Annette on Hellenic Radio in South Africa.
Enjoy this 11 minute interview on Hellenic Radio in South Africa, at the occasion of the online presentation of my book "From Art to Empowerment: How Women Can Develop Artistic Voice" on International Women's Day, March 8th 2021.
I wrote the book because I wanted to provide a method for teaching art to women that would empower them. Through my work I encounter women that are insecure and puzzled. I realized that through letting them surf on their own “inner-net” (this is how I call the journeying through the personal inner world with the help of the imagination) they discover their own images and they start to make art that is meaningful to them. By making their inner world visible they get in touch with their inner authenticity, and develop personal artistic voice. This whole process is very empowering!
“From Art to Empowerment: How Women Can Develop Artistic Voice” teaches women how to use writing and visualizing for art making. It provides a method to guide women to find their unique personal artistic expression through going on a journey into their inner world. By working with this book, they learn how to visualize their personal narrative, practice self-reflective thinking, journal, express their personal issue visually in a series of artworks and to organize their own exhibition at home in order to share their process with friends and family.
This book is a hands-on step by step art methodology that helps women develop artistic voice; that unique and recognizable artistic style that is distinctly your own, your own very personal way of expressing yourself. By developing their artistic voice women get in touch with what is important and meaningful for them. Hence they get self-knowledge and become empowered: they develop self-awareness and self-esteem. This is the first step in the process of personal growth. Self-esteem and feeling you are growing as a person, enhance your self-confidence, and this supports you in making healthy choices for yourself in your life. This empowers you. Becoming strong and conscious, that is empowerment.
During the talk Annette revealed how the book came about, what empowerment really is, what the relation is between art and empowerment and why she wrote the book for women. She also showed some of the artwork of the women in the book and explained their process. She read a few excerpts from the book that illustrate the experiences of these three participants in her workshop.
