Vagina Festival - Conversation 2 - Lifestyle Diva

If you want to feel motivated after a conversation, you must call in the MC of the Vagina Festival, the Luscious Lifestyle Diva herself, Yolanda Shoshi Shoshana!

As if the performers and artwork on display weren't motivating enough, Shoshi made sure to keep things rolling and upbeat the whole weekend with her sassy on stage introductions and fabulously positive attitude. If you ask me she stole the show just like a diva would.

In between her on stage introductions and during intermission, I got a chance speak with Shoshi in detail about all things diva from living a luscious life, the wonders of being single, and self growth. In speaking with her, little did I know she works as a Lifestyle Diva Coach for a living, empowering women to live and create the life they love.

My spirits were uplifted after getting to know Shoshi. If you're looking to divasize your life or the women in it check her Luscious Lifestyle Diva website.

And I'll leave you with my favorite Shoshi-Diva quote for the weekend "Keep The Course, You are the Force!"

Vagina Festival - Conversation 1 - Fahimeh Vahdat

In my last entry I told you about my conversation with Alexandra Jacoby, which was probably the most all-encompassing one that really pieced together the whole weekend and Vagina Festival for me.

It was the conversation I had with exhibiting artist, Fahimeh Vahdat that really hit close to home in a personal way through the connection we share as Femal Persian/Iranian Americans. I hadn't yet gotten the chance to view the art in the gallery room at Vagina Festival when my sister ran over to me in a frenzy excited about a piece of work that had farsi script written on it. She dragged my dad over to translate and of course I got stuck at the Maxim post.

I sat at my post excited and waiting my turn to view the artwork of a fellow Iranian American Woman and I thought to myself "wow, a Persian Woman Artist on exhibit at the Vagina Festival?!!??!!" Why the "wow" you may be asking?

Even as the very priviliged first generation Female Persian American that I am, in coming from a culture where women were and in some cases still are treated as second class citizens and have no sense of self or opportunity other than being a homemaker(not that there is anything wrong with being a homemaker if that is what you so desire and not something that is forced upon you), I am still impressed and excited by women who have overcome the traditional boundaries faced by their ancestors and other woman.

An artist who is free to express herself however she wishes is truly free. Through her artwork, Fahimeh Vahdat has reached the ultimate freedom; not only has she personally broken the chain of traditional female supression plaguing many Iranian women, but she is using her talent to inspire and inform others about the work that remains to be done to free all women.



In "The Soldiers are Coming" piece photographed above and exhibited at Vagina Festival, Vahdat depicts the threat of violence experienced by the women of Iran. Although Vahdat's focus on terrorized women lies with her experience and connection to Iran, she is quick to note that "violence against women is a worldwide phenonmenon, not limited to country, type of government, ethnicity, race religion or class." "The Soldiers are Coming" is only one of a series from "What will Befall Her?" that explores Vahdat's interest in addressing the other forms of gender opression women face around the world, which include but ar not limited to the killing of female babies, bride burning, "honor killing", rape camps, female genital mutilation, sexual trafficking in women and children and incest. With women like Vahdat on the forefront encouraging people to have conversations about the tortures women face on a daily basis, we are well on our way to free other women.

I'm not much of a talker, so although I say I was lucky enough to actually meet and have a conversation with Vahdat at the Vagina Festival, it really wasn't as much of a verbal conversation as I wish I could have had. It was the visual conversation I had with her piece of work that moved me the most and said more than any number of words could possibly say.

Thank you Vahdat for your work and inspiration in creating conversations!

Taking the Private Public with Vaginas

Even with the Vagina Security on hand as photographed above, Vaginas were definitely not kept private at this past weekend's Vagina Festival; between the few performances I got to peek in on (when I got a second to sneak away from the Maxim information table), the gallery of artwork on display, the wonderful conversations I had with the lovely women (and men!)I met, and the personal exchanges I had with exhibiting artists, I finally fully understand the boldness behind the Vagina Festival.

In deciding to sponsor the event, it only made sense to be a part of such an empowering event, but as described in my last Explorer entry, I didn't feel comfortable with the title of the event in taking what I always held private, public.

It was really the warm nurturing spirit behind the event that made me understand it fully, but the defining moment came in a brief conversation I had with producer, artist, and activist, Alexandra Jacoby.


The inspiration behind Alexandra's work and creation of the Vagina Festival came from a conversation she had with a friend nearly eight years ago who thought there was something wrong with her vagina. In a world and time where we are infiltrated and in turn sometimes unknowning deeply affected by the overpowering images we see on television, the internet, and other forms of doctored up media that aren't truly reflective of reality, we might be inclined to think there is something wrong with us if we don't look like the airbrushed images we are bombarded with. Not only do the images affect our sense of what the physical should look like, but they affect a sense of how and who we should be, leaving us feel insecure if we don't live up to that standard and forgetful that all vaginas are not created equally.

In spending more time in front of the technological tools, i.e. computers and televesions that spew out these biased unfullfilling images, we don't get to have the conversations and experiences that help us see that there really is nothing wrong with us.

Thanks to Alexandra's one conversation with a friend, Vagina Festival succesfully created three days of conversations and real images that gave people the opportunity to explore different ideas, which left them feeling better about themselves. Over the next few days, I will share a few of my conversations with you, as well as other highlights from the event that left me feeling more proud and public about the private.

Congratulations to the whole fantastic Vagina Festival Staff in accomplishing your goal of bringing people together to converse in the beauty of the Vagina, by taking the private public in order to reach the higher goal of acheiving confidence, conversations and a sense of community.

The Art of Vaginas in Stimulating Conversations

Vaginas are at the top of our priority list. In creating products that provide vaginas with the healthiest and safest menstrual vagina care possible we're always on the lookout for other Vagina supporters. That's why we made sure to be a part of this year's 2008 Vagina Festival taking place at the Sage Theater in New York City.


Vaginas need recognition and that's exactly what Alexandra Jacoby, the creator the the Vagina Festival is giving women, men, artists, performers and any interested parties an opportunity to do in the most creative way possible. It's not just about the vagina at face value; it goes way beyond that. It's about bringing people togetherto exchange ideas, challenge cultural norms and celebrate women through visual art and interactive activities.

In putting the vagina at the forefront and using it so boldly in the event's title, it makes what some people tend to keep private not so private, encouraging people to talk about things they may never get a chance to talk about and need to know about.

We'll be there talking about why the vagina needs organic and natural cotton, cellulose fluff pulp free, chlorine free, synthetic free, fragrance free products.

When my father, the creator of Maxim products, announced to our friends and family at our last family gathering of thirty people that we will be sponsoring the Vagina Festival, I nearly turned as red as the strawberries we were serving for dessert. The word vagina comes up on a daily basis when working with my dad and I have to admit I still sometimes cringe.

So is it the word vagina that makes me cringe or the fact that I'm talking about it with my dad? I would say it's a little bit of both, but as the Explorer, I'm looking forward to exploring this issue of vaginas (i'm cringing as I type it) and everything else that comes along with it this weekend at the Vagina Festival. I hope all you fellow New Yorkers will join me! I'll keep you posted on my experience.....