#225 – ‘How Images of Motherhood Affect Us’ – with Rachel Larsen Weaver

Welcome back, Mamas.

For many mothers who really feel the creative impulse, the act of making art is not only a means of preservation but also a form of self-expression and a way to explore their own identity, not to mention a way to make a living.

Having children is a transformative experience that can inspire new perspectives and ways of seeing the world. This can lead to a deeper appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the world, and a desire to capture and share these insights through the arts; photography, film, music, the written word, or dance.

In fact, ALL WE DO is a creative act.

We are all intuitively creative beings who need to create and express ourselves in some form.

One question dominates my mind though; why is it, that mothers are overlooked in the artistic field?

Enter Rachel Larsen Weaver. An artist-educator and photographer joyfully living on the Maryland beaches of the Chesapeake Bay. A mother to five and creator of moments, her enthusiasm for details and self-love are infectious, infusing creative sessions with a reverence for the simplest pleasures. Her portfolio and practice is fat-affirming, mindful, and genuine, focusing on the life and light of clients. Co-founder of NOW, NOW School, and creator of #FindingMyselfInPortraits and the original Long Form Sessions, Rachel travels the country documenting mothers, bodies, and details. A photographer who has taken her passion and run with it. Despite being a mother of 5, she is proving her voice is worthy of attention. And she is urging us to follow in her footsteps.

With her uniquely personal photographic style, she is creating a document of motherhood that really hits the heart of what it REALLY means to be a woman during this transformative experience.

Today we discuss the state of ‘women in the arts' and the creative impulse. We also hear about Rachels's experience of motherhood and the way she deals with the ebb and flow of its challenges and triumphs.

I really hope you find yourself some quiet time, some ‘me' time, to get cozy and relaxed enough to enjoy this week's episode. And I also like to think that you will find some new perspective, some new insight into your own reality, experiences, and struggles, through the photographic eye of Rachel Larsen Weaver.

Thank you sooo much for stopping by.

~Sat Nam~

[For Closed Captions, head over to my YouTube channel, and WATCH US have this great discussion.]

[Time stamps]

[0:00] – Acknowledgements

[0:40] – Welcome Mamas

[3:15] – Images of how motherhood affects us

[5:50] – A Fork in the Road

[10:32] – How we see mothers

[12:00] – Capturing Beauty

[13:50] – Training your gaze

[15:15]- Everyday image creators

[15:45] – Keeping us marginalized

[18:10] – The Beauty and The Mess

[19:45] – More art, less advertising

[23:41] – Body Image

[26:06] – Hope for the new generation

[30:27] – Holy-Mother Architype/ The Anger Taboo

[32:00] – Mothers are Artists

[33:15] – Conscious Consumption

[35:35] – Continually Question what we've been told.

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You can find Rachel and her amazing work at: https://www.rachellarsenweaver.com/

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The Mama Rising Facilitator training is open for enrolment RIGHT NOW. This is an incredible opportunity to become a certified Mama Rising Facilitator in 2023, and teach and share the ground-breaking insight of Matrescence with the world.

Visit https://mamarising.net/mama-rising-2023/ to find out more.

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Catch the full presentation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2w6aH5l-LE&t=841s

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Within these conversations, we change the way mothers are valued and seen in our society and spread the whispers of Matrescence together.