Welcome, readers! I, Cara, am so grateful that you are here. Running a blog has always been of interest to me, and I am beyond excited to finally do it.
I learned to read when I was in preschool. I remember getting lost in stories for hours at a time, reading everything from mysteries to action stories to the dictionary―yes, the dictionary. I would sit on the couch and patiently go through every word! I was simply enthralled by the magical power of words. And quickly, I learned that regardless of what one does, writing is essential. It is key to communication and understanding. It allows us to express ourselves and dedicate ourselves to causes about which we are passionate.
Thus, I am eager to incorporate writing into The PurplePrint. I hope that by running this blog, I can amplify my mission of promoting gender equity in the arts. My writing here is typically going to be more casual and personal than the writing you’ll find elsewhere on the site. It’s going to be about my speculations, my recommendations, my experiences, stories and more―all related to art and gender, of course. I could talk about gendered fashions one day, then dive into the role art plays in body image the next. I have all sorts of ideas running through my mind, and cannot wait to share them with you (Who knows – if this blog reaches a wide-enough audience, I may even put out a call for guest writing submissions!). The goal of all this is to bring more attention to these topics, and to simply provide readers with interesting content!
Moving on―before we plunge into my whirlwind of a mind, I want to tell you a bit more about myself, about the things you won’t find in the About section. In addition to being an art history nerd, I also love creating art. I’m definitely a creatively-wired person! I’ve always gravitated towards pursuits like writing and painting, which allow me to express myself to the fullest. Friends typically describe me as artsy and creative. Apparently, if my aura had a color, it would be lavender (this remains one of the best compliments I’ve ever received). I enjoy sewing my own clothes, and can spend hours crafting jewelry. I also find joy in painting, drawing and doing amateur photography. On beautiful summer days, you can find me in local parks, dressed in a long flowing skirt with my sketchbook in hand.
These are some of the results of my crafting sprees. I simply love producing beautiful things with my own two hands. There’s something about working manually that gives me such creative satisfaction.
This is one of my most recent paintings, forthcoming in Corporeal Literary Magazine. Corporeal is a wonderful new magazine dedicated to raw discussions of humans and their bodies. When I saw their first call for submission, I instantly knew that it was perfect for me. When it comes to describing what I admire as an artist, I admire the human form and its many contortions. I look at bruises, veins, stretch marks and acne scars. I look at sloping noses, supple curves and angular bones. Bodies and faces have so much life and emotion to portray. Currently, I’m working on a painting series inspired by Rothko that expresses how different girls and women feel in their own bodies. I’ve also just begun a painting series based on groups of outcast women in history. Hopefully, I will be able to share all of those with you sometime!
I hope that this has opened your eyes to who I am, at least a bit! The intersection of art and gender clearly presents itself in my artistic personality as well as my academic interests. In the coming posts, I hope to deliver intriguing content that satisfies our collective interests. So stay tuned! There’s so much more to come.
Featured image credits: Photo by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels.com
The PurplePrint 