(no title)

Happy belated anniversary date to Frida Kahlo, a chingona artist. She died on July 13, 1954 leaving art that lives on in perpetuity through her incredibly emotive images and poetry.

N.Muray collection

The term “Chingona” is a Spanglish term, slang, for a

bad ass, wise woman, powerful, individualist, self-activated, a woman who lives a life for their own approval, self-empowered, a strong woman

You might find the word in an urban dictionary but it’s a subjective term that’s more of a concept than a specific definition. I think most Latino’s agree with terms similar to those I mentioned above and could probably add more identifiers.

Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican painter, and is perhaps best known for her self-portraits. Kahlo’s life began and ended in Mexico City, in her home known as
La Casa Azul ( the Blue House). Diego Rivera was her husband. Leon Trotsky and Nickolas Muray (the photographer of this 1938 photo) were her lovers.

One of my favorite authors, Sandra Cisneros, shares her perspective on “How to be a Chingona in 10 easy steps.” One of the steps rings true about Frida Kahlo’s life:

Depression has a purpose if you use it before it uses you. Compost it through art

Frida Kahlo encountered much suffering in her life. The polio she contracted at age six left her right leg thinner than the other, a bus accident resulted in a broken back and a pierced abdomen resulted in subsequent miscarriages. Her husband was also tempestuous and unfaithful.

She produced 143 paintings, 55 of which are self-portraits. When asked why she painted so many self-portraits, Frida replied: “Because I am so often alone….because I am the subject I know best.” This video, from the History Channel, gives a view of Frida’s life:

This visceral poem is one of my favorites:

MEMORY

I had swayed. Nothing else. But suddenly I knew

In the depth of my silence

He was following me. Like my shadow, blameless and light

In the night, a song sobbed…

The Indians lengthened, winding, through the alleys of the town.

A harp and a jacaranda were the music, and the smiling dark-skinned girls

Were the happiness

In the background, behind the “Zócalo,” the river shined

and darkened, like

the moments of my life.

He followed me.

I ended up crying, isolated in the porch of the parish church,

protected by my bolita shawl, drenched with my tears.

—-

Reproduced in The Letters of Frida Kahlo: Cartas Apasionadas, ed. and trans. Martha Zamora, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, p. 9.

Today, more than half a century after her death, her paintings fetch more money than any other female artist. Felicidades to a gran chingona, La Frida.

Now go out and live like a chingona.

Writing can be time consuming, frustrating and I’ll say it, a little tedious. It shouldn’t be, especially if it’s your passion, but stuff happens (especially when it comes to revisions). So when I’m at my wits end I take a break, find a book and the nearest quiet area. Sometimes I take a walk or watch a re-run of the Big Bang Theory.

numuko.tumblr.com

It’s a break with a purpose: either to enrich me, relax me, or make me laugh. Today I went in search of all three. I found some wise, funny or weird words from writers, famous, infamous or otherwise.

Hunter S. Thompson:
With novels such as “The Rum Diaries,” “Hells Angels,” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” I’d say his advice worked. Some more of his words to write to…“Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

Elmore Leonard:

“Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose” !!! (Exclamation points are mine)

Ernest Hemingway:

etsy.com

English Professor (Name Unknown), Ohio University:

“I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.” (Wasn’t I or is it me?)

William Safire:

“Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.” He also said, “A writer must not shift your point of view” and “Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.” He’s also a Pulitzer Prize recipient, so take heed.

possibilitygirl

Sylvia Plath : this quote isn’t weird but the giant Post-It qualifies.

For some more wacky wise words click over to Colin Falconer’s blog “Looking for Mr. Goodstory,” His post inspired me to find more quotes.

And now, back to my revisions.

You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke. ~ Arthur Plotnik, The Elements of Editing

Frida Kahlo- Chingona Artist

Weirdly Wise Words from Writers

Share This Post:

Share This Post: