Sometimes good things are hard at first! Pushing your comfort zone can help you grow what you're able to do!

I used to get tired after walking for a while. I would opt for taking the train or bus for longer distances and thought that was the way things were. But in more recent years, I realized I could walk 15,000 and even 20,000 steps while on trips. And even though I was tired, I could feel myself getting stronger. I started walking more and more in my daily life, and it feels really good to have gained the ability and the confidence to walk further and longer. It's a small little story, but this applies to anything you're trying to do. Things that might seem out of reach could be possible (even if the effort is uncomfortable), so keep going!ヾ(    ´ᵕ` )ゝ

(left: Princess Olga Orlova photographed for the ball of 1903, right: Padmé)

(left: prima ballerina Anna Pavlova in traditional kokoshnik for a photo shoot, right: the kokoshnik-inspired headpiece for Padmé’s refugee disguise)

(left: Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna in traditional dress of nobility, right: concept art for Padmé’s refugee disguise)

So, the more I think about the kokoshnik they used for Padmé’s costume, the more I think about the symbolism and I actually really dig it?

The кокошник (kokoshnik), is a traditional Russian headdress that many of us may already be familiar with - but what I find interesting is the reason why it was traditionally worn by women, and how that ties into a representation of Padmé’s past, while also foreshadowing her future.

These headdresses were worn for a variety of reasons (festivals, status, holidays, etc), by many different women, and at many different time periods throughout history. Most notably, it was often worn by newly married women, who were sometimes expected to wear it from the time of their marriage to the birth of their first child (though traditions and styles varied by region and time period).

As Anakin and Padmé set off on their journey, ultimately to fall in love and secretly marry, I wonder if perhaps the headdress represents their coming marriage as well as a hint towards the birth of Luke and Leia?

The gown is also interesting because it isn’t just Russian traditional clothing, but the clothing of nobility and court, specifically - possibly a nod to Padmé’s past as queen of Naboo and her status at the time of their first meeting.

Reminder that we owe our rights not to corporations putting rainbows on everything, not to white cis gays, but to queer and trans women of color.

Reminder that queer liberation goes hand in hand with racial liberation, with anti-imperialism, with decolonization.

Reminder that other queer people are not your enemy, that all m-spec, aspec, nonbinary, trans, and polyamorous people are not only valid and welcome, but inherently fundamental to the queer community.

Reminder that corporations are not our allies, that true queer liberation is not possible within capitalism.