University of She

  In today's Art Spotlight, we look at Art By Megan. Megan describes her art as such:  "Reflections of light on water, shadows created by trees, and fallen leaves, as well as petals on contrasting surfaces inform my subject matter. I paint these fleeting moments, so they are noticed." Her paintings remind me of the goddess Athena: the goddess of wisdom and art. They seem like two starkly different components but philosophers have long talked about the connection between the two. How you can tell a lot about the morals of a community by the type of art they consume.     One looks like a collection of leaves of varying colors flowing in a twist of wind. They evoke happiness. Joy. A beauty that women have had to learn to see in the face of obstacles. A beauty men have had to learn to slow down and see. A baby's laugh. A beautiful sunset. On the other end are her sea paintings which evoke something completive and wise. The deep blue reminds me of long deep talks about fee

  OVERVIEW:  Cindy Elanor Woods is a Plus-sized fashionista with an underlying cynicism due to losing both her parents at a young age. Despite having a degree in fashion design, she is currently jobless until opportunity knocks in the form of a reality dating show -- Before Midnight . Cindy accepts the offer and joins the show looking for the chance to show off her fashion chops but (as the book cover blatantly intimates) she may end up finding love in the process. COMMENTARY: When you have to endure the pain of a loved one dying at an early age, fairy tales are basically bullshit to you. Because of this perspective, Cindy essentially embodies the experience of the reader and all of us who roll our eyes at Reality Show "Romance". Yes, these shows are an essential papering over of some harsh realities in the world and how love truly comes about. But in that same way, isn't that silhouetted dress, those painful high heels, that brilliant shade of red lipstick? Is it an unt

  “Stay Happy and Be Positive” that is the the mantra of Houston Artist Carol Simon. Though my exploration of women artists, I've encountered a wide variety of styles. From the sublime to the dark art that looks deliberately like roadkill. But all the art, it seems, presents its own message. If there is a message that Carol Simon that resonates with me it's gratitude. This is most perfectly embodied in her Gratitude Collection which I won't display here for copyright issues, but to describe the art, I would say it is a kaleidoscope of nebulae -- spurts of joy -- calling us to have gratitude in the simple joys of life. Take me, for instance. Right now I am sitting in a bar, sipping wine, with access to the internet. Normally, I would just sit here and stare into the abyss. Maybe mourn the meaningless of life, but gratitude commands me to take advantage of it. There was a time when I had no laptop, no internet, no place to write. And I still wrote. But now, the paralyzing f

Prima Donna by Karen Swan starts with the protagonist speaking to a little brother. The two of them are trying out for the ballet as children. He doesn't think he did too well, because he couldn't "turn [his] feet the right way". Sophie knows he means turn his feet out. Because Sophie is an expert in all this. Still, she relieves his worries, assuring him that their lives will be filled with music and beauty from now on. She goes through the door to begin her try out... and never sees her brother again. Hope is a wondrous and necessary thing that can also be bitter and cold. We offer it to the mourning widow, saying it will be alright, not knowing this for certain but we say it because we must. Because it is what makes us human. It is the animating force in a dying world. But A paradox who we are in no position to question. For sometimes, in the tiny parts of life, we tell a weary stranger it will be okay. And the stranger believes and and that simple act makes it s

Your jacket, yours shoes, your dress -- they all TALK.   No, this is not me having a schizophrenic episode. This is me introducing the concept of the communicative element of fashion.  As a writer, I find I'm good when it comes to dialogue. Not so good when it comes to the descriptive elements. Therefore, that's why I'm so impressed with a book like The Luxe.  First, let me review it's weaknesses: yes, it's a Gossip Girl ripoff except set in the late 1800s. Yes, the anachronisms will make perfectionists want to shiv out their retina with a knife. And yes, most of the characters will have normal people wanting to construct a real-life facsimile of their character just so you can strangle them in effigy.   But what Anna Godberson does better than any writer I've encountered is use a person's dress to communicate something about their character. In almost every scene in The Luxe,  a character is wearing something to express something whether it's dominance,

The plan today was to workout, do a little writing, and pay the bills. But then I commit the cardinal sin of opening my eyes and see the vacant floor of my studio apartment. One folding table coupled with a WWE-style folding chair. Beyond that, I suppose the scattering of dirty socks on the floor could double as furniture. I feast my eyes on this mishmash of items and suddenly inspiration is drained from me. My mind goes into a fog and I go back to sleep. Art is everywhere. It's not only the pretty little paintings hanging on the walls, but the arrangement of those paintings in relation to tables, throw pillows, and chairs. This underappreciated form of art I'm talking about is interior design. A whopping 79% of all interior designers are women . So, it's a profession teaming with womanhood and fitting fodder for University of She. I'm in awe of women like Layne Torsch who are able to take disparate items and bring them together to create a space where, in her words, &