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Milwaukee Independent: What was the inspiration for Rise and Thrive and how did it become a public exhibit?

Brianna Joy Seipel: My oil paintings typically fall into two categories commissions and passion projects capturing places that have transformed my life. Last summer I began to wonder how I could develop the latter into a charitable project to bless others, helping them find a visual language to describe their lives in a landscape. With this idea, I wanted to explore how the natural world shapes our identities. So I began considering why certain landscapes endure in our hearts, our memories, and most importantly in our stories That took me on a path to one of my favorite Milwaukee-area nonprofits. In December of 2018 I approached my friend and mentor Rachel Monaco-Wilcox, Founder and CEO of LOTUS Legal Clinic, to see if we could pilot the program as part of their ongoing empowerment initiative for survivors of sexual violence and trafficking. Serving the state of Wisconsin since 2013, LOTUS has provided direct, comprehensive legal services, advocacy, community education, and they invest in survivors as change agents. Specifically, I was interested in working with alumni of their Untold Stories program. As of this year more than 117 survivors have participated in Untold Stories trauma-informed writing workshops learning to be a witness and share their stories as platforms for social change. We presented the idea for Rise and Thrive to a small group of Untold Stories alumni as an opportunity to approach their story from a new perspective one of healing, inspiration, and transformation. Survivors were invited to write about a particular place in the natural world that had deep personal meaning, and to provide me with a photograph of that place, which I would respond to artistically and in writing. It turned out to be a powerful combination.

Milwaukee Independent: What was the creative process like for the survivors of sexual violence who participated?

Brianna Joy Seipel: All participants were asked a series of pre-interview questions via email to help them reflect on their journey to healing. These questions included writing prompts like telling me about a place where you find peace or purpose, a place that filled you with joy, or a place where you found courage. That was followed by an in-person meeting, usually at a coffee shop, to get to know one another. It is hard to describe how cool it was to sit down with a total stranger and talk about the landscapes that inspire us. It was also a little nerve wracking. Although I have experience designing programs like this from my past work in the nonprofit sector, I had never implemented one as the primary artist. The participants truly took a leap of faith on this journey with me, and I am so grateful for that trust. After our initial meeting, the survivor-writers chose a final photo and wrote rough drafts of the story they wanted to tell. Together we worked for several months to finalize those written statements. Throughout the summer and fall of 2019 I wrote responses to their work, and created oil paintings inspired by their photographs. Participants were welcome to visit my studio throughout the painting process, and all six survivor-writers chose to do so at various times. That was an unexpected joy. It was so fun to connect and share my workspace with fellow creatives.

Milwaukee Independent: Who helped to shape the project and were you able reach the goal you originally envisioned for it?

Brianna Joy Seipel: The amazing LOTUS team members provided feedback and oversight to help ensure the project ran smoothly and was respectful of each survivors privacy. One of the earliest decisions we made was to donate the original oil paintings to the survivors as a gift. It was really important to me that participants could walk away from the project with a tangible piece and these paintings are first and foremost their stories. It made perfect sense to structure the project that way.

Milwaukee Independent: What was the ultimate goal of the project and were you able to achieve what you originally envisioned for it?

Brianna Joy Seipel: This project was designed simply to honor the stories and celebrate the spirits of these individuals who have learned what it means to rise, and thrive. The work culminated in a series of 12 oil paintings, six sketches on paper, and six larger paintings on panel. They were accompanied by artist statements, which I wrote together with the participants. We hosted the exhibition at Knowlton Law Group Kate Knowltons private practice. Kate has always had a dream to host art exhibits in her space, and her office was the perfect destination for this show. The exhibition was a two-day event from November 15 to 16. Friday night was a private opening for survivor-writers and their families, and Saturday was a public exhibition. The show included process sketches, final paintings, artist statements, a print magazine, archival prints of each painting, and other print collateral for sale. With the exception of the original artwork, all of these pieces were for sale, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the ongoing work of LOTUS Legal Clinic.

Milwaukee Independent: How do you measure success with your art and creative work?

Brianna Joy Seipel: I believe we find satisfaction in knowing what our work is, doing it well, and the relationships we build along the way. This project has been especially rich in relationships. Being a self-employed artist can be isolating work, so the process of creating alongside LOTUS survivor-writers to collaboratively tell their story has been so inspiring.

Milwaukee Independent: What has been the most impactful creative challenge that you faced recently, and what did you learn from the experience?

Brianna Joy Seipel: As an artist, this was new territory for me because these stories were so deeply personal and yet the images and ideas themselves are truly universal. When working with survivors, I had to be sensitive to the fact that each individual is in a different place of their healing process. Privacy is incredibly important. Making sure we had contracts, so I knew how each participant wished to be represented, that was also a key element to make sure I was proceeding in a respectful way. LOTUS staff were always there to answer my questions. That was invaluable. One of the biggest lessons I learned this year actually came from a commission project that ran concurrent with the creation of this exhibit. I was really struggling with the piece and a mentor recommended literally putting the piece in a closet and taking time to play artistically with subject matter that brought me joy. She then recommended coming back to the piece in a week or two, and approach the piece differently by making a series of small sketches to see the work in a new light. That process was transformative. I never had a dedicated sketchbook practice until this year, but now I am hooked. Working small eliminates fear and leads to creative discoveries that I can take to the larger painting. Each painting in the Rise and Thrive exhibit began with such a sketch, and I feel that the final pieces are much better for that change in my artistic practice.

Milwaukee Independent: Was there a part of the project that exceeded your expectations or offered a pleasant surprise?

Brianna Joy Seipel: The Untold Stories alumni were incredibly creative and articulate writers, and the project blossomed above and beyond what I had originally imagined it would be. I am so thrilled with the resulting landscape-narrative pairings, and so honored to be trusted with the curation of these stories. In addition, I loved meeting visitors on our opening weekend who recognized physical locations in the paintings and began to tell their own stories connected to that place. There is something powerful about storytelling over shared places that brings us together. I want to continue to dig deeper into this idea with future projects.

Milwaukee Independent: Are there plans for a continuation of the project or was this exhibit all there will be?

Brianna Joy Seipel: Yes, planning for 2020s Rise and Thrive exhibit is already underway with a similar timeline interviews in the spring, artwork creation in the summer, and a culminating exhibition in the fall. We are also exploring ways in which this model can be replicated with other artists to keep the project sustainable long-term.

