"A Room of One's Own" is a non-fiction essay written by Virginia Woolf in nineteen twenty-eight. The primary aspect of the essay was to endear the intellectual community to the bold, and feminist slant that a woman must have space and time of her own to create and ponder.
Isn’t it ironic that it’s nearing 2022 and this ideal is still a fantasy and far off dream for many of us?
Another article I recently read claimed, ‘The novel would die off without women readers.’
In my house this is certainly true, as about ninety percent of the fiction crammed onto every shelf is my personal collection. Not only do I read and write fiction, but I also spend my hard-earned money on it.
There are so many challenges a modern woman faces in the world, so many days and nights that go unappreciated and unseen by most. I still think we got screwed with the “working mother” ideal, as in (two full-time jobs, one paycheck and almost zero time for ourselves.)
I implore you to support the creative woman. or whomever the caretaker in your life is and to make 2022 the best year ever for them and perhaps for art and literature?
Give this deserving person the space and time to write––without begging for it, without having to arrange so much that it’s just another chore and another candle is snuffed out, because they simply gave up.
You don’t have to read their work or even understand it.
What if we broke the chains together? I have a family that leans on me heavily to take care of lots of things that go unnoticed–– until I get sick and stop doing them for a day. When the laundry, grocery shopping, cooking and the lawn is finally finished, I sometimes stare out windows watching it rain and contemplate dew on blades of grass, but I also write and I do it as often as I can––usually after everyone else has what they need. I genuinely appreciate every moment my family gives me to fulfill my purpose beyond the domestic vein.
What if I just woke up and wrote? What if I could jump in my car and drive downtown to get coffee and sit next to Forsyth Fountain without worrying about anyone but myself for a few hours?
Give the woman or frazzled friend in your life one of the best gifts they could ever receive. The incredible gift of space and time. If you have a cottage or a cabin, let them use it for a week and volunteer to watch the kids. *** Please use common sense, practice distancing and recommended safety protocols, as we are still dealing with uncertainty and the pandemic.
The lucky writer could draft, read, snooze or just think away from the noise. A miracle!
Alternatively, if you have a quiet house and they don’t… let them come over every Saturday for a few hours to use your office, and keep the coffee or tea flowing.
More and more the divisiveness of the world is creeping in, more and more we only know what our circle on social media knows. Out there somewhere is the writer or artist we desperately need to help us all see things differently, to raise awareness or incite positive change.
Women are generally considered to be more empathetic than our counterparts… do we not need these inclusive voices more than ever before?
I’ve changed up a lot of things this year to keep writing and keep pursuing my goals, but the single task has become fantasy and my quiet dream.
To write unfettered by external drama and to imagine uninterrupted for a few hours is my ultimate wish. It’s something that rarely happens at my house, but when it does, it’s akin to Tolkien-esque magic. I’m almost afraid to acknowledge it, because like a pearlescent soap bubble in the sun, it might disappear and be gone forever.
Thanks for subscribing to my blog, (The Literati) and for reading my books. Happy Holidays and heartfelt wishes for a healthy, happy and peaceful New Year for everyone!
Until next time, find your Peace, Love, Hustle, and then Read or Write. Xox Bibiana