I, too struggled to feel confident and empowered well into my 20's.
I know what it's like growing up in a small town with traditional ideas. Being afraid to raise my hand and speak out. To be made fun of for being smart and looking different. Showing up for college as a young lady and being in the minority. Being nudged (sometimes gently, often times harshly) by society to not stray too far outside of the stereotypical roles designed for Women and Girls. Not being able to see a life for myself beyond what I already knew.
I also know what it's like to discover there is this big, wild, magical world out there. To travel, to become a robotics engineer and climb the ladder in a male-dominated field. The career wasn't without it's obstacles. I know what it's like to be paid less than my male colleagues and feel disrespected, looked down upon and judged simply for being a Woman. To be told to smile more. To work 10x harder than all the men so I could succeed and get my seat at the table. So often, Women still face these same obstacles today!
My name is She (short for Sheila) and I am the creative force behind Redefining She. I had a 20+ year career as a Robotics and Software Engineer for the Department of Defense before retiring and creating my "Chapter 2". Now, I create art and art-inspired gifts that empowHER Women and Girls to be BRAZEN and make HERstory. 'Redesigning She' is all about crushing stereotypical gender roles and designing your own path in life. Women and Girls can be ANYTHING and I strive to show them and empowHER them to know this through my art. YES!
I believe Girls cannot be what they cannot see, so we have to SHOW THEM!
It's hard to lead a trailblazing life when you've never seen anyone who looks like you do it before and the whole world seems to be saying, "Hey, that's not what Girls do. Stay in your lane!" I believe that some Women are often STILL LIVING in a 1950’s cage that society built for them. I believe there are Girls who still aren't exposed to the possibilities that exist for them in this great, BIG world. I believe that Women and Girls can be ANTHING and achieve ANY DREAM, but we often have to overcome so many obstacles to get there. So I say, ENOUGH ALREADY! Let’s push back, Ladies.
I am inspired by Girls and Women. I think this inspiration started when my daughter was 2 years old – that was when I became a single Mom. It is soooooo challenging to raise children in this crazy, information–overloaded world! Raising a child without a partner increases the challenge tremendously. Raising a “Girl” increases the challenge exponentially! Why is that? Just a few thoughts on that topic below…
I believe...
- Whatever Girls do, they must do twice as well as boys to be thought half as good.
- Aggressive boys are “strong”, while aggressive Girls are “that word I refuse to utter or type because it just perpetuates the stereotype”…
- Boys are still celebrated and admired for having sex with lots of Girls, while Girls are labeled “that word I refuse to utter or type because it just perpetuates the stereotype”…
- We STILL spend too much time measuring outstanding “Female” leaders, when we should be measuring “outstanding” leaders. Period.
- Women are STILL paid less than men for the same or better effort.
- When I entered Georgia Tech in 1985, 21% of enrolled students were Girls. In 2016, only 31% of enrolled students were Girls, an increase of only 10% in 30+ years! What?!?!
Just a smidgeon more about me, if you are interested…
I am a lover of life, art and hard-core gardening. I always see the good in people. My mind is often a jumbly mélange of ideas and thoughts… I seldom succeed at fully unraveling the chaocracy (a She-ism). Sometimes I make up fanciful words. I never met a pair of overalls that I wasn’t instant friends with. I have a lovely set of friends that I affectionately call “Ya-Yas”. I love painting furniture… and doors. I almost always have dirt under my fingernails or paint on my hands…or both. My mind is most clutter-free when I am creating art, running or doing some physically challenging outdoor activity. I have a whopping-normous weakness for chocolate, sweet wine, and buttercream icing… preferably together. YUM!