Support from LOTUS Legal Clinics team, particularly Director of Survivor Empowerment Austin Mahlon Reece, and interim Executive Director Kate Knowlton, was vital for the completion of the project. Their passion for championing the voices of survivors, both here in Wisconsin and sharing their program model across the United States, is unparalleled.

Read the original post:
Rise and Thrive: Brianna Joy Seipel creates landscapes of witness at the crossroads of art and allyship - Milwaukee Independent

I stand against bullying and other negative trends amongst my peers and I aspire to inspire personal empowerment in youth and beyond, both with my music and as a person. When people say that we need to create a bully-free world, to me, it sounds too obvious, too generic. Its a good start to face up the issue, but once you look evil in the eye, what is your actionplan?

In practical terms, if we dont tackle the root of the problem, we will continue to deal with the same consequences over and over again as the evil will always find a way to seep in right back. Being a youth myself, and dealing with many problems first hand, I can attest, that bullying and all other negative trends of todays society, and specifically youth culture: suicide, cuttings, cliquing, etc all stem from the same underlying issuea lack of self worth. The magnitude of the problem is unreal. The movement Im creating is designed to promote the belief in your self worth and spread this awareness through various programs. Knowing your value makes you dangerously powerful. When you understand your purpose, you possess the strength to stand your ground and no one can ever mistreat you. Even if they try, it will bounce off you, because you are like hell to the no!morally and psychologically untouchable. You might even help them re-think their life choices. Ive seen the former bully became an anti-bullying advocate. Ive seen the girl who was able to break free from the clique. I have seen transformations, but these examples are rather sparse. There is so much more can be done. To live in a world of people who believe in their worth and see their own unique beauty, will be mesmerizing and inspiring. This organisation is my dream since middle school. I have a name for it,too!

I had the pleasure to interview Sofia Evangelina. Sofia is a teen, numerous award-winning RnB/Pop singer-songwriter from Canada. With an abundance of confidence, astonishing natural talent with a powerhouse voice, Sofia exceeds all expectations of such a young artist. From the very early days, Sofia was a natural-born performer full of boundless energy. Putting on her moms mascara and lipstick and cutting her scarves to create her own funky designs, she would spend hours performing in front of a mirror and later, entertaining random audiences. I have fallen for music since day one, Sofia explained. I can just remember hearing and seeing music everywhere as if it followed me. No matter where I went, I felt the rhythm and beat. I told my mother music paralyzed mefor the silly lack of better words at age 5. However Sofia was not born a musical prodigy per se, nor was she playing piano with closed eyes at 3 years old. Sofia was competing in her first ski race at 3. And from this age escalated quickly into a world-class, professional skier. She had to balance her souls calling of the entertainment world with her adrenaline-seeking spirit. Sofia tried to balance her career for as long as possible. She was competing at ski competitions and winning talent contests. She was practicing singing and competing at her sporting events. She had been recording her first album on and off in-between World Cups and while travel around the world. No matter where in the world she was, the Swiss Alps or the Italian Dolomites, she would be connected to her vocal coaches or the producers, via Skype. During 2018, the two careers had come to a complete clash and the choice had to be made. Sofia knew that she was responsible for a bigger picture, she longed to impact the world as with her music. The time had come. Sofia put skiing on old was ready to make her entrance into the world as an artist. Her career had grown its wings with the release of her debut album Butterfly, produced by Bryant Olender (a former art director for Michael Buble) The album comprised a collection of classic as well as modern covers, with interwoven elements of R&B, soul, gospel, and pop, mostly to showcase her growing vocal range and where she has the potential to go. July of 2019, Sofia was recognized by the Young Artist Academy, being awarded with Best Album for her debut comprised work, at the 40th Annual Awards Gala in Hollywood.In 2018, following the release of Butterfly Sofia had released her debut single as a recording artist This Is Your Song along with an empowering music video, with the storyline of a young bullied boy. In an art-centered school in Calgary, she won an award entitled The Closest to the Core of Arts and enthralled the audience into repeated standing ovations. She has won several talent competition awards ever since, such as The YAA Best Album, The LA Music Critics Rising Star award, The Joey Awards, Canadas National Overall Talent Awards from Talent INC, Canada TeenFest, The Mics and others, as well as nominations and has appeared at various festivals. The aspiring pop princess is now on course to releasing her newest material, with two singles recorded with Roy Hamilton III (Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Joe, etc) on the queue and an EP in the works. Its been two years of vocal evolution, artistic discovery and brand refinery. The results are two brand new records that land in the next ballpark. Smile and Endure. Sofia is fueled not only by her dreams as a vocalist, musician or those of becoming a dynamite performer but she is dedicated to using her influence to create impact. As a young teen and having been a former world-class athlete who has traveled the globe, Sofia has a first-hand, deep understanding of the issues and trends pertaining to youth culture. Through her music, Sofia hopes to inspire her fellow peers and encourage them to embrace their individuality, develop self-esteem, stand up for what is right and embrace their inner beauty. Working painstakingly on her vocals and mastering her craft with prominent North-American songwriters, she is on an upward trajectory to becoming the voice of her generation.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born in Canada and spent the first few amazing years of my life in a rural area surrounded by mountains, creeks and wildlife.

I can tell you that I grew and continue to grow, in the most unorthodox way possible. Magical to me. Crazy, some would say.

I was born a little entertainer and fashionista, and I love everything music and felt it deeply. I used to say to my mom, music paralyzes me, for the silly lack of better words at the age of 5.

I danced to everything that had a rhythm and a beat, from The Black Eyed Peas on the radio to a spinning washing machine, or even to a swinging trash cans lid

But Outside of my artistic and very girly self, I was also a little crazy ball of unorganized energy, inquisitive and recklessly active little thumbboy who jumped from everywhere onto everything, including my moms shoulders, of course, with no forewarning! To channel this energy out, my mom decided to put me into sports. We lived close to the mountains and my big bro was an extreme skier, so I began to follow his footsteps.

Little did we know that my adrenaline-filled passion for extreme action, within a short few years, would bring me onto the path of a professional sporting career.

After a few years of skiing around the Rocky Mountains, we moved to a ski resort town in British Columbia. Soon enough my sporting career had taken us all over North America, Europe, New Zealand, and China. My singing and acting endeavors were soon interlaced with a lifestyle of rigorous training, competition, and travel, my mom and I literally lived out of our suitcases.

My life became a juggling act between my souls calling (singing, acting) and between my success in extreme sports, my spirits work.

