Rewards
Written by Michaela MacBlake Matthews
Femininity is considered by many to be an endangered art form, as more and more of the world becomes competitive, masculine, and monetized. The trouble isn’t that femininity is a non-performing energy, quite the contrary! Feminine energy plays many roles in family, in personal balance, and even in commerce as a whole. The trouble arises when hyper-masculinity becomes idolized, because the payoff of being aggressive is easier to see.
So, how can we use creativity to tap back into our feminine energies?
First we have to establish what they truly are, and the value they bring when we choose to embody them. We’re going to take a look at three major archetypes of the female nature, and how each of them relates to the process of creating beauty.
The Maiden
The archetype of The Maiden is centered around the young woman. It is a blossoming nature, free flowing, and full of play. The Maiden’s role is to begin growing, and does so by first seeking out inspiration and role models to grow toward. Her focus is finding beauty in the world around her, and beautifying herself. This could look like a seven year old, playing dress up and looking to the glamor of old cinema stars, as a teen tending to a garden, or as a twenty year old decorating their first apartment.
In creative practices, The Maiden is our muse. She is the mood board, the exploration, and the aspiration behind an idea. As adults, she may take the form of travel, trying a new skill, or working with new materials. Any time we wish to enhance our feminine energy, we will most likely start with her novelty and freshness. (This may include The Maiden making her first appearance in an area of our lives where we’ve been expressly masculine to date.)
The Mother
During our life cycles, The Mother may come before or after The Queen. Some women choose to pursue careers before children, or vice versa, while others may live their lives focused on only one of those things. It’s worth noting that The Mother archetype is not only reserved for our children. It could be lived out through teaching, mentoring, charity, and more. She is our humanity, our drive to help others in need, to soothe, and to teach.
Where there is purpose, there are people.
In creation, The Mother has two generations. The first is the relationship between yourself and the project, as you nurture it from complete blankness into a cherished existence. The second, is between your project and the world. This is where you essentially teach your creations how to leave the nest, so to speak, and go out and help others in the world. This could be explored by giving your creations as a gift, by sharing the meaning and story behind them with others, or even by using them to teach others how to create.
The Queen!
The archetype of The Queen is of wisdom, knowledge, and power. She is the expert who grows from The Maiden’s sense of beauty and play, and develops a deeper understanding of the roots behind the feminine. She works to understand the masculine energy, too, and how they must cooperate together to find balance.
In creative practices, The Queen is the skillset. She is the curator and publicist of beauty, using long-earned knowledge to give The Maiden a voice, and to balance the selflessness of The Mother. It is her job to improve on the quality of the creative process, climbing to more complex and intricate patterns, colors, and projects as needed. In doing so, The Queen honors The Mother and The Maiden, raising their qualities up to be seen, and enhancing their unique essences along the way.
By embracing feminine wholeness, we explore creation, beauty, and growth to find unity between ourselves and the outside world.
"Mac" is on the Lifestyle Team here at Darn Good Yarn, and loves taking a ‘teach a man to fish’ approach to creative therapy. She is certified in neuro-linguistic programming, and is also the surreal artist and author behind Surrealismac.
