Flying Vulva Buttons and Mother Mary Postcards for sale in my Etsy Shop
When I saw the order in my Etsy Shop for 3 Flying Vulva buttons and a pack of Mother Mary postcards, I thought it the perfect combination.
The idea for my Flying Vulva came from the ancient goddess culture, where vulvas were depicted on all kinds of art as a symbol of life-giving power. My Flying Vulva represents a woman’s power and the right to freedom in all areas of her life.
There are many interpretations of Mother Mary around the world and through the years. I believe that she is a descendant of the ancient goddesses. Worshiped by women as they had done for thousands of years before the idea of a single male god.
My interpretation of Mother Mary is about creativity. She’s a part of everyday life, not worshiped at a distance.
So for me, my Mother Mary and Flying Vulvas are a good combination of feminist power, creativity, freedom, and finding the divine within ourselves as well as in everyday life.
“Maria, since your Vulva Potholders I have been seeing them (vulva, not potholders] everywhere! This is an antique botanical painting of Indigofera Tinctoria.”
This was the message I got, with the photo of the antique botanical painting, from Karen.
Vulva’s do seem to be in so many places in nature, beside women’s bodies.
When I looked at this botanical, I thought of some of the women and men who saw my potholders and decals as disgusting. I wondered if they would think this flower disgusting or shameful.
And then I wondered what the difference is.
All I could come up with is our history of seeing women’s bodies as something to be admired and ashamed of, at the same time.
Last night on the way home from Bellydancing I heard an interview on the radio with golfer and writer, Anya Alvarez. She wrote an article about how women professional athletes have a different dress code and standards then men.
She said:
“… we also see this happening in society where women are told to be feminine but don’t be too provocative because you don’t want to sexualize yourself too much. But then they’re also being put in positions where they feel like they do have to sexualize themselves. So they’re constantly walking this tightrope and being criticized from all different directions no matter what they do.”
It didn’t occur to me when I made my Flying Vulva Decals that some women wouldn’t want to put them on their cars or in other public places. But I’m seeing that many people don’t feel comfortable with this statement of women’s freedom and power.
I think some of the confusion comes from just what Alvarez is talking about. Walking that tightrope of wanting to be who we are, and express ourselves freely, but feeling like we don’t want to “over do it”. We don’t want to be “one of those women.”
Joan told me that as much as she likes what my Flying Vulva stands for, she sees it as divisive. Putting it on her car could be polarizing from her neighbors who may feel differently.
I think this speaks directly to the climate of our country, and our increasing inability to have open and civil discussions about the things we disagree about.
My Flying Vuvla also makes some people uncomfortable because it’s a representation of a woman’s sex organ.
But really, it’s far from an anatomically correct image of a vulva. For one thing, it has wings!
To me it’s a beautiful and powerful symbol. In the same vein as the ancient goddess art found on pottery and in statue form all over the world. Except that my Flying Vulva is of our time, incorporating the feminist movements of the past hundred and fifty years or so.
In her message to me on Etsy after buying a Flying Vulva Decal and Potholder , Anne wrote….”Finally I’m getting the flying vulva decal and potholder. Maybe I needed courage to do it? I am just drawn to the power in this.”
Yes, it takes courage to stand up for what you believe in. It takes courage to tell our truth and put it out into the world.
My Flying Vuvla is not an attack on anyone. It’s a statement of women’s freedom,strength and power, in a world where women have been seen and treated as less then men instead of as equal human beings.
I’m curious to know how you feel? Would you put a Flying Vulva Decal on your car or somewhere else in your home? (Lori is putting it in her kitchen window). Do you see it as an empowering symbol or something else?
I’ve already had some very civil and interesting conversations with people I agree and disagree with, I’d love to have more…..
You can see and buy my Flying Vulva Decals here in my Etsy Shop .
A Flying Vulva Decal (and Army of Good bumpersticker) on Becca’s car.
My Flying Vulva Sticker 3″x2 3/4″ $4 including shipping for sale in my Etsy Shop.
