Why Women's Creative Expression is One of the Greatest Forces for Social Change
by Tabby Biddle
Could your artistic self-expression be one of the greatest forces for social change in the world? I've been thinking a lot about this lately.
My co-leader at the Los Angeles Goddess Collective, Reena Desai, and I are planning an exciting evening of women's artistry and creative expression for our upcoming gathering in June. The evening is specifically dedicated to women's self-expression in devotion to the Goddess.
This is a very big deal because many women have felt scared to express themselves in this way in public. And there is very good reason for this (keep reading).
Beginning in ancient times, women worshipped and honored the Goddess through their creative expression, such as dancing, singing, music-making, ritual and other forms of embodied expression. Through women's devotional worship to the Goddess in this way, beauty, harmony and peace were able to be maintained in society. (Archeologists and historians have found no evidence of warfare during the Goddess-oriented times.)
With the onset of patriarchy and the takeover by a male-God, however, came the subjugation and vilification of the Goddess, the feminine body, and women's creative, embodied forms of worship. Women who refused submission to the new male-oriented ways were cast as heretics and were punished accordingly.
As the Goddess and women were silenced, the ancient ways of worship were pushed underground, and deep into our psyches and body-mind.
As women today, we are witnessing the resurrection of the Goddess through our very own bodies, our artistry and creative expression. She is showing up in our dreams, our dance, our poetry, our paintings, our music, our writing, our speech, and our every day interactions. She is ALIVE within us.
As we open ourselves to Her and welcome her/our wisdom to flow through us, we find ourselves taking our seat of power again as women in our own authority. We no longer see ourselves as "second class citizens," nor do we blindly accept the values and social structures that are dominant in our society today. We see there is another way.
I made this video for you today to share with you why I think our creative expression as women is one of the greatest forces for social change. I hope that it will inspire you and encourage you to express yourself without hesitation or apology. There is a special invitation for you toward the end of the video.
Watch the video to see what I mean.
If you are in the Los Angeles area, we welcome you to our upcoming Goddess Collective Full Moon Salon on Thursday, June 12. For this special evening, we are inviting 12 women to be witnessed in their artistry and self-expression in devotion to the Goddess. If you are not feeling the call to perform, we welcome you to come and hold the sacred container and be an active participant in the creation of the evening. This will be a ritualistic night where the audience is as much a part of the creative flow as the performers. It will be a magical night for all! All details & RSVP here.
Tabby Biddle is a celebrated women’s leadership coach and well-known voice speaking out for the human rights of women and girls. She is the Creatix of The Goddess Leadership Program and the Co-Director of the Los Angeles Goddess Collective. She lives in Santa Monica, CA with her husband, toddler son and beloved kitten. Learn more and sign up for her mailing list here.