SheSpeaks: Women’s Speaking Series

Have you ever gotten lost in your own thoughts as you listened deeply to another women’s story?

Have you ever been inspired by a complete stranger who strikes a chord with something in your soul?

Are you craving some time out of the fray to just sit back, listen and be with your own thoughts?

What if you weren’t alone?

SheSpeaks was created with you in mind.

This speaking series is designed to celebrate and honor women – our power, perspectives, voices, wisdom, stories and relevance. Each of these evening events has a distinct theme and hand-selected speakers who’s short talks will inspire, inform, and create a space for something new to emerge – an awareness, an idea, an appreciation, a connection, a commitment.

The intent of these events is to offer women, and men alike, a chance to pause in an otherwise busy day, reflect, and be nourished through the power of story. Like a pebble thrown in a pond, SheSpeaks will have a ripple effect which may not be immediately seen or felt. They will provide food for thought, a hearty laugh, a tender moment or intellectual intrigue.

So grab your favorite journal or make a date with a dear friend. But join us. You’ll be so glad you did.

Spring 2013: Rebel Yell

Thursday, May 9th, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Mayo Street Arts
Portland, Maine
Tickets are $12 in advance / $15 at the door

Advance tickets are now closed, but it’s not too late! Tickets will be available tonight at the door, so come on down!
www.BrownPaperTickets.com
40% of the proceeds from this event will benefit Mayo Street Arts

Join us for an evening of storytelling that explores and celebrates the power of women’s voices – individually and collectively – and how it is a force of change in the world. The women of this SheSpeaks will offer perspective, inspiration and some good food for thought along with a few laughs. Lael will be the emcee of this event and will be weaving together the five stories in the context of the topic of “Rebel Yell’”

And yes, men are more than welcome to attend this event! While it is an event to honor and celebrate women, the stories told this evening will be appreciated by and relevant to men and women alike.

There will be a cash bar that offers beer, wine and local baked treats. There will be a brief intermission after the second speaker before continuing on with the second half. Buying advance tickets is encouraged, as space is limited and this event will sell out!

The women of this SheSpeaks are…

Pam Erickson – Finding My Inner Helga
Pam’s always known how to push buttons. She does it all the time. In fact, she has dedicated her life to using that skill for good. Despite all the smack downs and backhanded teaching moments she’s experienced in her life, she agreed to stand on top of the mountain and be a force for change, pushing the right buttons at the right time to create movement. But it wasn’t until she met Helga that she appreciated how long it had taken her to grow into her role – to be more fierce and vocal from the top of the mountain. Now she’s realizing there is no top of the mountain, and there is never an arrival at a destination. There are only the gifts we receive along the way and how we choose to use them or lose them. Pam’s story will illustrate how taking a dose of your own medicine can be a powerful force for change.

Shannara Gillman – Being A BadAss For Good
Shannara had always been comfortable taking the stage, so it came as a surprise when she discovered she was actually shying away from it. She had this dream of building a world fueled by connection, and that felt big even in its simplicity. So she waited, because life happened and she could – but secretly she didn’t feel quite ready and wanted to buff and polish her idea some more. So she scratched the itch periodically, dabbling around the edges with little bursts of activity and flying under the radar. But then the day came when she realized she could be waiting forever. She recognized that she was the one she had been waiting for. And so she’s decided to arrive. Shannara’s story will reveal that sometimes all that matters is just to do it – ready or not.

Noel Gallagher – Calling The Dogs Home
Noel can recall so vividly the unfettered strength and joy she felt as a girl, when she knew no boundaries. She remembers the sound of her voice as she roamed the fields just outside her home, calling to the dogs in a half-yodel that could carry for miles. That girl was loud and fiercely independent, and quickly learned that it was necessary to mute herself as a way to meet the demands of fitting in and being liked. But now, with two daughters of her own, Noel is reckoning who she is today with that girl she used to be, realizing that everything in her life is looping back to where she started. She wants to construct her life to more fully honor these pieces of herself without upsetting the comfortable feather bed she’s made. Noel’s story will touch upon the enduring nature and magnetic pull of an adventurous spirit that whispers to the soul through the molecules in the air.

Erica Labb – Packaging My Truth In Love
Erica used to look back on her life and see a string of random moments, missing the thread that was tying them all together. It’s only just now that she’s starting to see how they are all connected. She had always considered herself a late-bloomer in life, worrying about what other people thought and doing her best to not step on any toes. So early on, she learned to water down her own truth, tempering who she was in favor of what she thought others needed her to be. But that all started to change after one moment on stage when she forgot all that and just showed up fully as herself. Erica found out that there was no going back once you’ve been seen on stage – especially when you’ve got love on your side. Erica’s story will remind us how mustering the courage to stand in our own light can be one of the simplest acts of random kindness there is.

Josephina Gasca  - Bigger Than I Think I Am
For most of her life, Josephina felt she was more machine than flesh. She went through the motions, said the right things, and kept herself – and her life- together. But she missed her flesh, and knew she’d have to leave the comfort of the woman she was in order to find it. She rediscovered her voice first, edged with a passion daunting to herself and the people that encountered it. Making changes without knowing where she was going to land or the woman she was becoming scared her. Vague wasn’t enough – she wanted clarity. So she demanded help from the universe, insisting it meet her half way if she were to birth herself. A deal was struck, and now she’s a woman in active labor, grieving who she’s leaving behind and opening to who she’s becoming. Josephina’s story will shine a light on the courage it takes to rise up and meet the universe half way, ready or not.

Women of Past SheSpeaks

December 2012: Mojo Risin’
Mish Morgenstern: An Antidote to Impatience
Denise Jay: Finding My Faith When the Dock Is Shaking
Katy Park: Taking Up A Shitload of Space
Danielle Madore: Choosing Not To Dance
Elizabeth DeSwarte: From Tragic to Magic

April 2012: Rites of Passage
Jen Cohen: The Pressure From A Grain Of Sand
Donna Galluzzo: Letting Go Into Love
Jeanne Handy: It’s Not Always Pretty
Jeanne Thompson: The Force Within Me
Ellen Murphy: Being True To The Process

October 2012: Honoring
Jessica Esch – The Journey To Asking
Shay Stewart Bouley -Letting It Rip
Monique Barrett – The Power of Unlocking Ourselves
Lee Farrington – Life On A Curve
Karen Wyman – Free-Falling Into The Unknown