Supporting Expression to Challenge Oppression
I recently found a post-it note while cleaning my office. I probably wrote it years ago, but honestly I don’t recall when. It felt like a gift from my past self.
It said:
“Supporting Expression to Challenge Oppression.”
When I read it, I thought YES.
This is what I do and what I want to do.
As a filmmaker, I’ve had the honor of interviewing hundreds of people.
When I interview people, I try to create a loving energy field where the truths of their souls can be shared.
Often, people are nervous before we begin. Using their voice feels intense & energetic. But we begin, and they begin to soften and relax into authentic expression.
I’ve seen it over and over again: In the space of that loving energy, the inner critic doesn’t have room to dictate what’s possible.
What they share is stunning, honest, important, real. Because our hearts carry the beauty, longing, and wisdom of what matters to us.
And when our hearts are given room to speak, what they share is undeniably resonant.
It’s so easy to let our protective selves set the terms of our lives. Stay in line. Never navigate the discomfort that comes from putting our voices into the world.
I’ve learned that my protector self is ultimately a part of me that’s still rooted in love. It wants to keep me safe and alive.
But with love, with connection, with support, something else is possible.
Our voices can become vehicles for our souls’ knowing and longing for a world rooted in care.
We can honor the protective parts of ourselves without letting them fully determine the parameters of our lives.
The inner critic says, “Who cares what you have to say?” And I say, “I DO. I would be HONORED to hear what matters to you, to help you trace the thread of how your life experiences have guided you to where you are today.”
And I mean it.
Listening to people’s sacred truths is a profound gift.
I’m tearing up thinking of the hundreds of people who have trusted me (often never having met me beforehand) to share their voices and experiences with me.
I absolutely love interviewing. I love offering a truth deeper than the inner critic - that you and your story MATTER.
That sharing your voice and stories is an important part of helping us dismantle systems of oppression and build a world rooted in collective liberation and interdependence.
We must nourish each other as we move toward that vision. Your words can be nourishment for the world.
I want my presence to be a source of warmth and courage for those who long to share their voices.
It’s not easy to break through what oppression embeds in us through trauma & shame. It’s so natural to feel terrified to be seen and heard.
The confidence to speak is nurtured through loving support (human, ancestors, earth/body, spirit), practice, and a deep sense of purpose.
Right now, our voices and visions are needed.
We need to help each other believe in and act for a world without oppression, where people’s needs are met and we are in right relationship with the earth.
I want to partner with people who want to share their voices towards that world.
If that’s you, look out for my offer Inviting Liberation that I’ll be sharing soon.
