https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet a closer look at a girl with big dreams en-us 2021-04-21 22:04:11 UTC 2023-03-19 10:54:29 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f98e.png oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444737712 This song has been my anthem ever since I first heard it. Throughout our lives, it is not uncommon to go through things that make us want to absolutely give up. This song is all about picking yourself up again and again, and accepting that things will get better. 
Not only is it a universal message to keep pushing through, it's specifically written for girls (as you can see by the title). As a woman, dealing with sexism and bias can be especially draining. 
As women, we are also taught this concept that women are weaker than men. That women are not supposed to be strong. This song reminds women that you can be strong and you can keep fighting to be who you are. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:11:28 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444737712 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444741352 As a girl growing into a woman, we learn rapidly how the world views us. Before I went through puberty, I was extremely skinny and not "conventionally" attractive. When my body started changing, and my hips, butt and breasts grew, I started getting a lot more attention from boys and men alike. Sometimes the attention was just normal flirting, but most of the time it was aggressive, sexual comments.
This song expresses that women do not need to be pressured use their body or have sex to impress a guy. It makes me sick that starting at such a young age girls are sexualized. If you do not do enough sexually with males, you are perceived as a prude. If you do too much, you are a slut. When it comes to sexuality, women have been told over and over again that they are not in control and can't seem to do anything right in society's eyes. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:13:10 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444741352 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444746728 When you experience a serious traumatic brain injury, it changes your brain. It changes the way that you get up in the morning, the way that you talk to people, the way that you feel about yourself, and the way that you function. Learning to live with this is hard, to say the least.
This piece is a recreation of the iconic "Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo. For me, I saw the struggle between your body and your mind in this artwork. My body functions normally after my brain injury other than some minor things, but it is the change in my brain that makes my body feel different. In this way, I have felt a disconnect between my body and myself on the outside, and my brain on the inside. While this concept for me is a result of a physical change, I am sure that many people feel like their mind isn't exactly what it should be in relationship to their body. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:16:13 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444746728 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444751254 This controversial painting by Picasso shows five nude prostitutes. The idea of femininity has changed immensely with time, but even in a time that we consider progressive, we still hold stereotypes about femininity. Women who approach their sexuality in the same way that men do are looked down upon, often viewed as promiscuous. 
While the stereotypes against female sex workers are very niche, they still reflect on the feminine ideal. Our society wants women to be innocent and hard to acquire. On the other hand, we praise men when they have "acquired" women. Living in a society with these opposing ideals takes its toll on a woman's view of herself and adds to a quite confusing path of figuring out her own sexuality. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:18:50 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444751254 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444755765 When someone mentions Einstein, you immediately think "genius." The world views him as one of the smartest people to ever walk the Earth. It is not so well known that many experts believed his tendencies pointed toward autism. 
While I will not sit here and compare myself to anyone who has autism, I will say that the way the world views you and the way that you view yourself can be completely different. I cannot speak for the legend himself, but I am sure that at times, he struggled with his differences, even though the world may not have seen that side. 
Similarly, my disability is virtually invisible unless I am open about it. You would never know about my brain injury unless I said something. It has been extremely hard for me to remain a good student and someone that is perceived as "intelligent," but people do not necessarily see this struggle. 
It is important for us all to remember that whether we perceive people in a positive or negative way, we never really know what they are going through on their own. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:21:11 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444755765 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444762485 The week we were assigned to read this poem, I could hardly get through it. I was only a few lines in when tears were running down my face. While I was not strong enough to write about it and discuss it at the time, I want to address my connection to it now. 
Rape culture is no joke, and it is not explicitly about rape. Rape culture is about encouraging men to be aggressive and pushy, using harassment to get what they want. Rape culture is about teaching women that sexually, they are objects, that men won't like you unless you "put out," that wearing certain clothing makes you responsible for what happens to you, that no one will believe you. A society that promotes rape culture, that normalizes rape, also encourages rape to be included in humor. 