I came up with the idea of my Flying Vulvas in 2018. They were a response to Trump’s presidency. First I made them into potholders, then stickers, pillows, pins, and magnets.
I decided to have more stickers made when some younger people, who don’t read my blog, found the magnets in my Etsy Shop.
My Flying Vulvas are a symbol of a woman’s freedom to make her own choices about her life and her body. They are about our freedom to choose who we want to be.
My new Flying Vulva stickers have arrived at just the right time since tomorrow is Election Day.
You can buy my Flying Vulva stickers in my Etsy Shop. They’re 3″x 2 3/4″ and are $4 including shipping.
Kelsey From Jean’s Diner with one of my Flying Vulva Decals.
I never know who is going to respond to my Flying Vulvas and how.
When Jon wanted to give a Flying Vulva Decal to Kelsey at Jean’s Diner I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about it. Kelsey is about 25 years younger than me and most of the women I’ve sold my Flying Vulvas to, in any form, have been closer to my age.
But I was delighted when Jon texted me that Kelsey lit up when he gave her the decal. She even took a picture of it and texted it to her friends. And when I saw this photo of Kelsey, I could see what it meant to her.
“After all,” Jon said, “Kelsey wears a WonderWoman outfit to work, of course, she’d “gets’ a Flying Vulva.”
Kelsey also makes a mean veggie wrap, which I have to admit, Jon was also right about.
I have Flying Vulva Decals and buttons for sale in my Etsy Shop.
Wendy just ordered a bunch more of both saying that when she showed them to people at the Krewe de Vieux (one of the parades that launch Mardi Gras) “they all fell in love with them!” ” This is a parade that rolls through the French Quarter, she wrote, and is a spin on politics and sex.”
Sounds to me like the perfect place for my Flying Vulvas to land.
My Flying Vulva Decals and Buttons are for sale in my Etsy Shop. You can buy them here.
A couple of weeks ago I sold out of my Flying Vulva Potholders when someone bought the three that I had, one for her and her two sisters. I decided I always want to have some for sale in my Etsy Shop. I feel like they’re timeless and there will always be someone out there who wants one. So I made a few more today using a combination of linens and fabric.
Last week, after selling out of my Flying Vulva buttons, (someone bought the 17 I had available) I ordered 50 more. (I get my buttons and decals and stickers from Sticker Mule, a company in upstate NY that does a good and quick job).
So, like with my Yoni Tree Potholders, when I get them all done, I’ll be selling my Flying Vulva Potholders each with its own Flying Vulva Button.
My Flying Vulva Decals. You can also buy them in my Etsy Shop. Click here.
From now on I’m going to have to make sure that when I mail out my Flying Vulvas, in what ever form they take… decal, button, pillow or potholder, that I write “The Flying Vulva” as the return address.
Just like Ann did on the self address stamped envelope she sent to me to get a free Flying Vulva decal. She also bought four of them from my Etsy Shop to give away to friends.
I also wanted to share the sparkling words that Ann sent me (in the photo) that are so much in the spirit of my Flying Vulva. Ever since I started making my Flying Vulvas I’m seeing this new wave of Vulva art everywhere, embracing and rejoicing in the inner and outer, sparkling beauty, that all women share.
Thank you Ann, your Flying Vulvas will be landing any day now.
You can buy a Flying Vulva decal in my Etsy Shop or get a free one by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Maria Wulf PO Box 205 Cambridge NY 12816.
I also have a Flying Vulva Pillow for sale and some Flying Vulva Buttons in my Etsy Shop. And I’m always willing to make more Flying Vulva Potholders, just ask!
Flying Vulva Decals $5 including shipping in my Etsy Shop or send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and get one for free.
“I’d like to fly a plane over the Whitehouse and drop thousands of Flying Vulva Decals on it.” Anne wrote to me on facebook.
I could just see it.
A deluge of Flying Vulva’s spiraling down on the Whitehouse, landing on the roof and littering that green lawn, like polynoses from a giant maple tree.
