routine
Iris S.
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”routine” faces traditional ideals of womanhood head-on, exploring the liberation and confinement many women have experienced as a result of their sex. It examines cycles of societal pressure, motherhood, and identity, contrasting outward narratives and internal truth. While writing ”routine,” I drew from the varied experiences of women in my life, including my own mother, trying to capture collective memories and experiences. I also drew from stories from the Book of Genesis, hoping to highlight the shame, judgment, and oppression put upon women by patriarchal interpretations of the text. In a time in which women’s freedoms have been called into question—the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the rise of ”trad wife” media, and more—it’s imperative to reflect on the struggle for freedom, self-identity, and autonomy that many women face.
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Creativity allows me to say what I am afraid to. I’m able to tell stories, my own and others’, through words that don’t always come with ease. I wrestle with creativity, letting dialogue flow until something sticks. Creativity is the closest I have gotten to freedom.