What Maria Sibylla Merian, Marie Curie, and Beatrix Potter Taught Me about What it Means to be a Powerful Woman
Maria Sibylla Merian - a German Naturalist from the 17th century.
Marie Curie - a Polish scientist from the 19th century
Beatrix Potter - a British children's book author from the 20th century
What can these three women teach me about being strong, smart, and powerful?
1. All three women found a way to graciously, but firmly challenge the social norms and expectations of their time.
Maria, as a single mother, always found a way to support herself and her two young daughters even in cities that often forbade women from owning businesses and allowed only certain occupations to be open to women.
Marie endured constant resistance and discouragement in the field of science, much of her own achievements being credited for her husband's. She was rejected many positions because of her sex. However, her love and passion for scientific discovery enabled her to persist in her efforts.
Beatrix battled blatant sexism as her work in mycology was largely ignored and discredited. She chose one of the few options open to her, as a single woman still living with her parents in her thirties, and began to publish books in order to gain independent income.
2. There are no shortcuts to success and these women worked hard for every achievement that they made.
Maria's discoveries about metamorphosis were only possible because of years of painstaking collection and observation of caterpillars and other larvae.
Marie often went days without sleeping or eating in order to further her education and advance her research.
Beatrix's notebooks show countless pages of practice drawings as she slowly honed her craft.
3. Each one of these women leaned into her nurturing nature and placed a high value on it.
Maria had two daughters, marrying at 18 (though later divorcing from her husband) and spending many years as a homemaker.
Marie also had two daughters, balancing household duties with her busy life as a scientist. Also, Marie valued family so much that she delayed her own studies for years, working as a tutor and giving half of her earnings to her sister so that she could become a doctor.
Beatrix, though childless, wrote countless letters to her friends' children. Many of these letters took the form of stories which were later turned into her books. She also was very involved in the Girl Scouts movement, and allowed many groups to camp on her farmland every year.
4. All three women understood the value of self care and routinely enjoyed periods of rest to add balance to their lives.
Maria spent many years in a religious commune with her daughters and mother, living a quiet life of country industry.
Marie and her husband consistently took each summer off from their labours to go on walking holidays around Europe.
Beatrix took summer holidays every year and used it as a time to discover new faces and places. Her summer holiday locations inspired many of her books.
To be a powerful woman, you do not need to change who you are, or remove any part of what it means to be female. The examples of these women have reminded me that the most powerful change is made through steady commitment to passion, a balanced life, hard work, and a kind push against anything standing in your way.
For more knowledge regarding these three women, I recommend:
"Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis," by Kim Todd
"Madame Curie: A Biography," by Eve Curie
"Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature," by Linda Lear
Marie Curie - a Polish scientist from the 19th century
Beatrix Potter - a British children's book author from the 20th century
What can these three women teach me about being strong, smart, and powerful?
1. All three women found a way to graciously, but firmly challenge the social norms and expectations of their time.
Maria, as a single mother, always found a way to support herself and her two young daughters even in cities that often forbade women from owning businesses and allowed only certain occupations to be open to women.
Marie endured constant resistance and discouragement in the field of science, much of her own achievements being credited for her husband's. She was rejected many positions because of her sex. However, her love and passion for scientific discovery enabled her to persist in her efforts.
Beatrix battled blatant sexism as her work in mycology was largely ignored and discredited. She chose one of the few options open to her, as a single woman still living with her parents in her thirties, and began to publish books in order to gain independent income.
2. There are no shortcuts to success and these women worked hard for every achievement that they made.
Maria's discoveries about metamorphosis were only possible because of years of painstaking collection and observation of caterpillars and other larvae.
Marie often went days without sleeping or eating in order to further her education and advance her research.
Beatrix's notebooks show countless pages of practice drawings as she slowly honed her craft.
3. Each one of these women leaned into her nurturing nature and placed a high value on it.
Maria had two daughters, marrying at 18 (though later divorcing from her husband) and spending many years as a homemaker.
Marie also had two daughters, balancing household duties with her busy life as a scientist. Also, Marie valued family so much that she delayed her own studies for years, working as a tutor and giving half of her earnings to her sister so that she could become a doctor.
Beatrix, though childless, wrote countless letters to her friends' children. Many of these letters took the form of stories which were later turned into her books. She also was very involved in the Girl Scouts movement, and allowed many groups to camp on her farmland every year.
4. All three women understood the value of self care and routinely enjoyed periods of rest to add balance to their lives.
Maria spent many years in a religious commune with her daughters and mother, living a quiet life of country industry.
Marie and her husband consistently took each summer off from their labours to go on walking holidays around Europe.
Beatrix took summer holidays every year and used it as a time to discover new faces and places. Her summer holiday locations inspired many of her books.
To be a powerful woman, you do not need to change who you are, or remove any part of what it means to be female. The examples of these women have reminded me that the most powerful change is made through steady commitment to passion, a balanced life, hard work, and a kind push against anything standing in your way.
For more knowledge regarding these three women, I recommend:
"Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis," by Kim Todd
"Madame Curie: A Biography," by Eve Curie
"Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature," by Linda Lear
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