I was balancing two opposite worlds to such a degree that wed be flying all over the world from my sporting competitions into talent conventions, where on one trip Id come home with medals from winning a championship and trophies from a talent contest.

It would feel like I navigated in and out of the two separate galaxies, in and out. I joked that I was a prototype of Hannah Montana, version 2.0sport edition!

And yet, it felt organic.

In contrary to some popular opinions lol, the two Gods I was serving didnt conflict and actually enriched each others existence, my sport mindset helped me to achieve more in music, within a shorter time, and music was my escape from the tense regiment of sport, politics, physical pain

I tried to keep the balance for as long as possible. While traveling, I stayed connected to my team and vocal coaches via FaceTime, who would always start with the same first question Where is the world are you now?

It was not until the recording of my first album that my two careers began to clash. It was inevitable. We travelled many countries and states for World Cups, while simultaneously recording my album, one song at a time, between competitions.

During the shoot of one of my music videos in LA some of the young actors along with their parents, with tears in their eyes, revealed how relatable my song was to them. At the time, a radio host who was interviewing me had me asked to rename my song This Is Your Song into THIS IS OUR SONG, because he felt it was about him too, and that was it. I always knew I had so much to say and Ive always dreamed to create an impact with my music and life.

I felt that was music burning inside of me, and I need to let it out.

With the release of my debut album Butterfly the time had came, and I had to make a very painful choice. At a young age, I decided to retire from my sporting career, and floored the gas, and went a full throttle towards my singing career. And so the journey began.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

It was very clear to every observer, I was destined to be a performer, there is no place I feel more alive than stage.

When I was little, I use to cut up my moms scarves, model them as my own couture and put on my own exclusive show in front of the mirror, and performed any kind of show I could create for all my family, friends and random audiences. I wanted to write music and songs before I even knew how to, and for the lack of formal music education, I created my own scriptures and symbols to express my sounds so Id be able to decipher them later.

I knew my whole life what I was destined to do, but what fueled my decision to transit from a sporting career straight into my artist career was a greater cause.

Traveling the world as an athlete and simply living my every-day life, Ive interacted with my peers from many cultures, walks of life, societal layers, and age groups, I found that no matter where I went, kids and teens faced the exact same issues.

Lack of self-worth. Extreme loneliness. Fear. Exclusion.

Kids were bullying each other and hurting themselves. Depending on the demographics of the place, they would have done it either brutally, or in a more subtle way such as e.g. cliquing etc Girls had no self-esteem, they chased after boys, while boys mistreated and disrespected girls, and most of all, kids allowed themselves to be ripped apart and brought down by those who they deemed to be more popular.

One boy, whom was still bleeding after a recent attack from a bully, told me that he didnt want to complain, he didnt want to fight back or stand up for himself, he actually told me that he wanted to be like his perpetrator, because that guy is so cool and he felt he wasnt.

To me, each one of those kids or teens, were shining stars, unique, each in their own way, however themselves, they were convinced that they were not enough or in many cases, worthless.

In reality, no kid or anyone should ever allow themselves to be treated less than they deserve. Everyone should know and shine their self-worth.

Later on, I was told by numerous adults that my music was relatable to them, they didnt know at all that it was written for youth, and in reality I want my music to mean something, and affect an audience of all ages.

Having observed and understood their issue, I wanted to use my music to impact peoples lives and to show my audience that they too have a voice, and all the power they need within, to live life on their own terms, and I not only want to be that voice, I want to help them to find their own voice.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting story is probably when we were in Mammoth, CA for a World Cup and we had a few days off before my next competition. We were so near LA that I had been begging my mama to go. My mom used to live in LA for a couple of years, so said why not, let us go, dip our toes in the ocean, visit some of her film friends and maybe plan some music video shoots for the future. Long story short, we were in LA for one week (the best week of my life!) and in those 7 days, we filmed 5 music videos, including 2 full productions (set, crew, locations). We casted, found makeup & hair, wardrobe, stylists, locations, crew and learned choreography, literally overnight.

I blame the city, there is something about LA, it casts magic upon us, every time!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I have a few, here is the latest.

Make sure that you are riding in a reliable car to your show Or else, you end up with a smoking hood in a fireighn country in the middle of nowhere with no mobile network, one hour before your set! If you are lucky the just driving by local police come to your rescue and escort you all the way to your show! Good times

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

My brand single Smile, part of a forthcoming EP has just been dropped on all platforms. We have an entire EP to follow as well as more singles coming soon, and I couldnt be more excited. There is a big, epic single coming next.

Outside of music releases, there are some big things cooking, which I hope will become shareable news soon. In other words, get ready for a whole lot of Sofia!

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think its important to have diversity represented in (music), film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

The entertainment industry, and especially the music industry, live and thrive off of cultural diversity. Our world of music has always been a constant, ever evolving, and highly interactive flow of cultural diversity.

For decades and decades, music has evolved by absorbing and assimilating various genres and styles, giving birth to ongoing new music ideas, trends and subgenres.

Today, numerous collaborations have become prevalent and more appreciated than ever, because of the interweaving of different cultural threads, genres and styles, sometimes, in the most unlikely combinations.

One can pay homage to existing styles and simultaneously create something unique, unheard of, and may even become a new trend, or style.

I think one of the best examples of musical fusion right now would be Country Rap Two genres, coming from two completely different cultures that no one would have ever believed to be possible to mix. Yet here we are, the biggest record breaking hit of 2019 was a country rap song. And it doesnt stop there, whether you like the new genre or not, its impossible to deny that the unusual crossover has picked up a huge fanbase. Many artists were inspired to release similar tracks and they too achieved major success.

Balanced diversity creates a beautiful society and I believe that music is the best medium to bring people together and celebrate our differences.

What are your 5 things I wish someone told me when I first started and why. Please share a story or an example for each.

Business sometimes meansbusiness.

I am very much a people person, I see the best in everyone and soon enough I get attached to people as if they were family. I am truly blessed by meeting many wonderful people who indeed have become family, a close circle of like-minded people. But Ive also had to learn the hard way that some people in this businesssome, who may be very charismatic, may treat you as a royalty one day, but then they change overnight if/when matters dont meet their agenda, and their belief in me appeared to be unscrupulously motivated.

However, a couple bad apples didnt make me stop trusting or loving people, I just had to strengthen my boundaries and allow people to prove themselves first.

