The Woman in the Arena...
On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech that has been ranked among the most widely repeated and loved of all time. I took some creative license and changed the pronouns to celebrate how far women have come in such a short time. It was still a decade prior to women receiving the right to vote when the speech was made.
For the males in the audience feel free to click on the link at the end to read the original speech.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the woman who points out how the strong woman stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
What is the arena you are choosing to enter? There are no guaranteed blueprints for starting one’s own business, podcast, needlepoint, or work of art. We get our materials and get to it.
Posting and sharing our works of art online has taken the place of the community gathering that women took part in for centuries before the information age radically changed how we connect.
The moment you push publish or post can be unnerving. As creatives we do it anyway. In my case it is because I feel compelled to create connection in some way, entering the arena as best as I know how.
When I saw the following headline I did not doubt its validity.
“Loneliness Is as Lethal As Smoking 15 Cigarettes Per Day, lonely people are 50% more likely to die prematurely than those with healthy social connections.”
Inc.com
Loneliness was so acute during 2020 yet there are so few articles discussing solutions.
There were many days I spent alone during 2020 that I got used to it.
Having the love of my life (art) and being an introvert and a homebody, it wasn’t terribly bad.
But I began thinking of more social beings, elderly ladies and their card games, or little boys not being able to practice sports with friends. Teens gathering at a coffee shop to reconnect after school.
I felt it imperative to create a fun social place, where we can let our hair down, discuss creativity, encourage each other and embrace connection.
Brene Brown shared recently
“The reason why art and creativity are going to be so important to our healing and whatever comes next in our world, is every creative knows what it’s like to stand alone, creatives have this incredible ability when they find the confidence to be able to find beauty and value in being part of a creative community but also the courage to stand alone”
Brene also stated that she now reserves, in her mind, 3 front-row seats for shame, scarcity, and comparison, because she knows they will show up before any creative endeavor. She also states that once you share in your vulnerability shame loses its power and dissipates.
Whether you are entering the arena, or want to take baby steps towards a more creative existence, start in a place where encouragement, practice and like-minded individuals will be there to cheer you on
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We’ve all endured alone, let’s embrace community. Join this free community group here on Facebook.
I will share the poetry practice, positive clips, art techniques, and you will be among the first to get inside information on upcoming classes!
Thanks so much, see you next week!
Original Artwork: Jackie Grawe
Story reference:
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