The media today is full of garbage, to be perfectly frank. Commercials and advertisements fill the minds of people world wide on a regular basis, whether those people are aware of it or not. Images mold perceptions and create stereotypes that harm the confidence and courage that young women must work to harvest. A group of conscientious women, however, are very aware of the dangers of the consistent media, and they are working to remedy it. The women at Alive Arts Media want to start fixing the media problem by asking women everywhere, "What makes you come alive?"
Alive Arts Media produces an online publication once every other month called "Alive Magazine". It is titled to be "By Young Women, For Young Women", and that’s the truth of the matter. The staff of the magazine consists entirely of women under the age of 25 and female students who all share the same goal: replacing media stereotypes with the image of a real woman. Students send in artwork, stories, and other writings, and the interns heading up the project assist these students in priming and perfecting their works so that other women can hear their voices.
The October/November issue contains articles from every walk of life. There are short stories, personal narratives about what it truly means to be a woman, discussions of diverse and interesting lifestyles, and poetry and artwork from the hearts and minds of creative women. Alive Magazine also has a few specialized issues coming up, so it would be a good idea to keep your eyes open for what Alive Arts Media has to offer!
Every girl has a voice. It’s in there somewhere, even if she feels too shy to let it come screeching out every once in a while. Sometimes, however, the media deludes that voice. It masks it with images of "perfect body size" and "ideal looks". Alive Magazine wants the women of the world to put their voices out there for everyone to hear, not to judge and change. Without organizations like Alive Arts Media, it is possible that young women everywhere can be lost in the roar of the crowd. Alive Magazine wants to hear your voice. They want to know what makes you come Alive. Because that is what makes women who they are, and that is all that matters.
There are publications like this one all over the place. Girls have created zines for girls to come out of their shells and let the world know that they are here and that they have something to say. Hardy Girls Healthy Women, for example, has a continual zine out where girls can submit how they feel about the media, stereotypes, and even things going on in their own in their own lives. This publication, GWAVE, is open to girls of all ages who have something to say, and they want to say it now!
If you’re interested in Alive Magazine, whether for some light reading, some heart-warming stories, or some ground shaking insight from other women, check out the website. You’ll find everything you could expect and more. And, if you have something to say, I would think that this would be the place to say it. Come on. What makes you come alive?
http://www.alivemagazine.org/
