When I picked sewing up as a hobby a few years ago, I was searching for a creative outlet. I didn’t know it at the time, but sewing became a form of patriarchal resistance. Stay with me here…
The Pressure to Serve
Women are conditioned to use their time to serve others. We feel cultural pressure to use our free time to lose weight, be a better mom, and make our partners happy. Patriarchal society taught us that rest is for the weak and self-indulgence for women is a reward—not a right.
However, the more I practice a hobby I deeply enjoy, I realize I’m not just sewing a pair of pants. I’m regulating my nervous system and taking time for my own enjoyment and self-restoration. From that place, I’ve found more clarity and confidence to challenge the things that created dissonance in my life to begin with.
Embracing the Duality
The world often tries to tell us that we cannot be strong and soft at the same time. We are socialized to believe that femininity is passive and strength is loud. But everyday I see women, young to old, show up in the world brave, smart, soft, intelligent, and taking action. We fight for the next generation while wearing the scars of the previous ones.
I created this textile art piece while processing the brutality toward women across the world by people in power. I used a fist as a recognizable symbol of resistance, but made it intentionally feminine—soft, yet bold. The word ‘unbound’ on her bracelet reflects women’s multifaceted nature, the ability to be tender and fierce. ‘Unbound’ refers to a woman’s capacity to be both committed to her family while possessing a deep desire for independence and self-actualization.
Why the Status Quo is Afraid of a Rested Woman
Creating for the sake of creating is how we regulate our nervous systems. It’s a “buffer” for the things we can’t quite nail with words yet.
And here is the secret: A regulated woman is a dangerous one. When we aren’t operating from chronic depletion, we show up in the world with a purpose that can’t be ignored. We have clarity about our values and find the agency to fight and advocate for the changes that are needed.
Ladies, restorative rest is how we regulate our fried nervous systems so we have the energy to fight for the things we care about. Create or maintain your restorative outlets as a form of resistance. The rebellion doesn’t always start with a shout. Sometimes, it starts with a single, intentional stitch.
Please share how you regulate your nervous system? Are you a craftivist?