Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Welcome!

For about the last 1-2 years I've been asking "Why isn't there more of a focus on the amazing women of the Steampunk scene who are the makers and doers, the artists and designers, musicians and writers, and other creative folks who make the scene tick?" And thanks to friends who were probably sick of me voicing this question, I have decided to go forth and create a blog that does exactly that.

Steampunk is a genre that appeals to a wide variety of folks from different ages, genders, and backgrounds.  Attending a Steampunk convention will pretty much guarantee the attendee an eyeful of equal amounts of amazingly-dressed men and women, views of 2-3 generations of families attending, and a heavy focus on DIY, history merging with fantasy through all of the arts, and discussions about social issues and building a better future.

But while we see male personalities and makers of all shapes and sizes being celebrated, there seems to be a much more narrower lens for the ladies, and that causes me concern. I want to see the amazing women of this subculture ALL featured, regardless of age, size, or background.  If Steampunk is "The Future of a Past That Never Was" then I want to make sure the younger ladies of the movement have a diverse amount of positive, realistic role models to look up to - and there is no shortage of them!  And I don't want to make this about who's "doing it wrong" - but instead, let's focus on making it better for everyone.

I already have over a dozen ladies on my list I would like to interview and feature.  I will be creating google forms shortly on submitting women to feature (whether it's yourself or someone you're a fan of) and I would also love to hear from folks who would like to help with the interview process and contribute to this blog.

If you're interested in contributing, please drop us a line at SteamWomenBlog(at)gmail.com

Cheers!