I'm a firm believer that women are in their own personal renaissance here in the 21st century. We speak out against our struggles, wear many hats and push through any boundaries. We do all of this while maintaining a social life after a long day of work while wearing a facial mask the night before. And we still feel like that we are not doing enough.

Women are taught to be nurturers, both to others and themselves. We nurture our passions and our hobbies and our friends and our mental health. We don't always succeed, and there are several ceilings left to break through, but on a daily basis, we treat our lives as if we're cultivating a garden.

But, somewhere along the way, men have been taught that nurturing oneself and others is inherently female.

Men who blog, dance or care about personal fashion (to name a few) are considered more in touch with their "feminine side." Some might wonder if they're gay or bisexual — as if being so is a personality trait rather than sexual orientation.

Boys are taught competition and hierarchy defines manhood through always trying to be the best. They are encouraged to show off their skills for dominance rather than for personal fulfillment, and the result is only nurturing the ego: boys can only be feared or afraid.

Teenage boys are considered "band nerds" if they play instruments, "feminine" if they enjoy the arts and "strange" if they are too emotional. Boys' outlets for creativity are continually stifled, even though being creative is the healthiest way to deal with emotions.

Both men are women are completely deserving to explore their creativity and focus on their mental health.

Expressing humanity and how it feels to be human should never be confined to femininity.

We need to remember that gender norms are stifling for everyone, and that includes men. The notion that men should only provide rather than nurture does them a discredit to what they can actually achieve.

It is also horribly outdated, considering most households consist of two partners working. Even if one does not, I know plenty of women and men who spend their time doing various projects. The antiquated notion that a man should provide and a woman should nurture limits who we can be.

We need to start allowing men to let their creativity be considered a lifelong pursuit of passion rather than a childlike wonder that needs to disappear into adulthood.

There are very few men who feel comfortable enough to pick a major that is considered "impractical." Many pick engineering and business (all worthy pursuits) without even pursuing a minor in their passions such as painting, photography or cooking. Even fewer feel comfortable going to do meditation, yoga or therapy to practice mindfulness and mental health.

The reality is that men need their own personal renaissance.

And while it won't solve all of the many problems today, I think encouraging men to discover their own creative outlets would allow this world to be a kinder, nurturing and artistic place.

Let's remind ourselves that we should continually expand the definition of what a person can be.