Lauren Louise Castillo
Mar 19, 2022
Lauren Louise Castillo
Age: 34
Where you are from: Wagga Wagga, NSW & grew up in Wodonga, Victoria.
Where you live: Melbourne
1.This is who I am in the world….
I am a creative, expressive and curious explorer of the world. I love inspiring people to connect with their creative expression in a playful and curious way. I love inviting in the magic of wonder and awe to everyday life through exploring the natural world, creative expression, including visual arts, dance, theatre, poetry, whatever feels good! I see my own life as a work of art and I love to remind people that their lives are works of art too. I have a passion for finding connection, harmony, peace and joy in relationship to others and the natural world. I am Artist an Art Therapist and I love learning and being a student of life.
2.“What is the story you want next written for women?”
The story I want written for women begins with each woman holding her own pen. The story is to be written BY her, THROUGH her, FOR her.
For too long Women have been living stories that are not their own.
Born into bodies that are categorised, socialised, shamed, criticised, from the very beginning. The messages of how to be, how to speak, how to smile, how to behave, how to make life choices, career, financial, relationship, are sometimes subtle, and sometimes very very loud.
Never enough, but also too much, we are told, ‘don’t to that, you wouldn’t want to be seen as THAT kind of woman’. And WHAT kind of woman is THAT kind of woman? And WHY is she ‘good’ or ‘bad?’
The lines are blurry, the rules are always changing. Depending on your culture, place of birth, family of origin, choice of partner. The ‘rules’ on what it is to be a ‘Good Woman’ shift and morph, and it is impossible to keep up, it is impossible to reach this perfect version that isn’t even real.
Be smart, but not too smart.
Be sexy, but not too sexy.
Be wild, but not untameable.
Be expressive, but not offensive.
Be polite, but don’t be a pushover.
Be yourself, but not if it doesn’t fit my ideal narrative of a daughter, partner, friend.
Be beautiful, but don’t be a show-off about it.
If you are smart, you can’t also be sexy.
If you are successful in your career, you can’t also be a great and fully present Mum.
If you are giving too much time to your hobbies, you can’t also be a good daughter and friend.
You only got that role because of how you look.
You only got that role because we needed to fill a woman quota.
You only compete at a high level of sport because we have to tick the equality box.
You only got there because you don’t have kids.
You won’t have time for things so frivolous once you’re a Mum.
It is selfish not to choose to have children.
“This is just the way it is.”
“This is just the way it is.”
“This is just the way it is.”
But what if it wasn’t?
What if from a young age, we were given a pen, to write our own dreams, visions and stories?
What if we were taught that beauty comes from how we create, live and write our lives, rather than how well we follow the ‘rules’ and how ‘beautiful’ we looked?
What if?
What if being a fully expressive, unapologetic, wild woman was not only tolerated, but CELEBRATED?
What if women celebrated each others’ expressive, wild selves with unconditional love and acceptance?
What if you picked up a pen now, and started writing a new story?
What would you write?
4.This is the story that I next want to write for myself….
I am a fully expressive, creative and loving woman. I am connected into a web of other fully expressive, creative and loving people, and we are creating new pathways for connection everyday. We love ourselves, we love people, and we love and care for the world with so much love it is bursting out all over the place and ripples out to anyone else we encounter.
I am ALIVE and I am LIVING ART.
Author
Michelle Gardener
Author
Michelle Gardener is a Coach, Author, Yogi, Blogger and Inspirational Speaker. She educates women all over the world in Social Change Leadership and is dedicated to pioneering the most amount of impact possible through helping women create social projects that do good for our world.
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