There is no such thing as overnight success

While success certainly comes to some quicker and by luckier ways than others, its almost always years and years of hard work prior to any stardom

Therefore, one must believe in their dreams relentlessly, persevere through the trial times, jump the obstacles and I believe that there is no other way than to make it all the way!

Putting on a big show is more tiresome than my previous extreme athletics.

I used to train really hard in my sport, daily, and in multiple training facilities and the gym. Yet, putting on a dynamite shows really drains you more than any sport couldit feels like, giving you the best work out! To prepare yourself for blasting your vocals, communicating with your audience and dancing, you have to jog while singing, you must train to expand your lungs by holding your breath under water, and sing everyday for increasing hours so that you will get used to sustaining a life of touring and performing!

Performing can be a sport baby!

Dont get excited by peoples promises. When a name dropping occursrun!

Its very easy to get seduced or tempted by someone who offers you the entire world as he/she there was a genie in a bottle, people like to talk the talk.

Create your own reality, if someone presents you a breathtaking opportunity, take it as a bonus. Dont rely on it. Make your own destinyits more exciting and the satisfaction is deeper! Things will come.

Surround yourself only with A+ team players.

Dont put your success and your career into the hands of another. Because when they fail you, you have no one to blame but yourself. Hiring top-notch professionals may be deemed as unaffordable at first, but it will save you time (of not re-doing the job done wrong) and ultimately, money. The solution is simple, take all matters into your own hands until the day where you have yourself surrounded by a phenomenal, passionate team. You should only have people as absolutely crazy about success as you are, so together you become unstoppable.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not burn out?

Dont worry, be happy now!! Everything you do, do the love of music, or for the love of what you are passionate about the most, and remember the reason why you are doing it in the first place.

Before going to bed each night, no matter how tired you are, recall each and every thing that you are grateful for in life, they could even be little moments from that day. You will feel your heart overflow with gratitude and you will see just how blessed you truly are. My mom taught me that.

Also, I would say let your soul guide you, allow utmost expression and creativity from within. What inspires you, will inspire others!

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

As I said earlier in this interview I stand against bullying and other negative trends amongst my peers and I aspire to inspire personal empowerment in youth and beyond, both with my music and as a person.

When people say that we need to create a bully-free world, to me, it sounds too obvious, too generic. Its a good start to face up the issue, but once you look evil in the eye, what is your action plan?

In practical terms, if we dont tackle the root of the problem, we will continue to deal with the same consequences over and over again as the evil will always find a way to seep in right back.

Being a youth myself, and dealing with many problems first hand, I can attest, that bullying and all other negative trends of todays society, and specifically youth culture: suicide, cuttings, cliquing, etc all stem from the same underlying issuea lack of self worth.

The magnitude of the problem is unreal. The movement Im creating is designed to promote the belief in your self worth and spread this awareness through various programs. Knowing your value makes you dangerously powerful.

When you understand your purpose, you possess the strength to stand your ground and no one can ever mistreat you. Even if they try, it will bounce off you, because you are like hell to the no!morally and psychologically untouchable. You might even help them re-think their life choices. Ive seen the former bully became an anti-bullying advocate. Ive seen the girl who was able to break free from the clique. I have seen transformations, but these examples are rather sparse.

There is so much more can be done.

To live in a world of people who believe in their worth and see their own unique beauty, will be mesmerizing and inspiring. This organisation is my dream since middle school. I have a name for it, too!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My mom. My mom is my best friend, my biggest believer and my biggest inspiration. Above all, I feel that each success is hers as well, because she has taught me everything I know.

She has been the momager my whole life, she truly deserves a standing ovation.

Everything Ive ever learned about commitment, dedication or work ethic has been by example of my mom. She is the most hardworking person Ive ever met and she is so darn strong, its often un-human and it annoys me!

She teaches me the most incredible values and ethics to be a good person. To her, me being a good person with a strong head on my shoulders will always be the most important definition of success, above all talents and achievements, which means so much to me. My dad is is pretty cool dude too, in fact he is a real angel, he is beyond kind and has supported me all these years from sports to arts.

Can you please give us your favorite Life Lesson Quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Patience is a virtue! Since I was a little girl, Ive been a bit impatient, okay, a lot. Often named a right now girl.

It took some time (and patience on my parents behalf) to realize, that in reality, as exciting as times may seem, it is very important to develop the virtue of patience. Sometimes you need to wait until the time is right, just like there is patience involved to achieve a lusciously ripe peach Yumm.

BTWStill working on it!

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.

Beyonce. Queen B. She is one of my biggest inspirations, and damn does she ever own the stage and captivate her audience. Beyond her artistic talents, she seems like an incredible person and a strong woman who has risen to the top early on and maintained her regency with grace throughout her entire career. It would be incredible to discuss the substance behind her long, beautiful and ever-evolving career and it would be special to find out what she feels most humbled by or grateful for, in relation to her life and career

Lastly, It would be meaningful and fun to get to know the real Beyonce, like, Im dying to know what her take is on pineapple on pizza, or hello, tomatoes on burgers???

Plus, the queen may have to mentor me on how to break it super down in stilettos!!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Absolutely! My website is: http://www.sofiaevangelina.com

IG: @sofia.evangelina

FB: @Sofia Evangelina Music

Look forward to connecting with you all.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Thank you for a great interview!

See the article here:
Rising Star Sofia Evangelina: The movement I'm creating is designed to promote the belief in your self worth; Knowing your value makes you dangerously...

Climate-related anxiety and depression is an increasingly common malady. Reestablishing a conscious awareness and a bodily connection with the ebb and flow of the seasons, by observing and documenting whats happening outside our windows, is a grounding activity that can restore comfort.

Disconnection from natures seasonal cycles, and from nature in general, has become more common in recent decades, and with it has come a certain restlessness. A simple way we can reestablish this crucial connection with the seasons is by regularly taking noteon paperof what is occurring in the plants and animals in our lives over the course of the year. Because events like leaf out, migration and egg hatch are cued by seasonal warmth, rainfall and sun angle, they elegantly reflect the rhythm of the seasons.

Taking the time to observe the changes in an organism over the course of a year can reconnect us to these cycles. And taking the effort to write down what is observed focuses our thoughts, grounds us, and more firmly cements the information in our minds.

The practice of carefully documenting the timing of events like the first arrival of migratory birds in the spring and first hint of leaf color in autumn has existed for millennia. A record of the first cherry blossoms to appear each spring in Kyoto, Japan extends to the ninth century. Members of the Marsham family have tracked flowering time in dozens of plants in Great Britain since the 1700s. These historical records are some of our best resources to determine how much the timing of events like leaf out and egg hatch in certain species have changed in recent years, serving as an invaluable contribution to science.

