Emotional Intelligence: The Feminist Power of Feeling Deeply
By Monica Brinkman, FeministArt.ca
We live in a world that often praises control over compassion, intellect over emotion, and decisiveness over nuance.
But what if our feelings were the most intelligent thing about us?
As a feminist artist, I’ve spent years creating work that explores emotional landscapes — not just as a subject of art, but as a source of power. Emotional intelligence isn’t about “keeping it together.” It’s about knowing yourself deeply, showing up fully, and navigating life with empathy and grounded self-awareness.
This post is a love letter to emotional intelligence — and how reclaiming it is a radical, feminist act.
💡 What Is Emotional Intelligence?
At its core, emotional intelligence (EQ) is your ability to recognize, understand, and manage your emotions — while also being able to do the same for others. It includes self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and emotional expression.
It’s the voice inside you that says:
“I’m feeling overwhelmed — and that’s okay.”
“This tension I’m carrying has a story.”
“I can hold space for this without losing myself.”
And for women, femmes, and marginalized folks who’ve been told for generations that emotion equals weakness — EQ is nothing short of revolutionary.
🎨 Emotional Intelligence Through Art
Every painting I create is born from emotion. Sometimes grief. Sometimes rage. Often softness. Pieces like Heart-Minded, Moonlight Dancing, or Grow to Flow weren’t just made to be looked at — they were made to be felt.
Art helps us practice emotional intelligence.
It gives us the space to explore sadness without solving it, to express joy without explaining it, and to sit with complexity without shrinking away.
When you live with a piece of art that mirrors your inner life, you start to build a deeper relationship with your own emotions. You begin to realize that nothing inside you needs to be erased — only understood.
🧠 5 Feminist Truths About Emotional Intelligence
Here are a few truths I’ve learned — from the canvas, from my community, and from my own emotional messiness:
1. Feelings Aren’t a Distraction — They’re Data
Sadness, joy, anger, and anxiety all carry messages. Instead of pushing them down, ask:
“What is this feeling trying to tell me?”
2. Naming Emotions Reduces Their Power
Research shows that simply identifying an emotion (“I feel disappointed”) can help you regulate it more effectively.
Language gives you space. Space gives you choice.
3. Empathy Is an Act of Strength, Not Weakness
Being able to feel with someone else doesn’t make you soft — it makes you powerful. It’s how we build meaningful relationships, communities, and movements.
4. Emotional Intelligence Requires Boundaries
You can care deeply without carrying everything.
EQ helps you recognize when to listen and when to step away — for your own protection and peace.
5. You Can Lead With Feeling
Whether you’re a parent, partner, creative, or business owner — emotional intelligence is leadership.
You don’t have to choose between impact and integrity. You get to lead from both.
🖼️ Art as a Daily Practice of EQ
Here’s how you can bring emotional intelligence into your day using art:
Choose one painting in your home and journal about how it makes you feel today. Let it change with your mood.
Sit with a piece like Yoga Meditation for five quiet minutes. Use it as a visual anchor to return to your breath and body.
Wear art that reflects what you’re working through — like our Grow to Flow tee. Let your outfit be a mirror, not a mask.
Art helps you hold emotions without rushing them. And that’s a powerful skill in a world that often tells us to get over it instead of move through it.
💌 Final Thoughts
Emotional intelligence isn’t something you’re born with or without.
It’s something you practice — by listening to your body, honoring your emotions, and staying in relationship with your truth.
And if you need a visual companion on that journey, I hope my art offers that reflection.
Not as a solution, but as a soft place to land.
With softness and strength,
Monica
Artist & Founder of FeministArt.ca
