Blackpowder Wildflower

Shoot the Gap: Bridging the Imaginary Divide Between Grit and Femininity

2020-09-28T13:43:00.004-07:00

Do you ever see those lists?

You know the ones. They’re on your social media feed every other day with “How High Maintenance Are YOU?” scrawled across the top, giving instructions to award yourself one point for every “high maintenance” activity you participate in, i.e., wearing makeup, showering daily or dyeing your hair, then encourage you to compare your totals with other women in the comments.

The items vary slightly, but the comment section is, without fail, divericated - one half making fun of themselves with princess emojis and shrugs for their high digit totals, the other quietly (or loudly, depending on the composition of your friend’s list) expecting applause for being “low maintenance” or “one of the boys”, taught in quiet Pavlovian fashion to seek recognition from those who praise a woman who is, in black and white, “no fuss”.

These things are so funny to me because, through these lists itemizing our femininity and categorizing our levels of expectation, maintenance and “fuss”, myself and so many of the women I surround myself with are made to feel as though we exist in multiple planes.

Do you know how many women have deep farmer’s tans due to working outdoors in the dirt, on the ranch, in the trades, who still keep self tanner under their sink in the winter to call upon when their glow starts to fade? How many women I know who seal their eyelash extensions off behind shooting glasses or a welding hood? How many closets hold both ballgowns and blaze orange, six inch heels and steel toed boots, makeup bags and tackle boxes?

I remember being laughed at on early high school Sunday mornings, flinging open doors - late, always just a little bit late - into the church ladies’ room in a backwards ballcap and too-big underarmour camo with rolled sleeves and waistband, exiting moments later smoothing the hem of my Sunday best, the only trace of my alter ego a stubborn faint smudge of eye black on my cheek or dried blood stuck beneath pink fingernails.

Social media has become a gladiatorial arena for women in any sphere of the outdoor realm; participants and onlookers equally bloodthirsty for opportunity to tear into others for their personal care or styling choices, color preferences (God forbid you embrace pink!) or even verbiage (“huntress vs hunter”, for example, has become a laughably arbitrary point of contention) while entirely missing the point - we are all out there just trying to get it done in our lives, chasing meaning, accomplishment, achievement, fulfillment, life. Living, as complex people, who refuse to be just one thing. We are strong. We are gentle. Beautiful. Brave. Opinionated. Accomplished. Encouraging. Wise. Nurturing.

Ranchers. Hunters. Anglers. Craftsmen. Tradesmen. Artists. Athletes.

Feminine.

Gritty.

While they can, at first glance, seem in opposition, femininity is no more removed from grit than youth from inexperience, war from peace. While they may present in different forms, the two are themselves inextricable.

If we should so choose to usher them out, gone are the days of looping the fickle, neatly boxed categorizations and expectations of others around our ankles like cinderblocks. Gone are the days of believing you, your sisters, your daughters, your friends - can be sorted and classified by initial glances and shallow lists. Gone are the days of playing contortionist and forcing ourselves into boxes that are just too small to carry who we are.

Gone are the days of believing any one of us can only be one thing.

Six Feet Apart: Combating Coronavirus & Cabin Fever

2020-05-01T10:30:00.002-07:00

Regardless of where you stand on the way the world is handling the COVID-19 pandemic, I think we can all settle on the common ground that playing outside in some capacity is good for everyone. This week as a contributor to Miss Pursuit, I gave some ideas to help you and your family combat both cabin fever and the coronavirus in even the most locked down states. Give it a read here, then go play outside already!

Chilly Girl’s Guide to Base Layers

2020-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Last week over at Miss Pursuit, I started sharing some of my tips for staying warm during your coldest winter escapades. Whether you’re trying to buy clearanced gear for next year or your ice season is still going strong, check out my base layering tips here!

Preface to Mess

2020-02-13T12:56:00.001-08:00

When this picture was taken, I couldn't feel my hands, hadn't been able to keep food down for three days, and hadn't caught a single fish in a month and a half. I did not catch one this day either, and proceeded to cry on the shore for twenty minutes while failing to tie palomar knots with frozen fingertips, throwing an elaborate shoreline pity party with a single sorry invitee.

Nevertheless, when posted on social media platforms this dramatic image garnered hundreds of likes, painting a portrait of a determined angler in the latest outdoor gear with a flashy rod she built herself, possibly hooking record breaking rainbows as quickly as she could cast. The girl in the picture is determined; the girl in the picture knows what she is doing. And yet, the girl in the picture isn't perfect. She cries, she loses lures to the weeds and birdnests her line in a careless moment.

As I begin to share content here and expand upon my other channels, I just wanted to preface it by saying airbrushed perfection is not my goal. Life is messy, grace is MESSY, and I am messy. Do not for a minute let me fool you into believing that it's all sunsets, Bible studies, successful hunts, competition wins and Hallelujah on the back porch. One of the greatest and most unfortunate illusions of social media is that everything appears so effortless - this can cause others to feel like somehow, by encountering life's everyday hurdles, they don't measure up. Content creators filter more than just the images themselves - they also filter which content they choose to share, and which highlight reels are worthy of the public eye. Rarely do we see anything uncut, rarely do we catch a glimpse of the climb on the way to the summit. However, my goal isn't to alienate, create anything unattainable, or to make anyone feel like less than enough - rather, it is to inspire and help you pursue a relationship with the outdoors, and the Lord who created it. I want to be a builder of bridges rather than hold stock in the erecting of walls or shilling of fun house mirror illusions. For the sake of transparency, and for all the kids in my inbox who look up to me, I want to share real content with you, coming from a real, flawed, and fallible person, saved and living through grace alone. Instead of pretending obstacles don't exist, I want to paint maps of the mountains I've climbed, help you scale your own, and celebrate together all the way up.

Grab your gear.

Blackpowder Wildflower

2020-02-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

Blackpowder Wildflower Inc. is a twofold project comprised of Blackpowder Media and Wildflower Ministries and where they intersect. Conceived in 2017 and inspired by founder Katie Payne's two greatest personal passions, we have created this platform with the goal of helping others build connections and forge pathways to a relationship with The Lord and the awe inspiring outdoor world He created.

Currently BPW is working to build content and community that inspires and opens doors for others from all over into the outdoor world. Other facets of our industry including outreach, media and nonprofit comprehensive learning opportunities are still in development, as well as other long term goals we are excited to share in the near future.

Content is all-inclusive, covering all manners of hunting, fishing, competitive shooting, water sports, snowmobiling and countless other outdoor recreational activities for both beginner and experienced participants. We also share personal stories and think pieces on outdoor experience, community and industry, as well as in-depth guides for you to try things for yourself. The goal of this page in its infancy is simply to help aid you in your adventures while providing a Christ-centered community and positive role models for the next generation of sportsmen.