2020, my friends … a year we won’t soon forget! The way this year has been going, we need all the inspiration we can get. So, make sure you add What Would Frida Do?: A Guide to Living Boldly to your reading list. This debut book by Arianna Davis is both informative and fun, drawing on iconic artist Frida Kahlo’s fearless spirit to examine how she would approach life’s most challenging and important situations. Kahlo undoubtedly lived her life passionately and without reservation, an approach we can all learn a thing or two from.
For those unfamiliar with Frida Kahlo and her art, What Would Frida Do? does a wonderful job of providing an overview of her life and works. Her paintings are so highly praised because they reflect intimately and transparently upon her life. Famous for painting self-portraits, Kahlo wanted to show herself as she really was, not as some idealised version of self. Her body ravaged by polio at age six and again in a bus accident at age 18, Kahlo struggled and suffered throughout her life with immense pain and physical ailments. She is also well known for one particular physical attribute: her bold eyebrows. She used her painting to challenge stereotypes of feminine beauty, ultimately showing her strength and confidence, as well as her vulnerability, throughout the many ups and downs in her life. Kahlo’s paintings were also a way to share and promote her love of her Mexican heritage, as well as her strong political views.
By examining this body of work, alongside the real-life stories which inspired Kahlo’s paintings, Davis is able to glean and share with readers many lessons for living more boldly in all aspects of our lives. From style and creativity to love and sex, pain and heartbreak to identity and friendships, What Would Frida Do? covers it all. Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from Frida, and likewise from this book, is to be ourselves, no matter who we may be. To embrace that person and live our own unique, beautiful lives with tenacity and courage. As Davis writes, Kahlo’s entire life was a work of art — “performance art” — because she lived just this way. Energy and attention was given to everything from her fashion choices and hairstyles to the way dining tables were set and decorated. In all things, Kahlo was able to find beauty.
There is a reason (many reasons, in fact!) Frida Kahlo continues to fascinate the public over 65 years after her death and Davis perfectly captures that essence in What Would Frida Do? Life isn’t easy. (We all know that after this year, if nothing else, right?!) Each of us face our own battles or demons, our own individual ups and downs, throughout our time on Earth. Davis shows us how Kahlo viewed pain and suffering as part of life’s natural journey; she did not fear these experiences, nor should we. After all, we are stronger than we know … and Frida is surely proof of that, as she pushed through her own emotional and physical pain in incredible ways. What an inspiration!
What Would Frida Do? is a great book for those looking to learn more about Frida Kahlo, as well as for those who have been lifelong fans (or “Friduchas,” as Davis calls them here). Each reader is sure to take away some unique lessons about living their own life to the fullest.
What Would Frida Do? is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 20th 2020. Many thanks to Seal Press for providing me with an advance copy of this intriguing read. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Will you be picking up What Would Frida Do? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A contemporary guide to life, love, and happiness inspired by the extraordinary artist Frida Kahlo.
Revered as much for her fierce spirit as she is for her art, Frida Kahlo stands today as a brazen symbol of daring creativity. She was a woman ahead of her time whose paintings have earned her generations of admirers around the globe. But perhaps her greatest work of art was her own life.
What Would Frida Do? explores the feminist icon’s signature style, outspoken politics, and boldness in love and art, even in the face of pain and heartbreak. The book celebrates her larger than life persona as a woman who loved passionately and lived ambitiously, refusing to remain in her husband’s shadow. Each chapter shares intimate stories from her life, revealing how she overcame obstacles by embracing her own ideals.
In this charming read, author Arianna Davis conjures Frida’s brave spirit, encouraging women to persevere, to create fearlessly, and to stand by their own truths.
