It was serendipitous a review copy of Sarah Centrella’s book #futureboards: Learn How to Create a Vision Board to Get Exactly the Life You Want came to my mailbox. A few days earlier I had been blown away by the exhibit “Dior: From Paris to the World” at the Dallas Museum of Art. From a cathedral-like room packed with remarkable designs to areas filled with the works of Dior himself, imagination ran abundant throughout the exhibit. Several pieces in particular caught my eye…the mood boards by current Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri. Mood boards (aka vision boards) let designers establish a theme for their lines with visual details and inspirations. In the same mindset, Centrella asks readers of her book to take the concept further with what she dubs #futureboards. She defines them as a physical board (proudly displayed) that has beautiful photographs intentionally chosen to visually show the creator’s future dream life. #futureboards What I appreciate most about Centrella’s concept is #futureboards focus on experiences and not things. Experiences matter because, as Centrella writes, “they teach you to focus on what brings you happiness and joy. When you are building your life around experiences, you are training your mind to seek happiness and receive joy. It’s one of the fastest ways for you to tap into a sensation of happiness at any given moment, by thinking of an experience you want to live. When you feel that happiness in your mind, you will soon manifest it in real life.” The book is divided into three parts: Exercises …

Those arguing #MeToo is losing steam are sorely mistaken. That’s the belief of best-selling author Linda Hirshman. Her latest book, Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment, details the 50-year history of legal and cultural moments that precede #MeToo. It also serves as a reminder that the movement did not mysteriously happen overnight and makes sense of how this pivotal moment in American culture came to be. Hirshman spent her childhood in Cleveland, Ohio. Already reading by age four, it was women biographies that drew her to the local library. Favorites were stories on Clara Barton (founder of the American Red Cross), Julia Ward Howe (author of the Civil War anthem “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and co-founder of the American Woman Suffrage Association), and Lucy Stone (a prominent orator, abolitionist, and suffragist). Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women also made an impact. Years later Hirshman became a lawyer. In addition to a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and a Juris Doctorate from University of Chicago Law School, she received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. “I wanted to do something where I could earn a substantial, reliable income,” Hirshman said. “Self-reliance has always been central to me.” SCOTUS, Teaching, Writing Hirshman appeared in three Supreme Court cases (one win, one loss and one draw). This includes the landmark case Garcia v. SAMTA, which defined the line between the federal government and the states. Next she went into academia. Hirshman taught at Brandeis University, Chicago Kent …

What are the roles for women and girls in science fiction (SciFi) and superhero films and television? Are they visible? Are they powerful? Are they inclusive? What do their representation, voice share, presence — or absence — mean to the stories that shape our imaginations of who we are and what is possible? These are just some of the questions approached in the study Superpowering Women in SciFi Superhero Films: A 10 Year Investigation by WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER with BBC America. “At this time of enormous, sweeping, social change, it’s important that television and film provide an abundance of roles and role models for diverse girls and young women,” said Julie Burton, President and CEO of the WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER. “We know that representation matters, and impressive box office numbers show that women filmmakers make great films and women and girls lead the charge to watch them. Despite that, our analysis shows we still have a long way to go for sci-fi and superhero films to reflect the views and visions of women and girls.” Behind and In Front of the Camera There has been a slight uptick in opportunities for women, particularly in front of the camera — an indication that demands by media and gender advocates, filmmakers, journalists, and audiences, has begun to make a difference. Some key findings from this latest report show: Only three percent of sci-fi/superhero film directors were women during the 10-year period. 88 percent of the most influential behind-the-scenes roles (directing, producing, writing and editing) were held by …

It’s back-to-school shopping time, which means things could be said in the dressing room that will make your blood run cold. No, not expletive language, but your daughter harshly criticizing her body. Witnessing a child unleash physical self-deprecation will break any parent’s heart. How can you help your girl have a healthy body image?  It’s no secret consistently putting down one’s appearance harms social, physical, and emotional growth. What’s a caregiver to do in a world filled to the brim with doctored “perfect” images? For starters, understand that self-esteem and body image are two separate things. Self-esteem is how we think and feel about ourselves as a total package. Body image is how we think and feel about our body; it’s just one piece of self-esteem. Five Steps: How to Help Your Girl Have a Healthy Body Image 1. Know that how you personally view your body plays a role in how children see theirs Do you stand in front of the mirror and nitpick everything you don’t like about your body? Your child will think she should do the same…that this behavior is part of growing up. Do not body bash yourself or make negative statements about the weight and body size of others (including celebrities). In addition, tell your daughter what you love most about your body. Express gratitude for the things it makes possible. 2. Have a blunt talk about media’s depiction of girls and women, how advertising works, and the truth about altered images A “perfect” body does not exist. Neither do magical products …