Taking this form of action is an antidote to the hopelessness that can arise in the face of climate change. Anxiety and depression naturally arise when we perceive we have no power over a situation. Doing something, such as documenting seasonal changes, is a way to restore a modicum of control and a sense of well-being.

To be sure, looking at plants in your backyard wont end the climate crisis. For that, we need major policy and lifestyle changes on a nearly global scale. The value of this form of personal action is in restoring our centers and engendering personal empowerment. This can serve as preparation for tackling the larger issues.

The practice of purposefully reconnecting with whats happening over the course of the year can take the form of journaling, posting observations of seasonal plant or animal status to social media, or making structured contributions to an established program such as Natures Notebook, a national program for documenting seasonal activity in plants and animals.

As a coordinator for the program, Ive been overjoyed to hear from participants that pausing briefly from their daily routines to report on their selected species has led to new discoveries and a deepened appreciation for these plants and animals. And as a Natures Notebook participant, Ive been delighted to witness green lynx spiders, crab spiders and sphinx moth larvae making their homes in the desert willow tree I observe in my backyard. I am certain I would not have noticed these lovely creatures had I not taken the time to briefly but regularly look at my trees leaf and flower status.

The brief moments of focus and connection I experience when Im taking my Natures Notebook observations contrast sharply with the anxiety I experience from exposure to climate crisis headlines. I invite you to join me in the simple routine of documenting the seasonal transitions in plants or animals in your yard. Trade some of your climate anxiety for the sense of calm and empowerment that can result from taking a small, positive action.

Read the rest here:
To Ease Climate Anxiety, Reconnect with the Rhythms of the Seasons - Scientific American

(LAS VEGAS) Sex tech will grace the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week after organizers endured scorn for revoking an innovation award to a sex device company led by a female founder.

CES will allow space for sex tech companies as a one-year trial. The companies will be grouped in the health and wellness section of the Sands Expo, an official, but secondary CES location, one geared toward startups.

Lora DiCarlo, a startup that pushed for changes after organizers revoked its award, will showcase its Os robotic personal massager. Its one of a dozen companies at the show focused on vibrators, lube dispensers and other sex tech products. Founders of these startups say their products are about empowerment and wellness for women, something they say has often been overlooked in tech.

The historically male-dominated tech trade show has received criticism in past years for having an all-male lineup of speakers and for previously allowing scantily clad booth babes, fostering a boys club reputation.

Besides allowing sex tech, CES organizers brought in an official equality partner, The Female Quotient, to help ensure gender diversity. The Female Quotient, which trains companies in equality practices, will hold a conference for women during the show, which formally opens Tuesday and runs through Friday.

Its been a process, said Gary Shapiro, the head of the Consumer Technology Association, which puts on CES.

Its been a longer process for many sex tech companies to convince investors that they are part of a growing trend that has enough customers. Much of the push has come from the startups female founders and from younger consumers who talk more openly about sexuality.

Sex tech has existed in some form for decades. But the gates really began to open in 2016, said Andrea Barrica, founder of sex education site O.school. That year, several other fem tech companies made progress in areas such as menstruation and menopause. Those paved the way for sex tech to grow and get investors interested.

Larger institutions are starting to take note, all the way from VC firms to large Fortune 100 companies, said Barrica, who recently published the book Sextech Revolution: The Future of Sexual Wellness. Large institutions like CES had no choice but to look at sex tech, she said.

The journey hasnt been easy. Sex tech founders, many of them women, recount being turned down by dozens of investors. They faced decency arguments and entrenched corporate standards that equated them with porn.

But investors are becoming more receptive, said Cindy Gallop, a former advertising executive turned sex tech entrepreneur and founder of the website MakeLoveNotPorn.

Its entirely because of our refusal to allow the business world to put us down, she said.

Founders insist that their devices ranging from vibrators to lube dispensers to accessories have effects outside the bedroom.

Sexual health and wellness is health and wellness, said Lora DiCarlo, CEO and founder of the company of the same name. It does way more than just pleasure. Its immediately connected to stress relief, to better sleep to empowerment and confidence.

DiCarlos Os $290 device has gotten $3 million worth of advance sales, bolstered in part by the attention it received after CES organizers overturned a decision by an independent panel of judges to give the vibrator a prestigious Innovation Honoree Award in the robotics and drone category. The organizers, CTA, told the company it reserved the right to rescind awards for devices deemed immoral, obscene, indecent, profane or not in keeping with CTAs image.

DiCarlo and other female founders pushed back for banning them but allowing humanoid sex robots meant to serve men the previous year.

Following criticism, CES organizers ultimately reinstated the award and apologized. A few months later, the show announced policy changes such as a dress code to prevent skimpy outfits and new Innovation for All sessions with senior diversity officials.

Os began shipping to customers this month. DiCarlo said the company is planning to new devices, including less expensive options.

Sex tech companies still face major barriers to growth.

Polly Rodriguez, CEO of sexual wellness company Unbound, said the company is profitable and customers are more open about buying products than they once were. But she said she still faces roadblocks advertising on social media, and many traditional investors snub the company.

Things are better, but theres just still this genuine fear of female sexuality more broadly within the institutional side of technology, she said.

And while Gallop offered to speak at CES, conference organizers declined, saying sex tech was not a part of its conference programming.

Contact us at editors@time.com.

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Sex Tech Might Just Be the Biggest New Thing at CES 2020 - TIME

Stop trying to be happy and put a smile on your face, writes Kenan Malik.

I just found this fascinating, that people who want to be happy are actually the ones that are not happy.

So observed Julia Vogt, co-author of a new study that found those who valued happiness most highly tended to show greater signs of depression.

Future historians may well look upon todays Western societies and puzzle about the desperation to be happy.

Its not that happiness is not good. Nor is it to deny that mental wellbeing is important. But mental wellbeing is not the same as an obsession with happiness (in fact, the very opposite, as Vogts study shows).

The aim of todays happiness industry is not about allowing people to live a flourishing life. It is, rather, as Will Davies observed in his book The Happiness Industry, partly a means of behaviour management on the part of both governments and private enterprise, to ensure a more pliant society and a more productive and profitable one.

It is partly, also, a means of self-optimisation, by which, as psychologist Paul Bloom observes, small-scale personal empowerment goes hand in hand with large-scale social disempowerment.

