Homemaking
There is something liberating about taking the thing that once bound you and making it into something beautiful. Whether it is revisiting past places or attempting a task that was once unpleasant. For many women of past decades, their role as homemakers could feel like a chain tethering them to a house where they were underappreciated and undervalued. They were expected to run the house with their husband at work and children running around. Some wanted to be in the workforce or make a name for themselves outside the home but were trapped by societal expectations. It is no wonder that many women began turning away from homemaking in an effort to distance themselves from the thing that caged them.
In recent years, homemaking skills have been on the rise again. It’s as if women are coming back to reclaim the thing used against them. Skills that would have been lost to the generations are being awakened by this deep need to create and prepare and take care of ourselves and the people we love. Homemaking skills no longer carry the negative connotation of the 1950s but are instead bringing power and pride into the hearts of women everywhere. Pastimes like baking, sewing, and gardening are becoming more of a staple in the lives of women eager to learn new skills and provide for themselves.
With the rise of video-based apps like TikTok, things that used to be so foreign are becoming more easily accessible. People are less afraid to try new things because they are shown step-by-step processes. Breadmaking used to be such a foreign concept that many were afraid of trying, but in the past couple of years, people are really going for it. The art of breadmaking can be a very cathartic process because it allows you to get all your frustrations out in the kneading process and forces you to exercise patience through the rising and baking process. There is just something about that warm aroma of freshly baked bread filling your home. Knowing that you worked hard on something that now gets to fill your belly is incredibly satisfying.
Another art form making a comeback is that of sewing your own clothes. Now that thrifted outfits are fashionable, many people are understanding the need for being able to tailor their own clothing. They are taking an article they love and changing it a bit here and there to better fit their bodies and their needs. It is an eco-friendly approach to shopping that leaves us with a clear conscience. Sewing your own clothes is an awesome way to be in charge of the things you put on your body and make sure you are representing yourself authentically.
Gardening has always been a part of the lives of people interested in supplementing their diets with their own produce, but the process of preserving that food for the next season is not something as readily done. Canning and preserving is something we might have grown up helping our mothers or grandmothers do, but doing it ourselves is another story. There is something so grounding about pulling up your own vegetables from the dirt and then enjoying those vegetables months later. With videos and articles galore, attempting to preserve food is just another thing some women are doing to take back their independence.
It is not about reverting back to the submissive housewife, but instead connecting with our foremothers and the ancestors who lived by these practices. The freedom that comes with being more self-sufficient is astounding even if you are afraid. Give something a go, you never know what you will fall in love with!
