We wish you a Lazy Christmas!✨❄️
2023 reflections & 2024 excitement
Merry Christmas, Lazies!
Not sure about you but we are ending a busy, challenging but incredibly fulfilling year here at Lazy Women. From participating in our first-ever Accelerator programme, becoming full-fledged members of the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reset!, organising meetups in 4 different cities, and hosting the biggest party of the year in Paris (not to mention our recent crowdfunding campaign, which we gave our all), it is safe to say that there was never a dull moment at Lazy Women in 2023.
After a month of much-needed rest and reflection, we are back with fresh and amazing content and a very special annual treat: our 2024 Lazy Calendars bringing you our most beautiful art for the year ahead.
Here is to cosying up and scrolling through our selection of the best new Lazy Women content of the month, featuring three new articles, one archive special, two (!) new podcast episodes, community updates and open roles (scroll down for those), and some personal reflections on what Christmas means to us and what do we do when things get a bit overwhelming.
Thank you so much for your continuing support this year, it has really meant the absolute world to us. It is incredible to see our network growing and your motivation and drive to do things that matter and connect us.
We wish you all a restful winter holiday period and a smooth entry into 2024. Some big things are coming for Lazy Women next year, so stay tuned 👀
Lazy Women Special: Our 2024 Calendars!
Ho ho ho ho, we have a special announcement for you! 🎁 Our 2024 Lazy Calendars have JUST LANDED. For a few years now, our calendars have been a signature Lazy Women Xmas & New Year’s gift, featuring 12 incredible designs from young Eastern European and Central Asian artists. By purchasing them, you are supporting our non-profit collective of 50+ volunteers smashing the patriarchy & bringing you important content every week. Whoever you are getting them for, we guarantee they will love it. But hurry up, we are only printing a limited number of copies. Who will be the lucky ones starting the year with them? 💝
New on Lazy Women
The Importance of Being a Killjoy
As the holidays approach, so do unsolicited comments around the dinner table. Our last article of the year highlights our everyday struggle of being brought up as women to be a "social lubricant" vs. speaking up for our feminist values. How do we overcome this tension, if at all? Why is it important to be a "killjoy" sometimes?
Article by Izzi Williams
Unveiling De Structura: Bringing Youth and the Art World Together
Meet De Structura, a new organisation that unveils the structures that hang over young artists when entering the art world or trying to establish themselves in it. This piece is brought to you in collaboration with Reset!, the network promoting independent cultural and media actors in Europe. Written by Manon Moulin.
Good Material, by Dolly Alderton: The Lazy Women Review
Lazy Lauren reviews Dolly Alderton's new novel, Good Material. "It made me consider how men think about love, relationships, and sex." Good Material is ideal fodder for cozying up on these creeping autumn nights, candlelit, blanket laid, and a mug of tea or wine glass in hand, as you live your best lazy life. Give our review a read!
And one from our Lazy Archive:
Here’s to Enjoying the Holidays, Guilt-Free
First things first: it’s okay. It’s okay to eat; to overeat; to eat some foods that are bad for you; it’s okay when your body changes: when you gain and when you lose weight. During these holidays, family gatherings and meals can cause anxiety to many; it’s either some relative shaming you for reaching for another cookie – or you guilt yourself. In this special holiday piece, Lazy Tamara chatted to Food Freedom Coach and Registered Dietician Emily Vazquez to learn more about hunger and fullness cues, and how to accept our bodies just as they are.
After a short break, we are back with not one but two episodes of our Lazy Women podcast! Tune in during your holiday travels or while chilling on the sofa, no judgement here. And if you like listening to our podcast, why not share it with your friends and family?
Facing the Uncertainty of Collapse Feminism: Interview with Alice Cappelle
In this episode, Lazy Aizada and our community favourite creator Alice Cappelle delve into Alice’s debut book Collapse Feminism. Alice talks neoliberal feminism, “natural” masculinity and divine femininity, as well as the effect of technology on our understanding of gender and relationships.
Be it a last-minute Christmas present or a new year treat for yourself, this book and interview was the cherry on top of the first 12 months of The Lazy Women Podcast. Thank you so much for listening to us this year - we had a blast!
Challenging Taboos and Fighting the Patriarchy: On Reproductive Health in Pakistan with Ayesha Amin
In this episode, Lazy Selin is joined by Ayesha Amin, the founder of Baithak: a Pakistan-based organisation working to increase women’s access to sexual and reproductive health.
With winter holidays just around the corner, we asked our members what type of Christmas person they are, what is the perfect gift, and how they are coping when things get a little overwhelming.
Zsofi, founder & editor
For me, Christmas is about cosying up in my family home, watching my dog running around, spending time with loved ones, and baking delicious treats. In recent years, though, it has always been intertwined with grief, and the immense lack of someone at the dinner table.