Aristotle argued that eudaimonia (which is often translated as happiness, but is probably better thought of as meaning a flourishing life) is the only thing that humans desire for their own sake.

He did not mean by this that it is an end we should set out to seek but, rather, the end we can achieve if we live our life well.

Happiness is not, and cannot be, a goal in itself. It can only be the by-product of other goals.

To seek happiness is a bit like trying to be cool. The more you are desperate for it, the less you will be.

From Guardian News

Kenan Malik is an Observer columnist.

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Happiness not the goal but byproduct of life well lived - Otago Daily Times

A universal truth: whether you give voice to them or not, a new year demands resolutions. When selecting said goals, a declaration that applies to personal empowerment is one worthy of a new decadea lesson we learned from Yara Shahidi. The actress and activist took to Instagram ahead of New Year's Eve to share a self-facing snap featuring oversize hoops, glossed lips, a mane of brushed-up curls, and a poignant caption. "We (My hair and I) are taking up more space as we enter 2020," wrote Shahidi, adding a duo of siren emojis to drive the statement home.

For her first act of big and bold beauty, Shadidi parted her natural hair to achieve a face-framing triangle of texture, the maneuver punctuated by roseate lips with a matching shade pressed into lids, black eyeliner rimmed along waterlines. Glow-y, unadorned skin and a frank expression teamed with her manewhich, true to her resolution, dominated the framefor a visual deserving of Shahidi's 2020 aspiration. Here's to expansion in all forms this year.

Excerpt from:
Yara Shahidi Has the Best Beauty Resolution for 2020 - Vogue

Rachel Collins (right) runs drills with a student. Photo by Nadia Raza Cooper

What does a more perfect future for you and the young people in your life look like?

I had the pleasure of discussing this question with Rachel Collins, the owner and founder of SheBegins. SheBegins offers empowerment-based self-defense, personal training and violence-prevention workshops. Approaching their work within an empowerment model means educating and supporting others in choosing how they want to defend themselves.

With much of their work focusing on youth-trainings, this translates to cultivating verbal skills, confidence, self-respect, dialogue about consent and boundaries and bystander intervention.

I first met Collins this fall when considering options for our daughters 13th birthday party. As she enters her teenage years, my hope was to incorporate a rite of passage toward a future self-grounded in possibility, confidence and safety.

The stories our daughter shares about school such as a recent lock down, bullying, updates on crushes and questions about consent prompt us to talk about safety a lot. So, a month before her birthday, I began exploring options for a teen self-defense class. A quick search led me to Collins, and we scheduled a 90-minute teen empowerment training for 14 girls.

As we entered the dojo, the girls were excited and a bit unsure of what they were in for.

Collins and her co-trainer, Heather Monero, are masterful facilitators. They started with a discussion about the training and transitioned into team building and a playful icebreaker to create a more comfortable space.

When I returned an hour later, I could hardly believe these were the same girls.

The group was in formation, doing knee to abdomen drills on the co-trainers. I watched in awe at the individual and collective power exhibited. I couldnt help but reflect on how my 13-year-old-self needed access to a space like this.

Following the drill, the girls gathered in a circle to debrief. Collins opened the conversation by reminding the group, There is no one right way to deal with a dangerous situation. People are going to tell you that you are too small and young. You might even be told that there is nothing you can do. But there is always something we can do.

She then asked the group to come up with scenarios and questions they had about a situation in which they might feel vulnerable or unsafe.

Hands shot up with questions ranging from What if you are on the ground? to What if someone grabs you from behind, or has you by your hair or ponytail?

For each scenario, Collins asked the girls to review what they learned. Together they discussed the examples by identifying ways they could leverage tools within their body to respond. Several times they reviewed the slogan: Think, yell, run, fight, tell.

When I asked Collins what surprises her about working with youth, she says, We learn as much from them as they do from us. The eagerness to talk and engage through dialogue inspires her work.

Collins started SheBegins more than a year ago to respond to a demand in the community. With a background in sexual assault support services and as a former educator at Planned Parenthood, Collins observed that what we call prevention is inadequate. This is amplified by the fact that, for vulnerable communities, access to violence prevention is lacking.

Within a year, SheBegins had an array of offerings, including free monthly mini-trainings, a girls empowerment training and an in-depth womens six-week series, which runs Jan. 12 to Feb. 16; co-ed boundaries, and personal safety seminars and school programs.

SheBegins currently offers a 12-week series at Spencer Butte Middle School. Collins hopes to do more work with schools and community organizations. Charges for all the training programs are sliding scale and income-based.

To spread the word in the community, SheBegins has partnered with The Barn Light and The Farmer Union Coffee Roasters for a monthly Empower Hour the last Wednesday of every month. At these events, information about local programs and trainings is available. From 4 pm to closing, $1 from every drink purchased goes to support scholarships funding access to empowerment-based self-defense trainings for those in need.

In addition to their trainings and information sessions, Caitlin OQuinn, SheBegins youth program coordinator, is researching the long-term impact of empowerment-based self-defense.

After one training session, participants report profound lasting effects, our daughter included. A month after her training, I asked her what she learned.

Learning to defend yourself does not have to be heavy and scary. Instead, we learned about different options to defend ourselves and say, No, she says. Before, I would have been more apologetic and worried about saying no.

Beginning to claim her voice, confidence, agency and self-respect are tools our daughter gained from one workshop with SheBegins.

Considering the need for these skills and awareness, Collins says this: In a more perfect future there will be multiple options in every town for empowerment-based self-defense and when that happens it will create cultural change.

To get involved, learn more or request a training session with SheBegins, visit SheBeginsSelfDefense.com.

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Self-Defense is the Best Offense - Eugene Weekly

The country was their sanctuary for the past six weeks, so today the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Canada House to thank the Canadian people for their warm hospitality.

In their first public appearance since returning from Canadawhere they spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years as part of their extended sabbatical from royal dutiesHarry and Meghan went to personally thank Canadian High Commissioner Janice Charette and her staff for making them feel so welcome.

Arriving to a crowd of fans and Canada House employees Harry joked that their holiday had been wet. He was saying it had rained throughout but that they had a great time, employee Jamie Weare, who greeted the couple outside Canada House told Vanity Fair. The couple had been enjoying downtime on Vancouver Island in British Columbia for the past six weeks, and spent Christmas there with Meghans mother Doria Ragland, as well as the new year.

