LGBTQ+ Community Archives - Lez See the World

Interview with Abstract Artist – Mel Penman

Lez See the World — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 21:46:40 +0000

One of our goals for 2021 is to start featuring a variety of new voices on this blog! We’ve started an interview series on Lez See the World that will highlight the experiences and perspectives of different people we connect with in the travel space and the LGBTQ+ community. We’re so excited to introduce our readers to these incredible humans!

This interview is with Mel Penman, a community mental health worker and queer abstract artist! We first connected with Mel through her wife Felicity a number of years ago when we were living in Toronto, and since then she’s become a close friend. We are so excited about the launch of her art business and we can’t wait to have one of her pieces hanging on our wall. We love how passionate Mel is about her work and how she uses art to support her own mental health and the mental health of others. We’re so excited to be interviewing her for the blog and to share her work with this community. Keep reading for our interview with Mel!

Mel Penman is a community mental health worker and queer abstract artist living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Her passion is supporting folks who have complex mental health issues from all walks of life, including those living with HIV and substance use issues. Mel self-identifies as having lived with different mental health issues throughout her life including anxiety, depression, and difficulty managing her identity as a queer person in her adolescence. She uses art as a way to support her own mental health recovery, and wherever possible she utilizes art within her professional work as self-care strategies to help clients express themselves and cope with their symptoms. Mel wants to be able to change the stigma associated with mental health by having an open dialogue about it. When Mel isn’t working, she finds joy in spending time with her partner and their three rescued pups. She loves all things outdoors, sports, and travel.

You just launched your art business – Penman Paint. What made you want to start sharing your art online and how has the response been?

I did just launch my art business! What started out to be a therapeutic self-care strategy for me transformed into an art business over the pandemic. I felt that it was something I wanted to share with others, in terms of finding ways to cope with life stress and my own mental health. The response and feedback from friends and family really pushed me to consider sharing my art online. I wanted the focus of the business to be about breaking the stigma around discussing how mental health affects our lives, and that it’s okay to talk about what you do to manage your wellness. For me, it’s art!

We would love to hear more about your professional work in mental health. Can you explain a bit more about your background in this field and why it interests you?

I’ve been working for roughly 10 years in social services, supporting folks with complex mental health and addiction challenges. I have a specific interest in HIV care, LGBTQ+ communities and trauma. I was very fortunate to be able to work for a non-profit organization in Toronto within various programs over a 9-year period, always within addictions and case management support services. Recently, I have moved my work closer to home and am starting a new chapter at a hospital close to Hamilton, ON. I will continue my work within addictions through an outpatient community mental health team. I also bring a unique lens to the field sharing my own lived experience with mental health, my identity as a queer woman, and my family history.

We love that you’re a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Can you talk a little bit about your identity and experience as a queer woman?

I am proud about my identity as a queer woman! I feel very fortunate to be within a community both personally and professionally where I can be who I am safely. I would say that for me, coming to the realization of being a queer person was a complex journey. Through my adolescence, it was hard to know and feel comfortable being a queer person. My identity is something that took time to navigate, and it created a lot of anxiety for me. Thankfully I have a supportive network of friends and family who’ve been so accepting and I feel very grateful for that. In terms of my social work, I think that it allows clients to have a safe space to relate to another member of the LGBTQ+ community as they navigate their own journey with identity.

What is your process as an artist? Where do you draw your inspiration?

For me, the process as an artist is really grounded around self-regulation and coping with anxiety and stress. The process is about flow and feeling connected to the piece that I’m working on in the moment. I love being able to draw inspiration from colours and textures, nature, as well as any emotions I may be navigating. I love that art is an accessible tool that helps me ground myself and feel better. I love to utilize art within a therapeutic process with clients as well, and encourage others to find strategies that work well for them.

Can you talk about what materials you use as a painter and how you found your passion for abstract art?

I love to use a combination of acrylic and watercolour paint, in addition to mixed media tools like pencil crayons and pastels. But really with art, the sky is the limit. I have always had a passion for art but never really felt like I could make art or “be good at art”. It seemed inaccessible to me until I attended a mental health workshop training around the use of art as a means of processing trauma. I let go of what I thought art needs to be, I let go of the finished product, and connected to how you can feel while you do art. I think letting go of my own self doubt or what I thought art needs to be allowed me to become more passionate for abstract art.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to explore using art to support their mental health, especially during this pandemic?