I cannot count how many times I have heard rape jokes from men that I consider my friends. Each time it happens, my heart drops in my chest. As someone who has been sexually assaulted and raped during my lifetime, it makes me sick to hear it. While I do blame what happened to me on those individuals, I don't blame rape culture on individuals. As a society, we talk about rape like it is just something that happens, like it is something to be accepted. We hear that a woman was raped years ago, and we expect her to be over it, to let it go. Nearly 1 in 5 women are raped in their lifetime. I could say so much more. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:24:53 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444762485 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444767452 I have attached a short trailer to a film that really speaks to me. It follows three artists who are navigating the art community with a traumatic brain injury. Not only do I share in their physical struggle, but I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. 
One of the worst things that occurred as a result of my injury was that I suddenly could not just sit and focus on my art like I had previously been able to do. I used to sit for hours and hours working on tiny details of portraits, and the way that I defined myself as an artist was suddenly changing. Art is one of the most prominent ways that humans can express themselves, and the way that we express ourselves changes as we change. Not only does this film relate to brain injuries and artists, but it gives us a look at how as we change and grow, the way that we present ourselves to the world also changes. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:27:41 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444767452 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444771607 It is definitely not unheard of for girls to hear that every aspect of their being is different from boys. I had always thought that sexism was just men who are extra conservative and degrading, but I quickly realized that this was not true. In a conversation with a group of my friends in high school, I was told flat out that women would never be as successful as men because "their minds just aren't built for ambition." 
This article is extremely important, because it is so embedded in our society that women will never be able to achieve the same things as men. Scientifically, this article proves that there is nothing in the female brain that makes women inferior. This only goes to show that the concept of the inferiority of women is a social construct, and once we break down those ideas that women cannot do the same things as men, we achieve equality. One of the most important things in life is being confident that you can be the person you want be, so we need to stop discouraging women from reaching their potential. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:30:11 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444771607 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444773495 As a white person, you have a few options in your life. You can choose to be a white person that condemns other races, you can choose to be a white person who considers themselves not to be racist but stands to the side and watches as other races are oppressed, or you can do everything you can to educate yourself and help in the fight for equality. 
As a white woman, I would consider myself the third option. Throughout my life, I have struggled with what is the best way to be an advocate. I won't sit her and be dishonest and say that I have always been the best at it. I still don't know the best way that I can help, but I try my best to educate myself and my peers on the topic. 
I am aware of the bias that our society can slough off on us. When I was younger, I was wrongfully more uncomfortable if I saw a black man approaching me rather than a white man. But I am always learning and growing. I actively express my opinion when I hear white "liberals" say something subtly racist. I have learned that antiracism is an active process, not something that you can say you are but not do much about. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:31:15 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444773495 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444780294 Let's talk about suicide. Suicide is horrific, and becoming more and more widespread. I am willing to bet that everyone reading this knows of someone who has committed suicide. 
For me, one of my closest life-long friends attempted suicide this year. At the time, it broke me. I felt so helpless. They had texted me the night that it occurred, but I wasn't awake to see their message. I was riddled with guilt, and angry that I didn't do anything to stop it. I wanted to yell at them for being so stupid. 
The increased rate of suicide, especially in men, goes to show that our society had gotten increasingly brutal towards some. When we talk about sexism, we usually talk about its effect on women. As I define myself as a feminist, I have grown to realize that we have to take into account sexism's effect on men as well. Men are pushed to keep their emotions to themselves, and belittled if they are seen as weak. Not only do we have to stop the cycle of crippling mental health issues, we also have to look extra carefully at the way that we treat men in regard to their mental well-being. ]]> 2021-04-21 22:34:39 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444780294 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444785788 This poem struck a chord with me (pun intended), as it talks about reminiscing on your childhood and leaving behind the things that used to make you who you were as a child. I also played piano for thirteen years, so I can relate to this poem in a more tangible sense as well. 
As we grow up, we realize that life and humanhood is not exactly what we thought it was. When I was a little girl, I worried all the time that I didn't practice enough for my piano lessons, that an 85 on a test wasn't good enough, that the boy in my math class didn't notice me, that my mom would find out I had eaten chocolate when I shouldn't have. As life happens, our worries, goals, and identity change. We figure out that other people struggle more than us in some ways, and that we struggle more than others in some ways. In leaving our childhood behind us, and stepping out into the world, we find out that the way that life unfolds is not as cut and dry as we once thought it would be. 

