Women Who Flew Before Us: How Aviation History Inspires My Art

Before spaceflight, before supersonic jets, before the idea of “women in aerospace” was widely accepted, there were women who flew anyway.

They flew after being told no.

They flew before recognition was granted.

They flew without knowing history would one day catch up.

Yet, every time I create art inspired by aviation and space, I feel them in the background — women who took to the sky when the world told them they didn’t belong there.

The Women History Almost Forgot

During World War II, women pilots known as the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flew military aircraft so male pilots could be deployed overseas. They ferried planes, tested damaged aircraft, and trained others — all without military status or benefits at the time.

They weren’t called heroes.

They weren’t guaranteed recognition.

They were told they were temporary.

But their courage was permanent.

Names like Shirley Slade and other aviatrices of the 1940s represent more than history to me — they represent momentum. They remind me that progress doesn’t always look loud or celebrated in the moment.

Sometimes, it just looks like showing up and flying anyway.

Why This History Shows Up in My Art

When I paint aircraft, flight paths, or space-inspired figures, I’m not just creating something visually striking — I’m honoring a lineage.

Aviation history influences my art in subtle ways. These women didn’t fly for aesthetics — but there was beauty in their precision, discipline, and fearlessness. That beauty translates into how I design.

Flight as a Metaphor for Belonging

What draws me most to aviation history is how familiar the struggle still feels.

Many women today — especially in STEM and engineering — still wrestle with:

• Imposter syndrome

• Being the “only one” in the room

• Feeling like they must constantly prove they belong

The women who flew before us didn’t wait for permission. They didn’t wait to be fully accepted. They entered the cockpit anyway.

That energy is what I try to capture in my work.

From Aviation to Space

There’s a direct line from early aviation to space exploration — and a similar line in my art. Space represents expansion, possibility, and distance from limitations. Aviation represents the first step — the courage to leave the ground at all.

Why Representation Still Matters

Art has the power to remind us that we’re not alone — and that we never were. By incorporating aviation history and honoring women who flew before us, I hope my work does more than decorate a wall or a page. I hope it reassures someone who feels out of place that there is a legacy behind them.

You are not imagining your ambition.

You are continuing a trajectory.

Final Thoughts

The women who came before us didn’t get to see the full impact of what they started. But every time we create, engineer, explore, or imagine ourselves beyond the limits placed on us — we prove that their flight mattered.

And it still does.

I created my newest poster as a tribute to the women who flew before us. It’s now available in my Etsy shop.