SLART, you're incredible, thank YOU for such solidarity in asking for gifts for the solar campaign and SHARING the video & thank-you note!
That photo is unbelievable. Unbelievable suffering in that woman's face. The experiences she has gone through that you can practically touch in her face. Your painting is actually much prettier than the original in terms of the pain it shows. In your painting, there's light and hope in her eyes. In the photo, she almost looks dead inside...rather, exhausted, worn out, and so so sad. Like she expects NOTHING from the world except abuse. I want to add that some of what you're identifying in the hideous responses is pure sexism, honest: you call that a woman? WTF. It reminds me of Sojourner Truth saying, "Aren't I a woman?" Earlier transcriptions write this as "Ain't I a woman?" and refer to this famous speech by that name. Here's a part of it: that Truth, an enslaved woman who freed herself <https://www.sojournertruth.com/> gave to a mostly white feminist conference in 1851: "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?" I feel like the woman in the photograph could tell us a story of pain just like that one.
You’re so welcome Beth, I want to emphasise how incredible your fundraising is and was in this case, making a real impact to real people, not lost in red tape or high salaries like a lot of donations can be!
I was thinking that, I feel like I wanted to add a glimmer of hope into her inside the painting, and I think contrasting the reference photo helps see that contrast as you’ve spotted, thank you.
Thanks for sharing those words, I’ll read the link, so very sad the excerpt you shared.
I've been mulling how to receive your appreciation for my fundraising while still witnessing to my truth about others' fundraising. Most other fundraising is not wrapped in red tape or high salaries. Most fundraising is just like mine except people doing it get paid. I usually get paid for fundraising too! (The campaign you've been so kind in sharing was something I did as a volunteer.) It's worthy work. and deserves to be paid. I think I know what you're talking about, though, and it is really discouraging. For example, I made a first-time small gift to an organization only to find a) they've sold my name many times, so I have a lot of other organizations' postal-mailed appeals to recycle --what a waste! And they keep asking me by email for another gift over and over again even though I have asked them to code me in their database to be asked only once a year and they've agreed. (Btw, this is something possible: to ask an organization to ask you only once/year. They can code you that way, as well as code you not to sell your name...this organization also says they have done so. We'll see.) Very few of the nonprofits I give to give their leaders a high salary, although some do, and it is also really discouraging when we hear that news.
Oh gosh, such lack of compassion for someone in difficulty upsets me too, SLART - bravo for this very thought-provoking post. Its title, your art and your humanity are beautiful.
Thanks for sharing. It’s like alternate realities isn’t it? It reminds me of how some of the people I know would never donate to a homeless person, as they think they’ll do drugs. My reply is “would you not try and get any relief you could if you had to home to go to?”.
SLART, you're incredible, thank YOU for such solidarity in asking for gifts for the solar campaign and SHARING the video & thank-you note!
That photo is unbelievable. Unbelievable suffering in that woman's face. The experiences she has gone through that you can practically touch in her face. Your painting is actually much prettier than the original in terms of the pain it shows. In your painting, there's light and hope in her eyes. In the photo, she almost looks dead inside...rather, exhausted, worn out, and so so sad. Like she expects NOTHING from the world except abuse. I want to add that some of what you're identifying in the hideous responses is pure sexism, honest: you call that a woman? WTF. It reminds me of Sojourner Truth saying, "Aren't I a woman?" Earlier transcriptions write this as "Ain't I a woman?" and refer to this famous speech by that name. Here's a part of it: that Truth, an enslaved woman who freed herself <https://www.sojournertruth.com/> gave to a mostly white feminist conference in 1851: "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?" I feel like the woman in the photograph could tell us a story of pain just like that one.
You’re so welcome Beth, I want to emphasise how incredible your fundraising is and was in this case, making a real impact to real people, not lost in red tape or high salaries like a lot of donations can be!
I was thinking that, I feel like I wanted to add a glimmer of hope into her inside the painting, and I think contrasting the reference photo helps see that contrast as you’ve spotted, thank you.
Thanks for sharing those words, I’ll read the link, so very sad the excerpt you shared.
I've been mulling how to receive your appreciation for my fundraising while still witnessing to my truth about others' fundraising. Most other fundraising is not wrapped in red tape or high salaries. Most fundraising is just like mine except people doing it get paid. I usually get paid for fundraising too! (The campaign you've been so kind in sharing was something I did as a volunteer.) It's worthy work. and deserves to be paid. I think I know what you're talking about, though, and it is really discouraging. For example, I made a first-time small gift to an organization only to find a) they've sold my name many times, so I have a lot of other organizations' postal-mailed appeals to recycle --what a waste! And they keep asking me by email for another gift over and over again even though I have asked them to code me in their database to be asked only once a year and they've agreed. (Btw, this is something possible: to ask an organization to ask you only once/year. They can code you that way, as well as code you not to sell your name...this organization also says they have done so. We'll see.) Very few of the nonprofits I give to give their leaders a high salary, although some do, and it is also really discouraging when we hear that news.
Oh gosh, such lack of compassion for someone in difficulty upsets me too, SLART - bravo for this very thought-provoking post. Its title, your art and your humanity are beautiful.
Thanks for sharing. It’s like alternate realities isn’t it? It reminds me of how some of the people I know would never donate to a homeless person, as they think they’ll do drugs. My reply is “would you not try and get any relief you could if you had to home to go to?”.
Thanks for commenting and your kind words.