Vanity Fair has also been told that the couple also spent Thanksgiving in Canada, not the United States, where Doria lives.. The Sussexes have been staying at a mystery friends waterfront mansion worth about $14 million on Vancouver Island. The Instagram-friendly royals had given a clue as to their whereabouts when they posted the Canadian flag at the end of one of their festive Instragram posts; however, they kept a low profile until they were spotted out hiking by locals. Meghan even offered to take a picture of a couple who were trying to take a selfie while out walking, and on New Year's Eve they posted a picture on Instagram of Harry cuddling Archie.

Buckingham Palace had declined to say where the couple were spending their vacation but the Daily Mail revealed their holiday location last month, prompting the palace to confirm: They are enjoying sharing the warmth of the Canadian people and the beauty of the landscape with their young son.

The Sussexes are understood to have returned to the UK over the weekend with baby Archie who according to one source close to them is doing well and is so cute. Todays surprise engagement which was announced Monday night marks the couples official return to work and aides have said there will be more engagements announced over the coming days.

Ahead of their visit to Canada House the couple made a private visit to the Hubb Community kitchen which supports the Grenfell community. Meghan has forged close friendships with many women at the Hubb and helped them to compile the Together cookbook. A palace aide said she and Harry wanted to check in on the community to see how they are. The focus of the day, however, was their visit to Canada House where they viewed an art exhibition by Canadian artist Skawennati.

Janice Charette told Vanity Fair they discussed a number of issues close to the couple. It was a pleasure as always to welcome the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Canada House, for their second visit in less than a year, she said. We are delighted Their Royal Highnesses were able to enjoy warm Canadian hospitality during their recent stay in Canada. Today's visit provided an opportunity to discuss some of the common priorities and values shared by Canada and Their Royal Highnesses, such as a commitment to conservation and fighting the challenges of climate change, supporting the economic and democratic empowerment of women and girls, and encouraging young people and youth leaders in Canada and across the Commonwealth to actively engage in the social, economic, and environmental challenges of their generation.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Head to Canada House as Details of Their Vacation Emerge - Vanity Fair

Life is filled with distractions. Information floods in. Situations change. To successfully navigate these challenges, individuals need to use a set of fundamental mental processes known as executive functions to regulate their thoughts and behaviours. Those with weak executive functions get distracted by temptations and overwhelmed by information; those with strong executive functions stay focused on their goals, and adjust their behaviours when situations demand so. What affects a persons ability to regulate their behaviours and thoughts? A large body of research suggests that having power improves a persons executive functions relative to lacking power.

There are three core executive functions: inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. These form the backbone for higher-order processes such as planning, problem solving, and decision making. Having power improves these three core functions, which are all important for optimal performance in the workplace.

Inhibitory control is overriding impulses and controlling ones attention, thoughts, and behaviours to do what one chooses. For example, to focus their attention on the task at hand in a noisy work environment, individuals need to inhibit their automatic impulse to listen to what other people are saying. High-power individuals are better at directing their attention to things relevant to their goals and inhibiting attention to other, irrelevant things than low-power individuals.

Working memory is holding information in memory and mentally processing the information. For example, in negotiations, new information comes in constantly. To decide whether to reject or accept an offer, individuals need to integrate new information with existing information and make a decision quickly. High-power individuals perform better in tasks with a high demand for working memory than low-power individuals.

Cognitive flexibility is changing perspectives or ways of thinking flexibly. In creativity tasks, in order to come up with something new, individuals need to change their usual way of thinking. High-power individuals are more creative and better at adjusting their attention, thoughts, and behaviours in accordance with situational demands. This flexibility is likely related to their greater ability to inhibit previous situational demands and update them with new demands in working memory.

How to improve low-power individuals executive functions

Why do high-power individuals have better executive functions? It is likely a result of feeling more independent from others and facing less constraint in the environment. Thus, one way to improve low-power individuals executive functions is to give them power. Leaders can achieve this through delegation. Subordinates who have access to more resources and assume more responsibilities should feel a sense of efficacy and independence.

It is also possible to elevate low-power individuals sense of power without giving them actual control over others. For example, recent research found that low-power individuals who had a chance to affirm the self, such as by writing about an important personal value, felt more efficacious, and thus no longer showed decrements in inhibitory control. Another possible way to increase low-power individuals sense of power is to give them more choices about what to do in their daily life. Choices, like power, fulfil peoples need for control. As such, giving low-power individuals control over things like how to decorate their workspace may elevate their sense of agency and power, and as a consequence improve their executive functioning.

When having power does not lead to better performance

High-power individuals do not always process information more thoroughly than low-power individuals. Powerful people pay less attention to tasks or individuals that are not relevant for their goals because they are better at controlling their attention to do what they choose. Thus, organisations need to ensure that their leaders goals are in line with the organisations aims.

A group of high-power individuals does not necessarily perform better than a group of low-power individuals. Such high-power teams tend to have more in-group conflict due to heightened concerns about the distribution of power. In fact, unless the task involves working alone or little group coordination, groups of high-power individuals tend to perform worse than groups of low-power individuals. Hence, for an organisation to capitalise on high-power individuals enhanced executive functions during group decisions, these individuals need to see the task at hand as relevant, and the distribution of power in the group needs to be handled transparently.

Additionally, high-power individuals may experience increased cognitive load due to their heightened responsibilities and the number of subordinates they must supervise. In this case, the cognitive benefits that accompany having power may be balanced out by the increased load. In fact, these cognitive benefits may be what keep leaders above water when stress and demands are high.

Power perpetuates itself through improved executive functions: Power differences lead to performance differences, which in turn increase the legitimacy of those power differences. This means that sometimes low-power individuals underperform not because they lack the ability, but because they lack the power to function optimally. Delegation may create a win-win situation, by reducing the cognitive load of high-power individuals and improving the executive functions of low-power individuals.

Yidan Yinis a PhD candidate at the Rady School of Management, UC San Diego. Through her research, she seeks to provide guidance for individuals who want to be more effective at work and identify barriers to empowerment. She studies what individuals can do to be more influential, trustworthy, and competent at their work, and how power changes a persons behaviours and cognitions, particularly those that may have a negative impact on the person willingness to empower others.

Pamela K. Smithis an associate professor in management at the Rady School of Management, UC San Diego. She has a PhD in social psychology from New York University. Her research interests include power, status, influence, and other sources of hierarchical differences, both how they affect an individuals thinking, motivation, and behaviour, and the signals people use to determine where they and others fit within hierarchies.

