Glass Artist Ona Magaro

In a time when men outnumber women in films 3 to 1 on screen, unequal pay based on gender still unfairly affects females on a day to day basis, and social media and advertising outlets are repeatedly beating women down with unrealistic and often times contradictory expectations about beauty, health, and happiness; it’s time we stand together and let out stories and experiences bring about an era of change. Let’s applaud the women who are out there defying stereotypes and pushing forward in careers and fields where they are outnumbered. From one woman’s triumph shared to another’s inspiration spurred, small changes will amount to larger ones that can eventually redefine what it means to be a working woman.

Ona Magaro’s glass creations and her life story are quite the achievements to admire. She has turned her passion into a thriving business. After years of fine-tuning her craft, her work is breathtaking and unlike any I’ve seen. Take a look at the glass sculpture Ona created for us, from start to finish. She envisions the body of a bird by utilizing the simplicity of a single color and an elongated curve, free flowing and elegant. But don’t let the airy nature of her art fool you. It’s hard work, requiring a tremendous amount of physical strength and a heaping load of creativity. Her advice to anyone hoping to follow in her footsteps is to study marketing, accounting, and writing to build a successful business around the artistic talent.

As Oscar Wilde would say, we live in a world where “life imitating art” is an everyday occurrence. May Ona’s art and experiences be something that young women can look up to and hope to emulate as they grow and discover what path they’ll pursue. When I asked Ona what she wanted to teach her children about the arts, and how she hoped her work will affect the way they interpret the world around them, her simple response is what I hope to share with you, “That anything is possible.”

Ona’s workwear: Carhartt Women’s Long-Sleeve Signature T-Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double-Front Dungaree, & C-Grip Knuckler Glove

last photo above taken by Jessie Moore

Park Ranger Kat Barker

 

When you think of a wilderness ranger, who do you think of? Do you picture a big burly bearded man, covered in plaid? Would it blow your mind to see a woman ranger, wearing pink, with a pickaxe in tow? If so, consider your mind blown.

Meet Kat Barker, a trails and wilderness supervisor. She and her crew head to the backcountry for 8 day long trips of 10-hour work schedules, consisting of clearing downfall, maintaining drainage structures, trail and bridge construction, etc. It takes a tremendous amount of strength and wherewithal to perform the daily tasks and move camp every night. The job may be tough, but it comes with the best office space around. Every night ends with a good meal at the campfire with friends, and rest is sweetest after collapsing into a sleeping bag, every limb aching from the typical routine.

It’s inspiring to see this role, historically dominated by men, being filled by strong, independent women. Kat’s advice for young girls who hope to follow a similar career path is that, “You can do it! If you love being in the mountains and enjoy working really, really hard and sweating a lot, there is nothing stopping you.  It can be difficult to get your foot in the door with public land management agencies, but do your applications, and call, call, call!  Making actual connections with the people in charge of trails and wilderness programs goes a long way in getting hired.  Or there are many other arenas like firefighting, range work, biology technicians, etc. that are open for newcomers as well.  Once you get hired on, even more doors will open.”

Nothing beats a barrel of determination and love for nature. Let your passions be your driving force in life.

Kat is wearing: Carhartt Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip & Women’s Original-Fit Crawford Canvas Dungaree 

Caitlin Kerr of The Foxglove Studios

After leaving the music industry to find a creative challenge, Caitlin Kerr founded The Foxglove Studios. She started small, maintaining part time jobs and freelancing while building her skills and learning the craft. Each gradual step made it a more manageable task to jump into a whole new career. With time her clientele grew and running the studio became a fulltime job. Starting over can seem daunting and even downright impossible, but Caitlin put aside those fears created her own dream job.
Another important part of starting a new career path is to remember your roots. The years you spent at your old job weren’t pointless. You put in time an effort that helped make you the person you are today. Music plays a large role in Caitlin’s job. She listens to songs, bands, and composers reminiscent of the mood she’s aiming to capture in her creations.