]]> 2021-04-21 22:37:49 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444785788 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444793256  People who do not know me call me Olivia, but I call myself Liv. Liv is how I define myself, and this exhibition is how I define Liv. "Olivia" has always felt foreign, like a name that was given to me but is not quite mine. It is how people perceive me, but it is not how I perceive myself.
 
I perceive my identity as one of growth. My exhibition is about growing up: growing up a girl, growing up a white girl, and growing up enough to learn that age does not define how ready we are for life. My growing up has been about harsh realizations, burned bridges, and a massive brain injury that has changed nearly everything I know about myself.

When we look at each other, I firmly believe that people see what they want to see. That is why it is important to know who you are; to know your identity as it pertains to yourself. As we grow up in America, that the things that mommy taught you are different from the things that other moms taught other kids. You come to realize that your mom never taught you to be scared of cops and your friend John's mom never taught him that wearing a dress too short will make people think he is a slut. Your friends' doctors also never told them that an injury they thought was minor will affect them for the rest of their lives. 
Life in America is ultimately about learning that what people think of you defines how you are supposed to live. 

• Don't be bitchy, Liv, women can't be so aggressive. 
• Be nice when you stand up for yourself, people do not understand what it's like to have a brain injury. 
• No one will believe you Liv. 
• You don't want to ruin his life Liv. 
• No one likes an outspoken girl. 

]]> 2021-04-21 22:41:59 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1444793256 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1461566129 Tell Me How it Ends

This quote expresses a very real, overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. I'm sure that at some point in their lives, everyone has thought "when is it going to get better, when is this going to end." For me, this has been my struggle with my brain injury. 
I have seen endless neurologists, cardiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, the list goes on. I have found myself drained by the thought that maybe this is just how it's going to be, that I won't ever get back to the Liv I once knew. 
Despite this, I have tried my best to stay hopeful. Even though I have an injury that might affect me for the rest of my life, I know that I write my own story. I have learned throughout my life that we simply can't focus on what we can't change, because stressing about it won't do anything for us. Our stories and our struggles might not have a happy ending yet, but we can do everything in our power to make sure that we get there. ]]> 2021-04-26 20:26:48 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1461566129 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1461571184 In an age of social media, language has become especially powerful. People whom you have never met can comment on your appearance or your presence without any thought. We can sit behind a screen and degrade others without any consequence. 
Growing up in this time of an increased focus on social media is an experience that previous generations did not go through. As social media platforms have grown, we have also seen a spike in the mental health crisis. 
While social media has its benefits, we need to become more aware about its dangers. It can spread positivity and awareness on social issues, but it can also make it seem impossible to get away from negativity. 
Sexism, racism, ableism, etc runs rampant on social media platforms. As we move closer to equality for everyone as a society, we must also take into account that discrimination will always have a home in online communities with little restrictions. ]]> 2021-04-26 20:28:20 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1461571184 oliviamraetz https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1461579104 Silence is a hard concept to grasp. Humans are social creatures. Humans are not meant to be silent, especially about subjects that affect us the most. But silence has a way of making us feel safer, like if we are quiet, we might protect ourselves from the harm that comes from speaking up for what we feel is right.
In particular, women suffer from the idea that they are supposed to be silent. From a young age, girls are taught that they should be the more subtle, meek gender. Boys are excused for being loud and rowdy, while girls are criticized for acting the same way. As we grow up, the idea of feminine silence becomes more prominent.
The Me Too movement and sexual assault awareness has added to this idea of silence. While the movement has most definitely encouraged women to speak up, we have also seen damaging backlash as a result. "She was asking for it," "Why is she only talking about it now," "No one will believe her," "She's obviously lying," etc. These words can scare women into shutting their mouths about what has happened to them, myself included.  ]]> 2021-04-26 20:30:55 UTC https://padlet.com/oliviamraetz/livspadlet/wish/1461579104