More about WoolfCamp

Debbie says:

It’s the next weekend and I’m at the next gathering in the next city (no, I don’t always live like this, but this month I do). And I’m still thinking about WoolfCamp. From a blogging point of view, I think the most important thing I came away with was the conversation (which I didn’t even attend) on identifying your audience. I heard lots of bits and pieces about that conversation afterwards, and everything everyone said underscored for me how important blogs are, as places for such a wide variety of personal expression. People who write for themselves, for friends and family, for a close circle of blogging friends, for a wider audience, for money, for social change, for explicating something in their own lives, for distributing links, for describing dreams, for selling something close to their heart … for whatever reason.

Another theme for me (surprise!) was the body-image theme. In the initial introductions, one woman said she “wanted to be a healthy weight.” Another woman told me she didn’t know there was such a thing as body image activism (slender herself, she’s been a one-woman body-image activism center for years with her heavier friends, but she didn’t know there were resources to help her out). Once again, I was struck about how body image is everybody’s issue, and how desperate people are to talk out the issue. I’m not just talking about fat, here, but the whole range of body image issues for all genders: size, age, musculature, dis/ability, and so much more. We never really delved into this issue at WoolfCamp, but we did touch on it over and over again.

And then there were just the delights of being in the Santa Cruz hillsides, in rain and sunshine, with fascinating people–and lots of delightful children.

Maybe we need a BodyImageCamp someday?

<br /> WoolfCamp<br /> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogging" rel="tag nofollow">blogging</a><br /> feminism<br /> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Body+Image" rel="tag nofollow">Body Image</a><br /> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Body+Impolitic" rel="tag nofollow">Body Impolitic</a><br />

5 thoughts on “More about WoolfCamp

  1. Oh, my goodness, a WoolfCamp on body image. A body of one’s own.

    I’ll un-host it, my dear Deb. The Santa Cruz venue would be perfect. Plus, we have several safe and sweet nude beaches and a clothing optional hot tub place, Kiva Retreat, again, a safe place. I mean, a workshop/field trip there? Yo!

    And I would be pleased to do a workshop on Body Boundaries in regards to having them/not having them, with jump start thoughts from my perspective as a survivor of child sexual abuse.

    Whaddaya say?

  2. Debbie– Aside from the absolutely beautiful “Women En Large” book that’s sitting on my desk, I’m still waiting for those resources to help out my body image activism mission.

    And I’m all over a BodyImageCamp. I’ll help campaign for attendees. Seriously, I steer as clear as possible from most politics, but body image is an issue I’ll break to the streets with sporting pickets and sandwich signs. Send me whatever you think will fuel my crusade.

    And Grace– I think you should just have a themed camp at your house every weekend. How about I just move in and be your personal unhostess assistant?

  3. I think a camp for improving body image would be a wonderful thing. We can all use all the help we can get to love our diverse bodies.

  4. Grace, you are so on. And that would be an amazing workshop. too. I stand in awe of your bravery (but that’s nothing new).

    Sarah, I haven’t had a spare moment since WoolfCamp (well, I’m having a bunch of spare moments now in a sleepy town on the Oregon coast, where there’s one restaurant with wifi, but these are designated spare moments. Resources Wednesday or Thursday.

    I want pictures of those pickets and sandwich signs!

    Patsy, you mean I’d get to meet you? Another plus!

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