Poet and writer Erica Jong said, “You can’t divide creative juices from human juices. And as long as juicy women are equated with bad women, we will err on the side of being bad.” This issue teems with juices, as the many different voices explore what creativity means to them and how they express themselves in the world. “Being bad” comes with the territory. With the world being a particularly mean and confusing arena right now, it’s been a pleasure to concentrate on bi+ women’s creative spirits in their many forms while producing this issue.
As someone who has been an activist for many decades, I pay attention to those who inspire and ignite others in the cause of social change. Most recently, as social media enables people to virally spread a symbol like the pussy hat or the resistance cries of “Black Lives Matter” and “Nevertheless, she persisted,” our ability to turn our creativity into social action and connection can happen within hours.
I hope you’ll enjoy the range of expression our contributors explore, from prose and poetry to photography, tattooing, cartoons, and political statements. Thank you to all who submitted their work and shared their personal stories about creativity. Thanks to the proofreading squad and to Robyn for giving me free reign on the issue. It’s always fun for me to step into the role for a couple weeks and revel in all the great bi+ energy.
And don’t miss the information on page 11 about the Bisexual Health Awareness Month, the fourth year the BRC has led this important effort. It’s an incredibly important social media campaign that everyone can help promote!
~Ellyn Ruthstrom