Festivelle 2016 – An inspiring event!

The Weekend that was a learning experience!!!

Last weekend I had the fortuity to attend a unique event, Festivelle 2016. An event meant for women, by women. The event had many things lined up for the attendees, right from some brilliant pop-up stalls to panel discussions and stand-up/music acts. The whole festival was packaged and presented brilliantly. I also ended up meeting so many people whom I knew online but had never found the opportunity of meeting. I had awesome fun all in all at this Festivelle.

Now coming back to why I am writing about it here? It’s because I got so much to learn from the panel discussions from experts and participants. Some of the major takeaways from the Festivelle were:

Festivelle 2016

Firstly, we need festivals like these. C’mon women, places where we can just be us and have other women to bond with or just chill have a drink and exist. Without making mental to-do lists constantly or thinking, what’s the next chore? The ambiance and the setting in itself was the winner for me. Everything else was a cherry on the cake.

• We are driven by hormones. Yes, we are. And there is no shame in that.
  

  Festivelle 2016

  We were built like that and we need to be able to accept it and deal with it. Women of a more complex physiology than men, it is mainly driven in cycles. So women need to understand this, learn what makes them tick and take it from there. Don’t be ashamed if you are hormonal; just make sure you know what’s the right thing for you.

• It’s good to be a bad mom. Women are constantly being judged, for everything that they do, wear, don’t do, don’t wear, eat, and exist. Everything. Be a Mom that suits you. If you want to be a hands-on mother, then be that. But if your career demands to be away then don’t feel guilty about it. Happy moms make the best mom. There are many things in this world to make you go on a guilt trip, and let being a mom not be one of it. Do what suits you, your child and is best for functioning of the house. One may think very differently from what you think. But if what you think works for you and makes sure your child is nurtured and taken care of then go for it.
• Real Orgasms are our Birthright. Hell, yeah! Its common knowledge that women rarely orgasm. But then we as women have been asked to be ashamed of expressing out sexuality for ages.
  

  Festivelle 2016

  Because of that conditioning a woman finds it difficult to express herself in bed. Women are often scared to tell their partners what they want in bed, to be scared of being labeled as ‘loose’ or ‘slut’. But that isn’t true, what we learnt that being guided to her sexual desire is one of the greatest turn on for men. So get your jiggy on, lead your man to what your body desires and light that bed on fire (Or the dining table or bathroom or kitchen platform or sofa). The way to a great orgasm is the knowledge of what you want and the skill of getting it.

• All women need a get-away fund. I believe that as a couple, men and women tend to share their funds. It is important for women (and men) to keep aside some funds for that rainy day that you may have to spend alone. Who doesn’t want relationships to last forever? We all want that. But sometimes shit happens and it is harsh. So you need to be prepared with a secret stash to get you through those days.
• Back to the Battlefront. A lot of women go through a break in employment when they choose to be a stay at home mother to take care of the child after birth. When you go out there, don’t sell yourself short.
• Get Fit, Women. Health is paramount. We all need to be fit to be active and healthy mothers to our children. A woman’s body changes tremendously from 20s to 30s to 40s, so what you took for granted at 23 may not hold true when you are 43. The emphasis should be on eating right, right from your 20s to create a healthy foundation for your body to lean on later in life. There is also a necessity of building muscles for good health and that pink glow. Muscles are the building blacks of strength and longevity; they would support the bones as you age. So cut the fat and build the muscles! (Women don’t bulk up with weight training! We just don’t have the hormones for it). Also, there is no substitute to exercise. Find what suits you, your body, mood and schedule, stick with it. Create a healthy lifestyle to be fit and happy.

The music nights after the panel discussion were to die for. I am definitely heading to the festivelle when it happens again. Truly trilled by the experience!!!

Festivelle 2016