Eleanor Collins December 13, 2021
The Woman with the Apple
Why Women Don’t Thrive in Male-Dominated Art World Looking at a marvellous piece of art perched solemnly beside a string of others, at first glance the observer is unaware of its creator’s gender. It could be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind whether or not the artist is a man or woman, for hardly that matters. What matters more to the observer in that moment is the space of harmony that he or she has unwittingly entered, one far removed from the never ending turmoil all about and into a space of perfect peace. From behind the reflective glass surface bound in a mix of hues, encased in a parameter of gold, an artist’s subdued passions arise rebuking a world driven by fear, and the god of self. There are moments of refreshed hope when the art itself is drawn forth from its creators protective bosom, studio, or garage and set beautifully in sync with other works of splendour on gallery walls, or displayed betwixt magazine pages— still there is no mention of the artists gender playing a role. It is hardly true that it means the others who have yet to reach this place of honour have failed, or remain unaccomplished as there are many reasons besides gender that play a role in anyone’s success, or success defined by the individual. It is without question that the topic of competition between men and women is one that ignites spirited conversations, but it isn’t long before the dispensers of such talk roll back over into another sip of their tea. Now, being a spirited female in her mid forties I can unabashedly attest to many uncovered truths because I have lived it. And without question I have observed that gender or is the least cause of women’s inability to progress or reach a level of acclaim that they vehemently say they want. It comes from what I call the “not-enough” mindset or as a recently-published article by Harvard Business Review, It’s Time to Break the Cycle of Female Rivalry by Mikaela Kiner, calls it, “the scarcity mindset.” In particular, I have worked in many settings: male dominated, female dominated and a harmonious blend of both and by far the most toxic environment were those
dominated by females, the ones where all the females decided that because there simply wasn’t enough success, promotions, or men to go around and any female who did not exhibit the unmistakable trait of weakness had to go. The “not-enough” mentality will drive otherwise wellintentioned women to criticise her female colleagues but if that fails to bring them to submission a barrage of “incidents” begin to occur. The situation becomes worse if the target is a female boss or CEO then there is often a unified goal to have her dethroned. Four years ago I decided it was time to return for a fresh round of skills so I enrolled in university at the age of 42, while the median age of my classmates was 23. I brought with me a wealth of knowledge in areas they had not yet been versed but instead of a curiosity toward me there was enmity. One girl went so far as to criticise my punctuality and precision-like adherence to project deadlines. It reminded me of another instance years before where a female colleague approached me after I had received a recognition award and asked me to “slow down and think of the others.” I can go on and on about the many abuses I have faced at the hands of women for failing to conform to the scarcity mindset and for displaying a strength above normal for a woman. But in the past I took these burdens upon my shoulders as a sign of my own vacuity, not realising that the intended goal was that itself—to strategically remove any hope of rising. But rising itself has no dependence on anything or anyone outward but comes solely from within, from a place of positivity and an abundance of it. Women are also trained to see faults particularly in themselves but somehow more glaringly in others, whereas men see potential and opportunities for improvement. What holds women back from reaching that coveted plateau or achieving any measure of happiness or success, however defined— is the belief that someone else is holding all the cards. That the bright, shining female in the room stands between them and the last available spot to stand out among the universe. At the same time she has seemingly abated all others who wish to do the same. Your female counterpart is not your hindrance to wealth, success, love or happiness in any arena. It is you. Unless that belief changes then the playing-field will always be a treacherous, fearful and empty place. Time to decide.