Do it! I often say to clients, use whatever is around you. That could be house paints, markers, a pencil, clay, household items like tin foil etc, make up, whatever is there. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to explore art. Channel what you are feeling or use art to really zone out of what is on your mind. Art can be a really supportive tool for a means of processing thoughts and feelings. Don’t worry about making something beautiful or the finished product, just focus on how you feel in the moment or ground to the feeling of your hands moving. And if it’s not art that you connect to, find something that allows you to cope within your day in a healthy capacity.

Where can our readers find you, and where can they see your work?

Readers can find me online either on my website www.penmanpaint.com or my instagram page @penmanpaint.

Thank you so much Mel! If you’re interested in being interviewed or writing a guest post for Lez See the World, please contact us at info@lezseetheworld.com. We are interested in featuring a range of voices on this blog, and highlighting folks with a variety of experiences and perspectives that are different from our own. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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Announcing the Launch of our Holiday Cards!

Lez See the World — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 19:25:48 +0000

We have a very exciting announcement today!

This has been in the making for many months, and it’s finally time to share it. We are so excited to launch a brand new division of Lez See the World, an online shop! Our small shop will feature limited edition collections of products that are designed and handmade by us here in Vancouver, BC. Our first collection is a set of queer holiday cards and they launch today!

Our 2020 holiday cards feature three LGBTQ+ designs, and use card stock and envelopes made from recycled paper. The cards are available in a limited run and will start shipping on December 1st. Everything is handmade by us, and 5% of each sale will go to an LGBTQ+ organization. Keep scrolling to see the designs!

‘Make the Yuletide Gay’ Holiday Card

’Spreading Holiday Queer’ Holiday Card

‘Lez Be Merry’ Holiday Card

Each card is 4.25 x 5.5 inches with a coloured cutout on the cover. The cards are blank on the inside and come with a blank envelope so you can personalize them! They can be purchased individually, or as a bundle with all three designs. Shipping is available worldwide and they are available starting RIGHT NOW!

Every collection from our shop will celebrate our community, and every product will be made with love by us. We are so excited about these cards and we can’t wait to show you what else we have in store.⁣⁣ We truly hope these cards can bring joy to anyone who needs it.

Thank you so much for reading! We are sending our love to this amazing community, we are so grateful for all your support!!!

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7 Ways You Can be More Supportive of the Lesbian Community

Lez See the World — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 19:40:09 +0000

Today, April 26th, is Lesbian Visibility Day. A day to “celebrate, recognize, and bring visibility to lesbians”! In recent years we have seen a lot of progress, including more honest representation of lesbians in mainstream media, the legalization of same-sex marriage in more countries around the world, and other great work that really strengthens us as a community. But of course, there is still more work to be done to have all gay women acknowledged more respectfully. Some things that still need to change are big, but some are small and simple, so we’ve put together a list of 7 easy ways you can be more supportive of the lesbian community! Keep reading!

Stop Calling Other Women Your Wife If They’re Not Your Wife

Using terms like “work-wife, wife, wifey” to refer to your female friend, bestie, or another woman who is not your significant other, completely delegitimizes real relationships between two women. The number of times I have to follow up with an explanation after calling Steph my wife is staggering, because nobody hears that word and realizes what it actually means. When I call Steph my wife, it’s because she is my spouse by law, my significant other, and my legal partner. We are so fortunate and privileged to be able to be wives, and the word is so sacred and special to us. Every time I hear someone throw it around casually, it feels like a small jab. It may seem small, but it is such a disservice to the lesbian community, so please stop saying it!

Stop Assuming Every Woman Has a Boyfriend or Husband

When you make heterosexual relationships the default, it means that people in same-sex relationships are constantly having to correct everyone and out themselves. When asking if a woman has a significant other, using a neutral word like “partner” rather than “boyfriend or “husband”, makes room for all possibilities. Not every woman is or will be in a relationship with a man. Some women are in relationships with other women!

