Business Archives | The School of Visibility

This is why we speak so much about structural ineq

This is why we speak so much about structural inequality at the School of Visibility. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Colonisation, ableism, racism, patriarchy, heteronormativity... they're all designed to silence and we've all internalised that message. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Turning within - and doing the work of unpacking internalised oppression - is critical to feeling confident to step up and speak out.

CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS WOMEN DESIGNERS I'm always

CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS WOMEN DESIGNERS
I'm always thinking about the creative ways that people choose to be visible and share their gifts with the world. I'm also thinking about how we can contribute to the breaking down of structural inequality by making more visible the work of people who haven't always been well represented (or have been actively silenced) in their industry.
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And that's one of the many reasons I loved seeing Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion recently at the @nationalmuseumofofaustralia. It's a celebration of Indigenous art, history and culture through contemporary fashion and design.
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The designers of these amazing pieces are:
1. Dress 1: Peggy Griffiths, Delany Griffiths, Anita Churchill, Cathy Ward, Kelly-Anne Drill
2. Dress 2: Esmae Bowen
3. Dress 3: Evonne Munuyngu, Julie Shaw, Mary Dhapalany
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If you're in @Canberra over the next few months, be sure to check it out and combine it with a visit to the Endeavour Voyage exhibition which tells the story of Captain Cook's arrival from both Indigenous and European perspectives. Which makes it a well overdue retelling of the very limited story we were taught in school.
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#representationmatters #alwayswasalwayswillbe #aboriginalculture #aboriginalartists #aboriginalaustralia #aboriginallivesmatter #aboriginalland #aboriginalwomen #womensupportingwomen

Coming into a healthy relationship with your body

Coming into a healthy relationship with your body and healing old visibility wounds is a core part of becoming more visible in the world. There are 5 steps that are critical to coming into a healthier relationship with the body including making peace with it, and learning to listen to it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Use the link in our bio to find this blog post and learn the other critical steps in trusting the body.

Many many times I hear women ask, 'Should I create

Many many times I hear women ask, 'Should I create this or focus on that?' to which I always respond, 'What are your people asking you for?' ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
One of the most common mistakes people make in business is offering something they think people want rather than offering something they're being asked to provide. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There's not one move I've made in my business that hasn't been driven by this community. Whether it's changing membership platforms because an old platform was too confusing to navigate, to pivoting in my focus because people started appearing with the exact same problem and kept asking for my help to resolve it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Creating a successful business is a balancing act between what people are asking you for and what you're willing to offer. You'll never find that balance if you don't ask for input and listen closely to what people are saying. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This means overcoming a visibility hurdle; the hurdle of being seen to not know. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It's linked to this misconception that you 'should' be the expert and have all the answers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So let's bust that myth right now. You do not need to be infallible as a leader. You do not need to know everything. In fact, people who pretend to know everything tend to turn other people off. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So if you're telling yourself a story that you need to have all the answers, feel free to drop it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Humility and a willingness to ask questions will take you a long way in business. People will feel more at ease with sharing their own doubts and fears and together you'll find a way to navigate a path that supports them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Your community are your co-collaborators. The more you remember that, the more visible they'll become to you, which means that in turn, the more visible you'll become to them.

It’s no surprise that this is happening in Sydne

It’s no surprise that this is happening in Sydney’s all boys schools AND in the boys club that is the Liberal party. One feeds the other, after all.

Which isn’t to say that rape doesn’t happen in co-educational schools or in the Labor party. Of course it does.

But there’s something particularly pernicious that happens when economic and gender and racial
privileges combine. It’s ugly and harmful and violent and it’s at its most visible in these cases (as well as the long line of instances that precede this when it comes to these schools and this political party).

Eventually, your visibility journey shifts from be

Eventually, your visibility journey shifts from being about you to being about others. (This is something I go into in more detail in the Visibility Rites of Passage which you can pick up at www.visibilityrites.com). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You become completely comfortable with being seen and heard. You stop hiding and start operating from a place of self-acceptance, self-love, and self-respect.

And today I'm 47! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When

And today I'm 47! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
When I reflect on my visibility journey to this point, it's not linear at all. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There have been times of very positive visibility where I've been seen for the contribution I've made to the world and that's benefitted both me and other people. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There have been times when being seen by other people was a very negative experience and that led to great harm. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There were times of deep invisibility. Sick with chronic fatigue interacting with no one. Or the years of anxiety and depression which I hid from the world, from shame and a lack of language to describe what I was experiencing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There have been times when I was only visible for my appearance. Then, as I've aged, my middle years' appearance has deemed me invisible, living as I do in a patriarchal society which likes its women young and perky. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At every stage, I've laughed and learned, cried and raged, faced despair and shame, loved completely, known deep pleasure and excruciating pain, been humbled and happy, and amongst it all, found solace in the spaces in between. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I've learned to appreciate pain just as I've always appreciated joy. To love the small and quiet moments just as much (and perhaps more) than the big and exciting ones. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Life and love has definitely been unpredictable and there've been days when I've had to white knuckle it to get through the day and keep breathing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Which makes me so grateful to younger me. Her determination and courage flaw me sometimes. I don't know where it came from, but you did good kid. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And to future me, I smile broadly because I see her, proud as punch, looking back on the life she lived, thrilled that she met life head-on, declaring loudly to the world, 'I was here'.

A good list of feminist books for your 'to be read

A good list of feminist books for your 'to be read' list.

Which ones have you read and enjoyed (or not)?

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/g35408475/best-feminist-books/

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