I still have Flying Vulva decals for sale (and when I sell out of them, I plan to order more). Along with Flying Vulva Pillows and Flying Vulva Potholders. I’ve sold many of them, but now sales have slowed down.
Usually when this happens, I move onto the next thing. That’s how my creativity works.
But it’s different with my Flying Vulvas. I’m not giving up on them.
Because my Flying Vulva’s are much too personal to give up on. They are my creative answer to the women’s movement that is happening all over this county right now. Not an organized movement, but a movement of individuals.
Individual stories, individual actions.
Whenever I hear our president say something hateful or demeaning about women I think of my Flying Vulva. When I hear men and women say they want to hear a woman’s story, but don’t really care what she is saying, I think of my Flying Vulva.
I wish I were the kind of person who could figure out how to drop a thousand Flying Vulva’s on the Whitehouse, but I’m not.
I’m the kind of person who takes small individual actions.
I vote, I march, I write emails, I support candidates I believe in.
I create art that speaks to the power inside of us as women. Art that grounds and uplifts. Art that makes me feel successful when I see someone looking at the Flying Vulva decal on my car and they can’t help but wonder and think about it.
This is what I do.
I make art that people can see everyday, in the comfort of their home that will remind them of their individual power and freedom.
Because that’s where I believe change really begins, inside each of us.
To make my Flying Vulva Decals even more accessible I’ve lowered the price to $5 each including shipping. Click here to buy them in my Etsy Shop. Or, if you don’t have the $5, send me a self-addressed stamped envelope to Maria Wulf PO Box 205 Cambridge NY 12816, and I’ll send you one for free.
I am determined to spread my message one Flying Vulva at a time.
Thirteen Potholders, that’s what was the first thing to come after getting back to my studio.
Not that they’re actually potholders yet. But they will be by next week. It’s been a while since I made potholders. But now that my wool and dryer balls are all gone, soon I’ll have something new to put in my Etsy Shop.
I also have some Flying Vulva Stickers on the way.
My Flying Vulvas are popular again. Some younger people who don’t read my blog have found my Flying Vulva Magnets in my Etsy Shop and expressed an interest in stickers. Since I’m low on magnets, I want to make sure I always have Flying Vulvas in one form or another available.
I’m also low on my Heron Magnets. I’m not sure if I’ll be ordering more. It may that everyone who wanted some got them. I’ve sold almost 200 already. So I feel pretty good about that.
We were having dinner with friends and Jon was talking about The Army of Good and the work he’s been doing at Bishop Maginn High School and at The Mansion in response to the 2016 election. Then Ellen asked me what my reaction to the election was.
But it took me till the next day to realize how my art has changed since 2016. My Show Your Soul Posters, Flying Vulvas, and Yoni Trees are all a result of my focusing more on women and women’s issues thanks to having a misogynist in the White House.
It’s been a while since I made a #tinyprinks. That’s because lately, I haven’t been listening to the news. Sometimes the news becomes overwhelming to me and I have to take a break from it.
But when I found out that The Tiny Pricks Project was going to be at The Foundry in West Stockbridge MA, which is about an hour away, I got inspired. Jon and I are planning on going to the gallery this weekend and I want to bring a #tinypricks with me.
For a while, I’ve been wanting to make a #tinypricks using the quote “She had blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever”. Trump used it to describe Megyn Kelly when she was asked a question about him calling women “fat pig, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals” during the 2015 debate.
There are many Trump quotes that I could use, and many of them more recent. But for me, this one says so much about Trump’s feelings towards women. And even though quite a few people have already used it, I think it bears repeating.
I’ve been saving my tampon strings and using them in my art since 2007. So when I thought to embroider this quote, replacing the embroidery thread with my used tampon strings seemed a natural thing to do, especially with the very red hankie I had.
I was a little surprised at how empowering it feels to stitch those words in my own blood. Like I’m not only reclaiming them, but all the ignorant and demeaning things that men have said to me personally throughout my life about women and menstrual blood.
