Out Loud

It’s been a month since I last wrote you and oh what a month it’s been. My mother died November 6th, an event fraught with weight and not the kind you’re thinking of. I could - and should - write a book about my family, but for brevity’s sake let’s just say we’re not close. After the funeral this past weekend, I woke up Monday morning with a lightness I hadn’t felt in quite some time. There’s a lot contained in that light, but at the forefront is a compulsion to help. Yep, that’s it. Just ‘Help’. There isn’t a woman I know who isn’t juggling responsibilities, relationships, maintenance, and emotional labor. Most importantly, very few of them are doing so amid piles of money.

So I’m going to try something radical and offer up my brain for free. All that stuff I say I’m good at? If you’re a woman or non-binary person wanting to build your brand, establish your voice, or do anything, really, for yourself, I’ll help you for free.

This idea has its limits of course — I will not ghostwrite your book for free. But I will help you write a talk for public speaking. I’ll write a few social posts a month for you. I’ll help you find your personal elevator pitch. I’ll talk through particular issues you’re struggling with. I’ll make up a writing schedule for you. Whatever you need to do to find your voice, I’ll help. For free.

I’d especially love to do this for women of color, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community, so if you’re a member of any organizations that support these groups, holler.

Right after I re-launched Sharp Skirts this summer, the universe delivered a wonderful full-time job to my doorstep. In the chaotic hellscape that is our current job market, I’m aware of how lucky I am. Time to pay it back. And forward. Hit me up to tell me how I can help you.

Misty Copeland’s final bow
Gorgeous photography documents ballerina Misty Copeland’s final performance for the American Ballet Theatre. I’m always amazed by the intimacy a simple camera can capture through a skilled eye.

How to do it all
Women aren’t allowed to be angry, so I love finding writers that do it spectacularly. Lyz Lenz nails this piece on domestic labor, ‘having it all’, and the demand that women suffer silently.

Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves
It’s possible I’ve recommended this before but it’s important enough to mention twice. It’s a deftly woven narrative of how we went from Riot Grrls to Kim Kardashian (and Sarah Palin and Donald Trump), from MeToo to Girlbosses. Every woman in America should have this as a reference book in their homes.

For your tenderness
is what tethers you
to the exquisite
terrors of living, and living’s
all there is. Keep on, keep on.
The smallest voice you have speaks
your most important things.
Are you there?
If you’re listening, I think it’s all right
to take a breath now. If you’re there,
I think it’s all right.

~Excerpt from the poem Someday I’ll Love by Leila Chatti