Women 'Take Up Space' - Post something you're good at without putting yourself down.

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

I saw this on twitter recently: you tweet something you're damn good at, without apologising or getting into false modesty.

I was feeling a bit down today reading all the threads about how feminism is too this or too that, too academic or too humourless or not good enough at explaining itself - and I thought maybe it'd be good to have a more positive thread.

Rules: if you post a non-serious 'I'm so good at eating my bodyweight in stale Easter Eggs/procrastinating on MN' type thing, this counts as false modesty and you need to post something else too!

I'll start - I'm a really good teacher.

Brutalista you're dealing with something terrible, you're self aware about what the problem is and you're keeping going.
Most of us are just lucky that good health enables us to have a lot of freedom we sometimes take for granted. The strength of a woman with chronic illness is mighty and too often ignored.

I have an excellent memory for places, directions, trivia, conversations.

I can assimilate and apply complex information quickly and explain it to others easily.

I am an empathetic listener.

I can handle conflict and difficult conversations extremely well.

And I'm a great mum.

I'm articulate and a good debater/public speaker.

I'm a good friend.

I make great sponge cakes.

So good to see so little self deprecation:)

I am great at exams

I am able to motivate and inspire others and to really help them achieve

I am decisive and brave and have put myself at risk for others

I'm a good quilter and gardener, which has been a revelation to me since failed HE and was known for years as the plant hospice .

I'm fantastic at embroidery and cross stitch.

I'm the DIY whizz in our house.

I can tell if a piece of furniture will fit into a spot by eye (dimension wise).

I'm a fast reader who can assimilate knowledge quickly.

I'm diplomatic and good at getting on with people. I know exactly what to say and how to say it. Put me in any work environment and I'll pick it up fast, too. I have good attention to detail without any of that 'perfectionist, can't delegate' nonsense. I also don't pretend I can't ask for help, I can & do.

I'm techy. I'm the one that sorts out all broadband/cable/download stuff in our house.

I'm really good and caring with other people's kids, not just my own. They like me.

I'm an excellent organiser and a pretty damn good cook, too.

I have a fantastic imagination.
I am a good writer.
I cook and bake very well.
I can strike a good balance between authoritative and fun with my kids.
I'm funny.

I write damn good books.

I'm a bit of all you published writers as that's what I aspire towards this week. is there a corner of mumsnet for writers, both the made its and the wannabes?

Brutalista
You are certainly good at putting yourself down.

To be good at something you don't have to be the best. Just to do it well. I'm sure there are a few things you are good at.

CycleChic - there are lots of topics in the Creative Writing section, but not that much traffic.

Also - I am good at helping other people when I can, so if you want to PM, please do .

Thanks, wheeze

I'm really kind and I have done a great job of raising two children to be kind to others. In fact, I'm a great mother.

I'm good at spelling.

cycle the creative writing section of MN can be very quiet.

However, there are lots of excellent CW forums out there. Plus some good blogs/websites.

Nicola Morgan's is great fun, and very good on craft.

I posted earlier and keep looking at later posts too. Writing my post "out loud"was v cathartic and yet the continuing internal dialogue, as I read others' posts and think 'oh, yes, I'm that too!' Is even more valuable. I'm continually telling ME what I'm good at and, if I carry on reading for another 40 of years, that may finally counterbalance the constant self deprecation that has been my mainstay...

I was in a meeting to try to get paid a fair wage for some of the work I do and was appalled to hear my female colleague say "I don't like to blow my own trumpet…"

I am an excellent, empathic swimming teacher. I am charismatic. I can sing. I can do all the accents (especially Latvian, I am very good at Latvian)

I have an incisive brain, am a good listener and am proper funny.

I was told recently that the training I facilitated was the best someone had ever done. You know what? I'm a fabulous trainer.

I pulled a session on adult education, race and culture out of my arse when I was let down by my manager and another trainer. With 15 minutes to plan. And the reason it worked was that the atmosphere in the room was so warm and comfortable that the session ran itself.

Also, I speak Italian.

Having done that, you know what's interesting. I was told that the training was the best by someone and I blahed something about, "well the group was so great" or something. I wanted to enjoy the thrill of having really worked my arse off for 3 days (headaches, missed meetings, food not turning up, putting out fires all while teaching) but couldn't. I couldn't tell anyone.

Is it actually shameful to be good at something while female?

I feel that I too periodically pull off minor miracles but I either feel resentful that no one notices, or I think that everyone must be doing this all the time and there's nothing special about it. Which one is it? Or both?

I am really glad this is still going strong.

I wanted to say - if anyone wants to do it on twitter too, I'm sure you found it, but the hashtag is #takeupspace.

Upto - I think it's that we don't give ourselves enough credit. You pull of minor miracles, but we're conditioned to do that and then draw little attention, so people don't notice.

People do believe what you say to them. If you keep saying (or indicating with your general conversation) that you're only moderately good, or nothing special, they believe it.

(Lesson re-learned forcefully yesterday as I was chatting about book proposals with a friend - hers was absolutely cracking, and I still had to take a minute to think, wow, this is really exciting, because she wasn't writing it as if it were half as good as it clearly was.)

Thank you, lovely lot. Today is a good day and I thought I'd have another try.

I am really good at making plants grow and thrive.

My aim is eerily accurate and I am a remarkable darts player

I'm very calm and a good listener, people often open up to me about difficult subjects.

I make a badass curry.

There!

Aw, I'm glad you came back!

You rock.

(I do think people who are good with others' emotions are sometimes hardest on themselves, which might or might not be an issue. Clearly, in this case, hard on themselves with no need!)

I have a lovely image, Brutalista, of you nonchalantly flicking darts into a bullseye with one hand whilst stirring curry with the other.

May I thank this thread. I've got a PDR next week and had to do some preparation for it. As a direct result of this thread I clearly stated what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing and sold myself much more than I previously would have done. It will also stand me in good stead as, in all probability, I've got to apply for a new job in the near future. (I may have omitted the tractor-driving/hay making bit )

It's quite cathartic!

And making badass curries is wonderful talent, Brutalista. You will always have good food!