Believe a Woman When She Comes Out as Gay

Without trying to generalize, women often have an additional hurdle when they come out as gay. And this is because, many times they aren’t taken seriously! Many women (myself included) have to answer questions like: “Are you sure this isn’t just a phase?”, “Have you tried dating men? Maybe you just haven’t met the right one yet!”, “Are you sure? You don’t look gay!”, and so on. We always hear the story of the straight woman whose heart got broken by the gay man she fell in love with, but never does she question whether or not he’s really gay! Just as there are men who are solely attracted to other men, there are women who are solely attracted to other women, and they are just as valid.

Stop Assuming Every Lesbian Fits a Lesbian Stereotype

One of the reasons why a lot of gay women aren’t taken seriously, seems to be that some people still have an idea of what they think a lesbian is or should be. And this even happens within the LGBTQ+ community! But the reality is, there is no right or wrong way to be a lesbian. It doesn’t matter how you look, dress, act, or express yourself. It doesn’t matter how long your hair is, what your interests are, or whether or not you present as “feminine”. All gay women are equally valid and they don’t need to fit into stereotypes.

Stop Sexualizing Lesbians

Yes, women are beautiful (we agree), but lesbians do not exist for the male gaze! Women who love other women are SO over sexualized, and we’ve had enough. Lesbian relationships are about more than just sex, and yet we constantly find our relationships being diminished to what happens in the bedroom. I once had a man I’d just met in a work setting, tell me that my wife and I are “every guy’s lesbian fantasy”, as if that was an appropriate compliment. I’ve also found that many men are accepting of our PDA, only because they find it arousing. It’s just another way the lesbian community is not respected and it definitely needs to change.

Stop Asking Who the Man is in the Relationship

This is such a common question for two women in a relationship. Because people are so hung up on the idea of traditional gender roles, they find it hard to understand what role each woman would play in a relationship. But the truth is, there is no man in a lesbian relationship, and that’s the point! My wife and I both consider ourselves to have some traditionally “feminine” qualities, and some traditionally “masculine” qualities, but we both identify as women. Neither one of us takes on a male role in our marriage, and we consider our relationship to be a true partnership of equals.

Stop Assuming That We are Anything Other than a Couple

If we could only count the number of times that strangers ask us if we’re sisters, best friends, roommates, or anything other than a couple. People seem to have such a hard time figuring out what our relation could be because we’re so close, and yet they never assume that we might be together. We look nothing like sisters, even best friends don’t usually hold hands and cuddle in public, and we are quite obviously more than roommates! When we’re travelling, we often get asked if we’re students on a school trip together (and we are definitely not school age anymore!). Maybe people are afraid to assume we’re a couple because they wouldn’t want to offend two people who are NOT in a same-sex relationship, but why would that be offensive? Same-sex relationships are beautiful, normal, and nothing to be embarrassed about!

If you’re a part of the lesbian community and you have anything to add, please leave your thoughts in the comments below! And if you’re not a part of the lesbian community, thank you for listening, we are so grateful for our allies!

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Top Tips for Meeting the Partner of Your Dreams

Lez See the World — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 16:00:22 +0000

We are firm believers that real love is available to everyone, and that everyone is deserving of love. Before we met, we both spent time alone, and we both spent time in relationships that didn’t serve us. It wasn’t until we truly got to know ourselves that we opened up to the possibility of love, and found each other. If you’re not in a relationship right now and you want to meet your future forever partner, keep your belief strong that love is available to you, and you deserve it. We both know from our own experiences that there was a lot of internal work that needed to be done before we were ready to find each other. We both had to work through our personal beliefs about love and relationships before we were ready to find and commit to our forever partner. This is the 8th Valentine’s Day that we’ve celebrated together as a couple, and our 4th year celebrating as wife and wife. We still feel unbelievably grateful every day to have this much love in our lives.

If you don’t have a partner to celebrate with today, keep reading for our tips on how to meet the partner of your dreams.

Focus On What You Want

Think about the kind of person you want to be in a relationship with. What are their personal qualities, their goals, their life priorities? Determine what you’re really looking for in a partner, and the type of person you feel you could connect with, communicate with, feel close to, and commit to. What kind of person is going to be a healthy addition to your life, someone who will love and respect you, and encourage you on your own path? Focus on what you want, and the kind of partner you desire to have by your side.

