Claiming Our Voices encourages women of all ages to hear, trust and nurture their own authentic wisdom and to inspire one another to speak more powerfully and creatively in the world.
History
In September 2003 Mary Campbell Case spent two weeks in the Utah high desert on a Vision Quest, examining the direction of the second half of my life. She’d been a singer, music teacher and conductor, mother and volunteer during her first 45 years, but knew her life experience and learning were needing a stronger voice in order to “bring back her gifts to her people”, as the Native Americans see mature adulthood. She left the West that autumn with a vision to encourage and assist young and adult women, working collaboratively, to trust more deeply the innate whisperings of their inner voices and to speak more confidently their thoughts and passions through their own unique creative talents and skills.
In September 2005 Claiming Our Voices, a newly formed fledgling enterprise, produced a one day conference, Women’s Visions and Voices, at Simon’s Rock College, in conjunction with the Women’s Center there, that drew nearly 60 women and adolescent girls. We heard a panel of five diverse women relate the stories of their individual discovery of voice, and then chose two of six possible ‘hands-on’ workshops in the expressive arts–dance, visual art, music, theatre and creative writing.
In January 2006 Mary began hosting monthly Gatherings with Spirit in her Great Barrington, Massachusetts home, sharing soup and a pot luck meal with women of all ages, and then circling to focus on a selected topic for each meeting….such as creativity, balance, intuition, what limits our voice, nurturance, letting go of resentments, play. These groups often draw more than 20 adult women, as well as a smattering of Simon’s Rock girls.
Then in June a small group of women calling themselves Walking Our Talk began meeting bi-weekly for a four month block to vision and bring to life dreams and goals as yet unmanifested in their personal and professional lives. In November WOT celebrated their achievements — destressed lives, increased income, professional advancement — with a victory party early in November. See an upcoming post in Walking Our Talk tab for their stories.
COV’s second conference, Power, Passion, and Play — Bringing Feminine Creativity to Life was held at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in October 2006. Ubaka Hill, well known drummer, teacher, performer and visual artist, gave the keynote performance on Friday evening to an enthusiastic audience. Saturday twelve morning and afternoon workshops offered participants inspiration and creative cultivation. Titles included The Inner Road to Power - Shambala meditation practice; Embracing the Courage to Stand Up for What you Believe - speaking out in politics; The Power of Herstory: Putting Passionate Female Ancestors into Play - writing personal histories; and The Power and Passion of Our Voices: Let’s Get Elemental - song writing.
The following December Claiming Our Voices hosted Evelyn Harris, former member of Sweet Honey in the Rock, for a one day workshop and evening performance at St. James Congregational Church in Great Barrington. 45 women sang, laughed and clapped their way toward a powerful and exciting evening performance.
Rationale
Our male dominant culture continues to discourage women and girls from speaking their truth in the face of conflict and dissention. Pre-pubescent girls often know what is true for them and speak out for what they want and believe in. As they approach their teens, many of these same girls become more aware of the cultural injunction to be a ‘good girl’, to squeeze themselves into familiar roles in the prevailing social scene, to avoid conflict and protect the feelings of those around them. But they pay a price for this heightened sensitivity. The desire for harmony and acceptance frequently clouds the clear knowing of their childhood: the risks of clear self-expression may feel too great. “I don’t know,” peppers their conversations, as the wishes and demands of peers and society overshadow many girls’ clear self-knowing. As they abandon themselves, teen girls are left to ask the question, “Who am I, really?”
And as we grow up and individuate, choose partners and careers, women continue to search for answers to that question. Each of us hopes to speak with what Carol Gilligan calls our ‘authentic voice’ through each stage of our maturity. But why does it remain so difficult to say what we mean, to know what we think, to believe in the validity of our own experience when it differs from other powerful voices around us? Why do many of us lose confidence in our voice during our adolescent years and spend our lives struggling to know and speak our truth? And how can we support one another in claiming our voices for the sake of ourselves, each other, and our world?
These questions and many more are begging to be asked…to be discussed…to be addressed by women of all ages. Our elders can provide invaluable resources for younger women’s understanding. But seldom do age groups mix for open directed conversation. We’re all on our own with our struggles and queries. As the walls restricting opportunity crumble for women, sharp shards remain to catch us unawares. What cultural influences deter us from accepting the challenges of full voiced-ness? Why are young girls twice as likely to experience depression than adolescent boys? Why does girls’ self confidence erode so markedly during the teen years? And, finally, how can we as women better support our younger sisters through the minefield of adolescence, and each other through the all the changes of our lives?