the yak occidental

Inspired by some words of Amy Cuddy, let's have a quick chat about thin privilege. Having recently read and reviewed Presence by Amy Cuddy, I started following her on social media. I came across the post above on her Instagram . I was horrified of course, and remembered that while I have (thankfully) not experienced this type of a thing with regards to race, I do fairly frequently when it comes to size and weight.  Like the "secret club" (see the screen right side of the screen cap) Cuddy was invited to for racists, I have been invited to a secret club of those who have fatphobic, sizeist beliefs. Painting above: Autumn (Girl with Apple) ( c. 1940) by Prudence Heward The assumption in such conversations is that because I am thin, I must be disgusted by or judgemental of people who are not thin, specifically with regards to their appearance, diet, and whatever awareness I have of their exercise habits.  There is also an assumption that since I am thin...

Let's just appreciate art by Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977) Coming Home (c.1947) by Gertrude Abercrombie Untitled  (1961) by Gertrude Abercrombie Chicago Modern has a bio of Gertrude Abercrombie here -- not only was she an accomplished artist, she was also a jazz musician (even friends with Dizzy Gillespie!) Two Ladders (1947) by Gertrude Abercrombie Eggs and Carnation (1955) by Gertrude Abercrombie You can read a brief biography of Abercrombie on the Bow Down Instagram here . The Stroll (1943) by Gertrude Abercrombie Self-portrait with Striped Blouse (1940) by Gertrude Abercrombie For Once In My Life (1969) by Gertrude Abercrombie More on women & art herstory at the end of this post, here .

Next up in my review series of work/career books: Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy. Painting above: Autoportrait de 1790 (ca.1790) by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun Amy Cuddy hardly needs an introduction. Her 2012 TED talk on body language is the second most-view TED talk ever-- this talk and her work on power posing is so well-known there was even a Brooklyn 99 episode about it. Enter her 2015 book  Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges . Those of you who are fans of the power posing won't be disappointed, she discusses power posing and body language extensively. For those of us who are perhaps more skeptical, there are tons of other highly-accessible takeaways.  Cuddy explains the concept and practice of the eponymous Presence: Presence, as I mean it throughout these pages,  is the state of being attuned to and able to  comfortably express our true thoughts, feelings, values,...

Here is a selection of memorable quotes from Presence: Bringing your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy. Painting above: Self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting (ca. 1638) by Artemisia Gentileschi Sometimes you have to get out of the way of yourself  so you can be yourself. p.28 True confidence stems from real love and  l eads to long-term commitment to growth.  False confidence comes from desperate passion  and leads to dysfunctional relationships,  disappointment, and frustration. p.32 A confident person can be present to others,  hear their perspectives, and integrate those views  in ways that create value for everyone. p.33 In order for you to feel truly present, the various elements of the self--  emotions, thoughts, physical and facial expressions, behaviours--  must be in harmony. If our actions aren’t consistent with our values,  we won’t feel that we’re bei...

For our last lesson, I let you in on what I actually do day-to-day in Production to ensure I'm doing my very best for myself and my teams. Keeping notebooks Production IS taking notes and disseminating information. Write it down . Don’t make people repeat information to you, though you may of course ask clarifying questions. Whether that’s in a notebook, on your phone (make sure you check with IT for best practices for security), the studio laptop, etc, always write or type it down.  I’ve never know Production to be lackadaisical, we are always on the go. A lot can happen in a day, and taking notes helps track why you and your team are making a decision, key action items, changes in workflow, all of which you will likely have to report at some point. Remember to share your notes with your team where relevant! Put them in a common network location, or up on shotgun, whatever makes sense for your studio. We always want to make sure our butts are covered, and good ...