Know What You Deserve

Attracting a healthy relationship, means knowing that you deserve a healthy partner. You need to fully trust that you are deserving of incredible amounts of love, and if you don’t truly believe that, you need to do the work that will get you there. We attract people into our lives based on our relationship with ourselves. If you don’t respect yourself, love yourself, and believe that you deserve a healthy relationship, you might attract people into your life who are disrespectful, toxic, or even abusive. Knowing you deserve a good relationship, is an important step toward having one.

Love Yourself First

The key to any healthy relationship, is a good relationship with yourself. Practice self love every day. Know that your confidence, self worth, self esteem, peace, success, and happiness depend only on you and not on anyone else. A healthy partner will add to your life, but they won’t make you more valuable. You are an incredible human being all on your own, and you need to remind yourself of that every day.

Create Space In Your Life

If you want a forever partner in your life, you need to make space for them. Open yourself up to the idea of a committed relationship, decide that you’re ready for one, and tell yourself every day that you are deserving of one. Create space, and keep an eye out for what the universe presents you with. You can’t just think that you’re ready, you need to act ready.

Take Action

When you’re focused on attracting a long term partner into your life, you can’t just sit back and wait for them to appear. You need to take action. Put yourself out there, be vulnerable, meet people, make connections, try new things, go to new places, take risks, be bold, and seize every opportunity that the universe presents you with. The final step in manifesting anything is taking decisive action, and without this, we stay in the same patterns, living the same life.

If you’re serious about wanting to find your forever partner, you believe fully that you are deserving of an amazing relationship, you love yourself deeply, you make space in your life for it, and you take action to find that person, nothing can stop you. We are all deserving of love, and love is available to everyone.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Top 10 Wins for the Lesbian Community in 2018

Lez See the World — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 04:49:08 +0000

In a lot of ways, 2018 has been a tumultuous year politically, and we’ve experienced some difficult moments as a community. While there has certainly been some regression in rights for LGBTQ+ people, there has also been progress. This year has seen major steps forward for gay women all over the world, and below we highlight our favourite wins for the lesbian community in 2018.

Out Athletes at the Olympic Winter Games

There were so many badass gay women who competed in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics this year, and the list of out female athletes continues to grow. It’s amazing to see lesbian women being visible on the world stage, and 2018 saw more out athletes than any previous Winter Games, including some who made it onto the podium! Olympic athletes being out and proud does a lot for visibility of the community, and it continues the push for equality and inclusion in the world of sports.

Top 5 Organizations that Support the Lesbian Community

Lez See the World — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 02:44:43 +0000

Giving back has always been one of our personal missions, as well as one of the most important missions of this blog. We are in a very fortunate position as out gay women, and we want to continually help make life better for lesbians and other LGBTQ+ people around the world. We are a legally married, same-sex couple, and we enjoy all of the rights and freedoms of other citizens in our home country. We were both accepted by our families when we came out to them, and we have a loving support system of people who believe in our relationship, and accept who we are as gay individuals. Neither of us have ever experienced serious discrimination because of our sexuality, and we have never been the victims of a hate crime or any physical harassment due to being gay. We have travelled to 27 countries together as an out lesbian couple, and we have always been safe. We are grateful every day for these privileges, but we remain aware of the hardships that so many people in our community face. We do our best to give back to those in less fortunate positions, and during the holiday season we are encouraging anyone who is in a position to help, to do their part.

This year we are highlighting our 5 favourite charitable organizations that support lesbian women and the entire LGBTQ+ community. Keep reading to learn more, and if you have a favourite organization that we haven’t mentioned, please let us know about it in the comments!

The Human Rights Campaign

HRC is the largest civil rights organization in the United States of America working to achieve equality for the LGBTQ+ community. They have more than three million members and supporters that help to fight against injustices, and push for equal rights. They started as a gay and lesbian political action committee in 1980, but have expanded into a huge organization that does so much for the community! They were at the forefront of the fight for marriage equality in the US, they’ve launched many viral social media campaigns bringing worldwide attention to important issues, their political and electoral efforts have created massive change in the country, and their pushes for equality have led to the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”, as well as important anti-discrimination legislation in America. The list of what they’ve accomplished is amazing, and they are truly an incredible organization. There are a lot of different ways you can support HRC, including becoming a partner, making a one time donation, setting up an ongoing monthly pledge, volunteering, or shopping their online store. All of the funds and efforts go toward the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.

