chinese toys, Li Hongbo crafts the sculptures from ultra-thin layers of paper.

This is incredible. Wow. Just mindblowing.

Paperman by Disney Such a beautiful love story (if slightly...

inspiredbygod — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:58:36 -0500

Paperman by Disney

Such a beautiful love story (if slightly improbable/impossible…)

laughingstation: One of the BEST ad campaigns about...

inspiredbygod — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:45:50 -0500

laughingstation:

One of the BEST ad campaigns about representation I have seen.

Everyone has a backbone. Use yours.

via laughingstation

Amen.

"When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people."

inspiredbygod — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:50:57 -0500

“When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people.”

- Abraham Joshua Heschel (via theoppositeofstupid)

Doobie Doobie Doo-Wop: "Why do you hate the shape of breasts in plate armor so much?"

inspiredbygod — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:44:48 -0500

Doobie Doobie Doo-Wop: "Why do you hate the shape of breasts in plate armor so much?":

Since people often ask “Alright, well this is fantasy! Why can’t we have boob shapes in plate armor?!” I decided to make a post about it. My frustration hasnothing to do with historical inaccuracy and I’m all for imagination and freedom— but I’d like to (very quickly) illustrate this for you:

I purposely over-emphasized the shape of the two spheres in the armor so you can really think about this.

Look at the shape of the blue cups and the green line, think about the form of that on some beautiful ornate plate armor. A female warrior is charging into battle. In the midst of this, she trips! Or is pushed over, or takes a blow to the chest! So long as the force is on the front of her torso it really doesn’t matter for the conclusion:

She feels a sharp pain in her chest and hears the cracking of bone! Oh no, what’s gone wrong? Well she doesn’t have time to think about that, because she is now dead.

Her sternum just fractured, take another look at that green line, that’s where all of the pressure from any front impact is going to go because of the shape of the two blue cups made for her breasts. The rest of the armor slides around your body, but because of the two cups for breasts that are often made in fantasy female armors, the pressure point is directly on the sternum. The breasts are not going to stop the force of you falling onto them, and because of that the metal is going to push in and bash you in the sternum.

What does a fractured sternum do? Why it goes right into your heart and lungs of course.

(that was the sound of all of my followers inhaling a sharp breath between closed teeth at once)

Here are three great solutions to the problem:

GREAT EXAMPLE OF FANTASY TORSO ARMOR THAT IS FEMININE BUT FUNCTIONAL:

It is usually possible to bind the breasts when fighting if they really are far too large to fit into regular looking armor (there’s padding anyway), but most women can actually fit into a similarly sized male counterpart’s armor quite easily. Even if that’s the case, the armor can be made to have a curve to it without putting all of the pressure in one area, which was actually a style of armor for quite some time as shown here:

And don’t even get me started on the dreaded “Cleavage Window”

The “Cleavage Window” defeats the purpose of having any armor on your torso because it means you’re just going to be leaving open the vital organs the rest of the armor is trying to protect.

If people are going to protect themselves and not have much torso protection, invest in some blocking lessons, because the best defense is to not get hit at all. There are also advantages to not having plate armor, and plate armor was often really expensive anyway.

Just in case you’ve never actually thought about this.

"I am not a pawn in God’s plan. I am a son in his arms. The difference between those two things is..."

inspiredbygod — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:39:14 -0500

“I am not a pawn in God’s plan.
I am a son in his arms.
The difference between those two things is devastatingly beautiful.”

- God is not who I thought he was. | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff (via theoppositeofstupid)

"You may not agree with a woman, but to criticize her appearance — as opposed to her ideas or actions..."

inspiredbygod — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:38:25 -0500

“You may not agree with a woman, but to criticize her appearance — as opposed to her ideas or actions — isn’t doing anyone any favors, least of all you. Insulting a woman’s looks when they have nothing to do with the issue at hand implies a lack of comprehension on your part, an inability to engage in high-level thinking. You may think she’s ugly, but everyone else thinks you’re an idiot.”

- Hillary Clinton (via ellesugars)

Bravo.

inspiredbygod — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:38:02 -0500

Bravo.

theoppositeofstupid: (via Shakesville: Infographic of the...

inspiredbygod — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:36:02 -0500

theoppositeofstupid:

(via Shakesville: Infographic of the Day)

This makes me cry.