frus

I found out that I signed up for a portfolio review last December and then completely forgot about it, to the extent that I have since ignored all emails from that organization because I assumed they were junk emails. Review is in 2 weeks. Ooops!! They randomly assigned me 4 different reviewers. I plan on rolling with the punches.

My photo coach, upon hearing this news, wanted me to sign up for another portfolio review, one which has rolling sign ups, and when I checked to see which reviewers for that review still had openings, I saw that they were all minority reviewers whose profiles read like this "cultural activist" or "focus in decoloniality" (which I know is not a word, but I am typing it as it was written in the bio) or they were looking for political statements from their area of the world, or they only published photographers from their countries.

So, I'm not gonna do that second review. That's disappointing because initially I did not want to do it. I was really pushing back on the idea, in my own head of course. And I did not want to do it so much I was whining to myself about it, in my own head of course, and finally I thought maybe I should discuss my reluctance with my latest therapist and then I remembered his saying. He says "Show up and show off." In my head I knew what his advice would be, so I went on line with the firmly implanted intention of getting some more reviews until I did the research on the reviewers that still had openings. It was a bummer. 

And this brings me to a point that I dare not say out loud. Women are half of the entries into contests and people at reviews and women do not make up half of the photographers who are given gallery shows, book deals, or mentions by the powers that have the ability to make a career and that is also something that needs to be addressed. But, since it seems that there are even less POC vying for a piece of the pie than there are women (judging by the lack of enthusiasm for the reviewers specifically looking for POC in this one instance) I think that the white boy's club which controls the art world has decided that paying homage to POC is a less threatening option than inviting the women in. Just saying. It's hard being a girl and until the women decide to primarily support other women the way men primarily support other men, instead of banging our heads against the wall trying to get into the boy's club, I can't imagine we are going to make much progress. I'm frustrated. And I don't want to have to seek the approval of a man to be successful. Down with the oppressors! (tongue in cheek)