Floral Arrangement Tips from Caitlin of The Foxglove Studios:
1. Use chicken wire, floral tape, or both to create a base. Avoid the Styrofoam filled with toxic chemicals.
2. Use it all. The greens of a flower can also be utilized. Don’t strip off the leaves, they create texture and fill out the arrangement.
3. When arranging, start with the base of greens and foliage. Then add focal flowers and whimsical flowers (the whispy, airy, smaller, and more wild types of flowers like scabiosa and ranunculus).
4. Allow the focal flowers to stand taller. It creates a more interesting arrangement.
5. Make sure to cut the stems of your arrangements and change the water everyday.

 

Under Construction

 

The path of your career, your craft, and even your hobbies can be long and hard.
Don’t forget, there isn’t a set path for everyone. Find your own way.
If you make a mistake, don’t give up. Keep up the hard work.

“The road to success is always under construction.” -Lily Tomlin

take a look at the El Paso Utility Vest pictured above

Tips for First Time Pet Owners

You’ve hit the sweet spot when you find a way to merge your passion and your job. Minneapolis graphic designer, Kelsey Dusenka, has found a way to do just that. Kelsey has three cats of her own, but after finding an abandoned, malnourished kitten beside a dumpster in the dead of winter, she found herself on a mission. She cared for the kitten until she found a good home for it. Kelsey realized how difficult it is to part with an animal and how much more difficult it is to take any pets to the shelter, which may be why so many are abandoned. With all of that weighing heavy on her heart, Kelsey wanted to create an educational resource for first time pet owners to learn what it takes to raise a cat or a dog before they adopt so the animal wouldn’t be returned to a shelter or abandoned. Kelsey is now working on starting a Kickstarter to fund My Pet 101. Ultimately, she’d like to combine forces with shelters and have a presence at their adoption events. Keep an eye out for updates on Kelsey’s website.

Tips for first time pet owners from Kelsey Dusenka: 
“Do your research. You’re not buying an animal, you’re adopting one. The biggest reason newly adopted animals are returned to shelters is because of owners’ lack of knowledge, which is also the easiest problem to fix. Know how much it’s going to cost, how to set up your home, and how to raise it. As simple as it sounds, the more you know going into owning an animal, the less surprises there’ll be, and the easier it’ll be on you and your new pet.”

Meet Kelly Pepper and Kelly McDermott of Habitat for Humanity

Meet Kelly Pepper and Kelly McDermott. Both girls are originally from Texas, so we had common ground right at the start. Working in Minneapolis can be a bit chillier than what we’re used to, but that’s alright when you’re bundled up in the right clothes. Pictured above is the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build Team. That’s where women from across the world help build homes for others in need. Pretty cool if you ask me. These two girls blew me away with how much they knew about construction. It’s all about working from the ground up. You might feel overwhelmed in the beginning, but it’s a learning process every day.
Kelly Pepper is a Construction Volunteer Facilitator and has lived all over the world. She stumbled across the job, and figured she’d give it a go since she’d never been to Minnesota. Kelly loves working with her hands, community development, and helping others, so the job has been a great fit. Kelly McDermott is a ABWK Volunteer Facilitator. It’s a lot of hard labor, tedious, and tiring tasks that add up to such great fulfillment to a huge need. Kelly mentioned that she hoped to merge the work experience she’s gained from construction with her degree in the arts into something that can inspire, empower, and support others. If you ask me, she’s doing it already. The team pours so much of their soul and time into these homes. The craftsmanship of construction is such a beautiful art form, especially when it is mixed with the goodness of a giving heart. See how you can get involved in a Women’s Build. Let’s strive to be a community of women that seek to strengthen one another instead of competing or pulling each other down.

Kelly Pepper’s outfit: Carhartt Women’s Quick Duck Woodward Jacket, Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double Front Dungaree, & Acrylic Watch Hat / Kelly McDermott’s outfit: Carhartt Women’s Sandstone Berkley Vest, Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double Front Dungaree, & Women’s Quincy Hat