This article was originally published in LSE Business Review

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Does an Increase in Personal Power Lead to Better Cognitive Functioning? - Qrius

Jan. 4, 2020, 9:30 AM UTC

Scream queens have been a staple of the horror genre for the last 40 years. They are also a dated cliche. Thankfully, they seem to be transitioning into a new phase due in particular to two veteran actresses, Lin Shaye and Jamie Lee Curtis, who are bringing the scary stories of older woman to the screen including two new films this year. First up is The Grudge, which opened Friday. Shaye and Curtis are strong, fierce and have compelling experiences to share. At times they can scream, but they can also make us scream.

When the term scream queen became popularized in the 1980s, it generally denoted beautiful young damsels in distress in horror films, mainly of the demonic or slasher variety, who would scream their heads off in key moments of panic.

This led to the rise of the final girl: a smart, usually virginal young lady who did not drink, take drugs or indulge in premarital sex, and who became the sole, often resourceful survivor of a vicious murder spree, often taking out the villain herself. But neither terms were particularly complimentary, nor something many female actors aspired to. At their heart, slasher movies were thinly disguised Christian morality tales: Commit a sin, pay the price.

Over the years, the phrase scream queen has been broadened to apply to any actress who appears regularly in horror movies or the female leads in various fear films, though even then, the stories gravitated mostly toward younger women. But finally, the times have begun to change and multifaceted middle-aged and older women are being represented.

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In 2018, Hereditary focused on a middle-aged mother (Toni Collette) who, in the wake of her secretive mothers death, grapples with how mental illness runs in her family and may affect her. As far back as 2014, The Babadook showed a widowed mother fending off her and her young sons fear of the titular storybook monster. Vera Farmiga (albeit younger at 46) has portrayed real-life supernatural sleuth Lorraine Warren in two Conjuring movies (a third is coming), The Nun and one Annabelle prequel. And Jamie Lee Curtis returned as an older Laurie Strode to battle Michael Myers in 2018s Halloween sequel, which takes place 40 years after the original debuted. (And it broke multiple box office records.)

What these women share, in addition to more lived experience and wisdom, is a tough independence, a reinvention rooted in empowerment rather than victimhood, even when facing seemingly insurmountable situations. These are not women who are easily preyed upon. Pick on them at your own peril.

The Grudge, a reimagining of the 2004 American remake of the Japanese original, features an elderly woman with dementia (played by Shaye) and the performance is both sad and creepy. Shaye was attracted to the role because of how real it felt. She is not a creepy villain; she is waging a battle with her own sanity as manipulated by an outside force.

Though a young woman is the star of The Grudge who visits a haunted Japanese home and unwittingly imports rageful supernatural energy back home, Shaynes supporting turn as Faith Matheson adds nuance and empathy to the production. Tragic instead of heroic, she plays a woman with dementia who is infected by the Grudge curse she kills and also maims herself and whose husband is contemplating assisted suicide for her.

A veteran actor with a diverse resume, 76-year-old Shaye has become famous for her work in the four supernatural Insidious films (cumulative global gross: $555 million) and other genre pictures. (With a resume equally as diverse, 61-year-old Curtis became famous through Halloween and a few early 80s slasher pictures.)

Im a woman with dementia who is basically sick, explained Shaye of her role as Faith. The Grudge is about infection, which is a different kind of fear.

Shaye has also been a major part of the Insidious film franchise, the fifth installment of which is rumored to be on the way. Her character of Elise Rainier, a supernatural investigator and psychic who played a supporting role in the first two movies, became the star of the next two installments. While the third one was the least scary of the bunch, her endearing portrayal of Rainier, and the origins of how she became united with her younger male demonologist accomplices Specs and Tucker, showed us how she faced her own literal demon to aid others; the fourth film showed us how her own childhood possession scarred her.

A new Halloween movie, Halloween Kills, is due out in October. In the last installment, which was a direct sequel to the original, Curtis reprised her role as Strode, the once-beleaguered babysitter who has since become a grandmother struggling with long-term post-traumatic stress disorder and has warned her daughter and granddaughter of the danger of killer Michael Myers escaping and coming for them. They write her off as nuts until that actually happens, then they all band together to fight off the evil. It is like a multigenerational feminist manifesto of battling the patriarchy.

Strode is no longer a squeamish victim finding her inner strength. Now she is an older warrior who turns the table on her seemingly inhuman attacker. Many moments near the end of the sequel mimic those of the original, except this time Strode takes control, and the predator becomes the prey. Its funny, obviously Im way happy that women over 50 can get a job, and have a job that has depth, Curtis told Collider in 2018. The thing that I took away from the movie was depth, emotion and emotional complexity.

Indeed, both Shaye and Curtis have moved beyond the final girl paradigm to become horror warriors. While Curtis lampooned her scream queen roots in the tongue-in-cheek Scream Queens television series by playing a promiscuous pot-smoking college dean, her older Strode, like Ranier, is more serious and layered. In the past, older women in horror films were often exploited as sinister, manipulative, and/or wicked. This led to the ugly genre term hagsploitation and its psycho-biddy antagonists, referring to 1960s and 70s movies like Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? and Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

They usually starred aging actresses in less-than-flattering roles. Some would argue that recent films like Greta and the Suspiria remake still demonize aging women. But the roles portrayed by Shaye, Curtis and Farmiga are heroes where their age is their strength. Even when they are terrified themselves, they show resolve, and their own lives likely influence how they play their roles.

Perhaps the best part of seeing women like Shaye, Farmiga and Curtis onscreen in horror roles is that they can move between victim and heroine, that they can portray scared, strong and scary.

Sometimes you inject your point of view I don't mean politics, I'm talking about life experience, said Shaye. What it means to love somebody, what it means to leave someone, what it means to hurt yourself. As I get older, I try to bring my personal truth to what I do. That's a given no matter what I do.

Perhaps the best part of seeing women like Shaye, Farmiga and Curtis onscreen in horror roles is that they can move between victim and heroine, that they can portray scared, strong and scary. They are at their best when they face down their demons. Watching Curtis lurk in the shadows waiting to turn the tables on Myers at the climax of the recent Halloween is thrilling. Seeing Farmiga and Shaye fend off demonic forces in the Conjuring and Insidious franchises, then have the latter freak us out in The Grudge, is chilling. Now thats something to scream about.

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Jamie Lee Curtis and Lin Shaye in 'The Grudge' are redefining, and empowering, scream queens - NBC News