Work/Career | The School of Visibility

Establishing your visibility intention

One of the reasons you might struggle with being seen and heard in the world – particularly as a business owner – is the lack of a visibility strategy. A visibility strategy is the approach you’re going to take to ensure you’re visible to the people you’re here to reach. It considers how and where you’ll connect with them and what you’ll talk to them about. It supports you to grow your business by ensuring that a large enough group of people know about you, and buy from you, to keep the business healthy and profitable.

If you have a communications strategy, you may be wondering whether a visibility strategy is absolutely necessary. That depends on how extensive your communications strategy is. Visibility strategies and communications strategies are business besties and it’s entirely up to you whether you clump them together in one document, break them up into two complementary … [Read More...]

The Visibility Compendium, September 2019

Here at the School of Visibility we spoke up about a few challenging topics throughout September. We pushed back against an unquestioned assumption in the entrepreneurial space, we covered the topic of abortion, and we tracked women’s economic empowerment over the 20th and 21st centuries.
We also spent some time talking about how to spot your visibility blocks and about the amazing Netflix series ‘Unbelievable’. So pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea, and check it out all below!

FROM THE BLOG

#girlboss is not empowering
[Topics: women’s empowerment | women speaking up | patriarchal conditioning]
‘Calling yourself ‘girl’ when you’re a woman is a nod to the long time infantilisation of women. It’s a tool that’s been used by the patriarchy to keep women submissive.

It sounds empowering because the word ‘boss’ is in it. But when it’s coupled with ‘girl’, it signals a discomfort with power.

… [Read More...]

A short history of women’s economic empowerment

Economic empowerment has always been high on the feminist agenda. In capitalist societies, economic power ensures you have a greater voice and more political influence than you otherwise would. When you’re economically secure, you’re able to provide a secure, safe environment for yourself and your family, you can take up educational opportunities you might not otherwise have access to, and you can enjoy greater levels of ease as you pursue your creative dreams.

One of the reasons I love supporting female entrepreneurs is because building a business is a feminist act. It’s the next frontier of women’s economic empowerment and we are thrilled to see so many women taking up the opportunity to take hold of their economic future.

Below is a short (and in no way exhaustive) timeline of women’s economic empowerment in Australia, the UK, and the US.

Aus, 1902: Women* are granted the right to … [Read More...]

#girlboss is not empowering

The women’s empowerment space is an interesting space. On the one hand it attempts to boost women’s confidence and claims to be about women standing in their power.

On the other, there’s so much unacknowledged patriarchal conditioning there that it actually serves to entrench inequality and disempowerment just as often as it attempts to liberate women from it.

#girlboss is a prime example.

#girlboss is not empowering for women.

For girls? Absolutely.

But you’re not a girl. You’re a woman. Which means if you’re going to hashtag yourself, and feel the need to include a gender marker in order to connect with other women, let’s at least go with #womanboss.

Calling yourself ‘girl’ when you’re a woman is a nod to the long time infantilisation of women. It’s a tool that’s been used by the patriarchy to keep women submissive.

It sounds empowering because the word ‘boss’ is in it. … [Read More...]

Talent and visibility are not synonymous

Feeling worried that your art isn’t good enough? That it might not be sufficiently worthy to be deemed art?

There’s a reason for this and it has nothing to do with your talent.

In 2010 the National Gallery in London held 2,300 works in its collection. Of the roughly 750 artists represented, 10 were women.

For far too long women have been told our creative pursuits were quaint or a nice way for ‘ladies’ to pass the time. Anything but serious art.

But you know what’s glorious about living in 2019? You don’t need the National Gallery to establish yourself as an artist. You can build a following without the establishment behind you. You can reach the people who understand your work and who appreciate you.

Each time you post your art to your IG account and someone takes the time to like or comment, and each time you sell … [Read More...]