The Trevor Project

Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project is an American non-profit providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth. Their trained counsellors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they receive 45,000 lifeline calls each year. This organization literally saves the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, when they have nowhere else to turn. They are also currently campaigning to end conversation therapy in America and worldwide. Their work is so unbelievably important, and they rely on generous donations and volunteers to continue providing a safe place for young people to turn when they need help. They are currently receiving more calls from LGBTQ+ youth in crisis than ever before in the organization’s history, and it’s a really important time to support their efforts. Donations can be made through their website and they also offer information on how to volunteer and get involved. Every $1 helps to add one minute on their crisis phone, chat, and text lines. We collaborated on a campaign in 2018 that benefitted The Trevor Project, and we fiercely believe in the work they do.

PFLAG

Standing for parents, families, and friends, of lesbians and gays, PFLAG is the largest organization uniting families and allies with the LGBTQ+ community. They work tirelessly to advance equality for our community through support, education, and advocacy. Founded in 1973 in the US, they now have 400 chapters across America, 60 chapters in Canada, as well as many partner organizations around the world. LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as their family members and allies, can connect with a local chapter to find a sense of community, as well as the support they need. We personally worked with PFLAG Canada on a fundraising initiative, and they were an amazing organization to align with. They do incredible work, and rely on donations from their members and supporters. You can give a one time donation or set up a recurring one, and an annual donation of $50 or more gives you a PFLAG National Membership.

IT GETS BETTER

The It Gets Better Project started as a social media campaign in 2010, and has grown into a global movement focused on empowering LGBTQ+ youth. The platform reaches millions of young people each year through media programming, international partners, and community based service providers. Over 60,000 people have shared their inspiring personal stories to remind the next generation that they’re not alone, and it does get better. All of the unique stories are available on the It Gets Better website, where youth can come to find community, inspiration, reassurance, and most importantly, hope. Donations to the It Gets Better Project help fund the efforts of this amazing organization, giving hope to LGBTQ+ youth around the world. They are also always looking for interns and volunteers to help support their work, and all of the information can be found on their website.

GLAAD

Formed in 1985 in New York City, GLAAD is an organization founded by LGBTQ+ people in the media, with the mission to promote understanding, increase acceptance, and advance equality for the community. In 1989, they established the GLAAD media awards, an annual ceremony that acknowledges and honours exceptional representations of LGBTQ+ people and issues in various streams of the media. These include film, television, theatre, music, journalism, and advertising. For more than thirty years, GLAAD has helped lead the equality movement for LGBTQ+ people, and they continue to create real change through a number of different programs and initiatives. Donations to the organization can be made through their website, and they have many benefits for the varying levels of membership to their program.

Because we are Canadian, the organizations that we are most familiar with, and have personally supported are all based here in North America. We would love to know which organizations are doing amazing work in other parts of the world. Please comment below with your favourites!

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Our Pride Collaboration with Abercrombie & Fitch

Lez See the World — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 03:00:54 +0000

Pride to us is all about spreading love and being visible, and Pride season is our favourite time of year! The month of June is officially Pride Month, and it’s a time when the LGBTQ+ community and our allies come together to celebrate all of the amazing progress we’ve achieved. It’s also an important time for us to acknowledge how much work still needs to be done to continue pushing for equal rights and acceptance around the world.

For Pride Month 2018, we were thrilled to partner with Abercrombie & Fitch for their ‘Made for Love’ campaign. They created a Pride product collection that featured so many amazing looks to show off your Pride, and 100% of the proceeds benefitted The Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth in the US. With a team of trained counsellors available for 24/7 support, they provide valuable resources to young people who may not have anywhere else to turn. We are very passionate about giving back to the community, and were so happy to be a part of this campaign to support an organization that we truly believe in.

We love to work with brands who are inclusive of our community, and that do their part to contribute to important causes. Every year we see more companies big and small, who are participating in Pride events, launching Pride campaigns, and involving themselves in the fight for acceptance of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

Happy Pride!

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