post 6 sex and creativity

Reading about sex and creativity was rather interesting, especially with the array of topics covered - sadomasichism, aggression, sex goddesses, and more! I thought it really touched on quite a few areas and it was a bit difficult to get into just one thing, but I took special interest in the section about sex goddesses, including Marilyn Monroe, and the comparison to Princess Diana. I was always fascinated by their stories and the similarities between them, which I think was brought into the media's attention through Elton John's song, Candle in the Wind. They seem to have been in the same boat in certain ways, such as their "deeply suffering ways" as Hughes points out, and I totally agreed with the statement that we "like our female icons best when they are in distress". I think this connects to the beginning of the chapter because Hughes was discussing women's roles in art and sex, and these women were such objects of obsession that their lives spiraled out of their personal control because of it. I associated this with the fact that women have always in a way been held back in an artist's world, expected to paint, sculpt, or sing certain things, and this may be because of our gender differences that are engrained from birth. The way we socialize children is nearly impossible to get away from - from the moment the child is born if they are a girl, the blanket is pink, blue for boys, of course. We give girls dolls, don't want boys to play with them, and give boys trucks, and expect them to get dirty, be aggressive, etc. I wonder if this limits our creativity, or at least limits what our children are able to do or express. I can't see a way to get away from it, considering it starts with birth and goes to death, and if you deviate you're seen in a different light. For those not concerned with what people think, creativity may flow much easier than for those who are pushed into gender roles and the like. This also connects to the section on homosexuality and androgyny. It would be nice to assume that people could create art and music and express themselves however they choose, no matter the gender or sexual orientation or whatever. Since this is usually not the case, I think Hughes really expressed his points clearly and showed many pieces of the puzzle doing so.