Since I launched the Girl Warrior Productions website seven years ago I’ve interviewed dozens of extraordinary women from all walks of life about their lives, careers, passions, struggles and triumphs. I thought I’d do just one interview for the launch and that it would be a nice bonus and complement to the Girl Warrior inspirational blog posts and the Breadman’s Daughter stories and poems.
That first interview was with Jo Dworschak, the creator of the popular live theatre show, Story Story Lie where Vancouver’s brightest share intimate tales and the audience interrogates them. First to spot the liar wins a prize. You can read that first interview with Jo here: https://girlwarriorproductions.com/interview-with-girl-warrior-jo-dworschak/
An extraordinary thing happened after that first interview with Jo. I fell in love with the notion of telling the stories of other women. I had been sharing my personal stories about my family on another blog for several years, which included the inspiration blog posts for women, and I had previously produced the little handbook We Are The Girl Warriors but this was the first time I had ever told another woman’s story – someone outside of the family circle.
I was hooked on this new (for me) format of storytelling.
Unintentionally, these interviews quickly became the most gratifying and illuminating part of the content I shared on the Girl Warrior website. It has been my greatest honor to be entrusted with these very personal, often intimate stories. And I always do my very best to tell the Girl Warrior stories with the reverence, sensitivity, love and the respect they deserve. Sometimes I feel like I’m holding a beautiful and rare bird in the palm of my hands that I’ve been given this enormous responsibility to release and set free.
Every interview I do is like taking a mini master class – on makeup to medicine and everything in between. I’ve learned about mental health awareness and childhood anxiety; transgender issues; the latest research on laser therapy; the magic of unicorns; the art form of burlesque; what it takes to survive a devastating cancer or lupus diagnosis; how to start an award-winning farmer’s market; the secrets to writing mystery novels; being an end-of-life Doula; what it’s like to be a pin-up girl; or a vegan cook; make soap, design hats, blend tea, grow trees, produce documentaries, act in movies, teach yoga; what it takes to be a world class musician or an Olympian; paint breathtaking pictures; ride horses; run a business or a marathon, or just hang out in nature; have a reverence for the sacred land we share, the homes we build and the families we create. I’ve learned what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur or someone who heals our brokenness and what it truly means to have a heart for service, give back to our community and country, and why we need to bring peace to the world while finding peace within our beautiful souls.
These women all walk to the beat of their own drum, are constantly breaking new ground in every field of endeavor, are consistently bringing new meaning to the words creativity, courage and compassion, and are continuously showing us beauty from the inside out. They are crusaders, curators, champions, cops and badass bosses of their universe.
These women have taught me so much about what it means to be a woman and have kindly allowed me to expand my insatiable curiosity muscle and pursue my never-ending quest for learning and understanding.
What kinds of things do Girl Warriors share in these interviews?
We explore everything. What they know for sure; what they do; what they’re passionate about; what causes they support; how they support other women; what they’re most proud of; what gets them up in the morning; what makes them tick; what makes them laugh or cry; what makes them angry; what keeps them going; what they’ve seen; what they’ve overcome; what they’ve learned; who they love; what they dream for the future.
When I’m on the hunt for new Girl Warriors to interview, I do my very best to convey to potential interviewees this simple yet profound thought:
You don’t have to be perfect or fully baked.
It’s not about that. It’s about being vulnerable and sharing their story so that other women can learn from their experience and maybe find the courage to do it too. It’s about their process and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. It’s about fuckups and falls. But most importantly it’s what they did afterwards. What led them to their next kick at the can. And the next one. And the one after that.
I love seeing the many faces of courage. That’s the biggest thing the women I’ve interviewed have in common. Courage. Facing shit head-on and walking right through fear with shaky legs, trembling hands and racing hearts. And coming out on the other side stronger for it. Bravery in action.
My final message. You are all good enough, just as you are. Remember that.