Lauren, writer & partnership coordinator
I try to be intentional about the gifts I buy by keeping a "gift notebook" listing what I've previously gifted people and things they mention throughout the year that might make a good gift idea for birthdays/Christmas. But that's not to say I don't get caught up in all the chaos of the Christmas shopping frenzy come December! 😂🛍️
Similar to Zsofi, I love cosying up at home over the festive break, taking time off work, and enjoying plenty of Baileys, reading time, and Christmas movies. It really is my favourite time of year, and though I have also felt the struggle of fewer faces around the dinner table too, remembering good times with them is always a reason to toast on Christmas Day 🥂❤️✨
Dorina, community manager
In my case, Christmas was never my favourite holiday. As a kid, I always saw my mom being stressed and busy with cooking, preparing, basically making sure everything was perfect, and trying to meet everybody's expectations. I never understood this duality that we talk about love and peace regarding Xmas while most people I knew (especially women) didn't have a peaceful moment and time to sit down. Additionally, there is a constant urge, coming from everywhere, to buy something in the stuffed malls, which I am also not immune to.
Later on, Christmas changed its meaning for me when I lost close family members as an ultimate reminder that something was lacking in my life. At this point, I am trying to create new Christmas traditions with my loved ones, but it is not the easiest time of the year.
What about you? Are you a Christmas fan or more of a Grinch? Or do you not celebrate at all? Let us know!
Lazy Women made it to the Guardian!
Lazy Selen, one of our amazing illustrators, has been interviewed by The Guardian about her work on the Feminism in Pictures: Global Feminist Pitch project organised by Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
Selen's work depicts Turkey’s attitude to the Istanbul convention on preventing violence against women, and the feminist backlash against its withdrawal. "She contributes drawings to Lazy Women, an online platform where her illustrations accompany essays on Turkish elections, urban planning, and the choice to be child-free."
You can read her powerful contribution and the other graphic novels here.
Recipe for feminist content production
a round table discussion in Budapest (9.12.)
🌸 let's soak all of our current knowledge in hot salty water
💓let's tear apart and dice what we read from experts
🦋fry in hot oil until translucently self-reflective
🍒cook with crème fraîche until it becomes intersectional
🔥let's spice it up as hot and provocative as we like it
🎀 sprinkle it with a pink aesthetic as a decoration, so that even those who haven't eaten it before will have a taste!
How to be a ‘perfect feminist influencer’? Does something like that exist? How to deal with cyberbullying, offensive audiences and significant differences of opinion within the Hungarian feminist community? Is Hungarian feminism ready for a big change? These were the questions we were looking for answers to at the Feminist Festival in Auróra in Budapest. 📚
A big thank you to Auróra’s team for giving us this space for discussion and to all of you for coming! To those who missed it, do not worry, we recorded the whole thing! 🎧
And last but not least, a big applause for the team: Eszti Sólyom (Nem azért de… podcast), Franci Kas (artist), Eszti Tóth (feminist kinkster creator), Eszti Csörgeő (Perspektíva blog), Kitti Országh (Lánylétedre blog), Patrícia Tóth (Saját szoba podcast), our moderator, Orsi Balogh (Be your own sugar daddy podcast) and our Lazy Dorina (Vénusz légycsapója feminist creator on TikTok and Youtube).
If you want to join the Hungarian feminist network, shoot a text to dorina@lazywomen.com 🤫
New dance classes by our very own Lazy Izzi
🌟 Announcing an Exciting New Beginners Ballroom and Latin Dance Class in London! 🌟
🕺💃 Join Izzi for her exclusive first 4 week-block of beginner classes on Thursday evenings from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, starting in January, for a fun, laidback and friendly dance experience 💃🕺
🌆 Event Details:
📅 Dates: January 11th – February 1st
🕖 Time: Every Thursday from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
📍 Location: 13 Blandford Street, London, W1U 3DF
🌟 What You'll Learn:
✨ Ballroom Dances: Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Quickstep
✨ Latin Dances: Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba, and Jive
✨ Fundamentals of partner dancing and leading/following techniques
🎉 Why Choose This Dance Class?
🔥 Excellent central London location, perfect for getting on that after work sweat
🔥 Inclusive and supportive dance instructors
🔥 A welcoming learning environment
🔥 Strong belief in there being ‘no right way to dance’ and committed to individuality
🔥 No partner required – come solo or with a friend
🔥 Stress-free and fun-filled classes
🔥 Boost your confidence and enjoy the positive health benefits of dance
For registration and inquiries, please contact Izzi at:
📞 +44 7539 222 053
📱@foxtrotoscar_dance
Free slots in the Lazy Women Team!
Podcast coordinators: we are currently putting together a new podcast team. If you want to help us brainstorm our 2024 content (with exciting interviewees, revolutionary topics, reflective conversations or anything else you are keen to explore) or try out your sound editing skills, don’t hesitate to reach out to Lucie at lucie@lazywomen.com
Newsletter team: we are also looking for new editors for our monthly newsletter, one of our most important community channels with over 800 subscribers. If you always wanted to try out your creative writing skills and have a good eye for curated content, please write to Dorina at dorina@lazywomen.com
We are always looking for more help with social media promotion, grants applications, and partnership outreach. If any of these sound like something you would like to try out, let us know at hello@lazywomen.com. It would be lovely to have you! 💖
This newsletter is the result of 3 people’s work and took 20 hours to create.