Men Have the Audacity… so Should You.
I have a DM in my Facebook archives from 2015 to a former co-worker, asking about what platform his business website was hosted on. His brand was unique and uplifted small Argentinian merchants. At 19 or so years old, he had a profitable retail business. He told me he used Squarespace, then asked what I wanted to sell on my site. After I typed “feminist artwork,” the conversation fizzled.
In 2018 I decided to get over my bullshit and finally SELL ART. I lived in Hawaii at the time, and found myself focusing solely on what consumers would want. I opened my Etsy store, and created marine-inspired watercolors (a medium I rarely worked with before) with cute puns. Some friends and family bought art, but I knew I had a lot of pent-up feelings about patriarchal structure I wanted to express. I was afraid of what people would think, so I kept painting sea life, florals, and custom sweatshirts with dreams of showing my true colors as an artist one day soon.
In 2021 I finally left my abusive husband, started creating more, did runway modeling, and bought hotgirlfarmer.com. I knew I wanted a website to showcase my creativity and newfound love for farming, but wasn’t sure about the direction yet. I designed it as a modeling portfolio and then let it sit. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life, where I wanted to live, or what the future held in the slightest. I was also advised by my legal counsel not to mess with my income during that time. I was dating men who had founded their own businesses and was astounded. You just CREATED a company? You just BOUGHT land? You hired a STAFF? Where did you get the money? Who gave you permission? I was beyond easily impressed.
Late Spring of 2022: I am settling into my Kentucky agriculture job when Roe v Wade gets overturned seemingly out of nowhere. I never before felt such a fire under my ass to CREATE. NOW. I had to finally make my pseudo-explicit feminist art come to life, with proceeds going to somewhere important. I didn’t know what to do but I started drawing–I channeled all the rage and tears and feelings of helplessness into art. With the help of my beautiful, smart, and talented partner, hotgirlfarmer.com became a reality! It was months of work, but what pushed me to finally register as a small business in Kentucky and publish the site was all the men I had met in recent years simply GOING FOR IT in business. I fail? Who cares. I am advocating for a cause that saves women’s lives and enjoying being in a creative flow. The message of Hot Girl Farmer felt clear and I can’t be happier with the look of the brand and having the opportunity to advocate for women.
