Lake Affect magazine
Volume 55
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Lake Advisories Mother’s Gift
Tides Julia Griffiths, The Woman Who Rescued Frederick Douglass and the North Star feature by Debra A. Jacobson 12 Julia Griffiths collage by Skyler Johnson
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Three Irish Sisters painting by Marilyn M. Belle-Isle 14 A Thousand Mary Doyles essay by Sonja Livingston Clean fiction by Sarah Freligh
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Banishment painting by Jaci Ayorinde
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Rose Window stained glass by Valerie O’ Hara
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Moorings Call Me a Radical speech by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Kids Cook Monday with Seniors A Picture, 1000 Words Lori Lachiusa Barnum interview by Michelle Cardulla
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Ms. Murphy’s commentary are words to keep coming back to again and again whenever we feel a hopelessness on equality between men and women. She speaks these truths, out loud. We must keep saying them out loud to our children and to ourselves until it sinks into our collective psyches and conscientiousness. And we can also find comfort in the fact there are more of us that think this way, than not. Remember. Remember this and resist when they tell you otherwise. Lake Affect Magazine dedicates its 25th anniversary issue to women. This entire magazine was created solely by women. Every word, every photo, every idea and every feeling.
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Time Passage drawing by Carmen Schaefer Destress Monday
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The Divine Feminine perspective sees womanhood as sacred, life-sustaining and at the core of our collective human beingness. It is who we are. It’s also about embracing higher powers as equally male and female, both equally sacred. As a child my religious and cultural experience taught me that god was male and women were cursed with an innate badness (fallen) which explained why we were less than men necessitating their control of us and being doomed to suffer physically and socially. As an adult woman, thanks to deep personal exploration of my own, I now know this to be untrue. Embracing the “Feminine Truth” is to see our collective femininity as a gift filled with clear wisdom essential for our survival. As the world’s masculine and feminine energies come to balance we all win because “our” collective suffering is not just isolated to women. Men in fact are suffering from the collective insanity that afflicts humanity also. To see any one individual or group as less valued or as an object of self gratification or subjugation, simply blocks the realization of the others beauty and the gifts they have to offer. The times are asking, even demanding us to wise up. With this wisdom, we at Purse for the People strive to embrace principles and practices of the Divine Feminine. We want everyone to recognize women for their gifts and respect them as equally valued. We believe we really are ALL in this together. —Carole Murphy, October 15, 2016.
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The portraits of our Sheroes were taken in our home by my dear friend, colleague, and photographer extraordinary, Michelle Macirella. The Sheroes come from all walks of life, but there answers were similar. Empathy and generosity exudes from all of these women—very female indeed.
LAKE AFFECT MAGAZINE is independently owned
and published in Rochester, New York. The cost of the magazine is $4.95 newsstand, with two-year subscriptions priced at 25.00 dollars. Submissions may be sent to: Lake Affect Magazine PO Box 10366 Rochester, New York 14610 Cynthia Goldberg, Sales & Marketing goldbergcynthia9@gmail.com (585) 705-9428 Michelle Macirella, Staff Photographer info@luminariaphotography.com
Michelle Cardulla-Barrera, Editor and Publisher (right) Photograph by Michelle Macirella This special 25th anniversary issue is dedicated to my mother, my shero, Clara Inés Barrera Cardulla On the cover, Noma Bliss, Heart and Mind 18x18 , Mixed Media, 2010 from the collection of Meaghan Cologgi Ms. Bliss’s work is showing at Memorial Art Gallery Store, One Hip Chic Optical, One Jane, Dado and Panache
The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race. —Susan B. Anthony
We do as much. We eat as much. We want as much. —Sojourner Truth Women Belong in All Places Where Decisions are Being Made. —Ruth Bader Ginsburg
J U L I A G R I F F I T H S , 1811-1895
The Woman Who Rescued Douglass and The North Star By Debra A. Jacobson
Today, we are amid a Women’s Movement, more than ever recognizing the power, courage, strength, wisdom, intelligence, and rights of women. The “Me Too Movement” has brought forth numerous women who want to be heard, tired of being afraid to speak up due to the possible consequences they face amidst gender power struggles and inequality. And yet that is just one example of heroic women. Historical women dedicated to righting society have been acknowledged throughout time: Cleopatra, Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa and many more. Yet, the authors of many history books have been known to omit giving honor to whom honor is due. And by those omissions, few know the work of certain courageous individuals. Julia Griffiths is certainly one of those individuals. Griffiths, a white British abolitionist, lived from 1811 to 1895, spending her mid years in Rochester, New York supporting the anti-slavery efforts of Frederick Douglass. The two had met in London, England while he was touring the British Isles from 1845-1847. Julia Griffiths and Frederick Douglass hit it off right away, and they stayed good friends for the rest of their lives. When she heard Douglass had run into financial and editorial difficulties with his newspaper, North Star, she joined American former slave-turned-newspaper-editor Douglass in Rochester in 1849 and worked by his side for six years. Griffiths came to Douglass’ rescue, working to fund-raise for the paper, helping him pay off his debts. She quickly took over some of the editing and most of the bookkeeping and finances of the paper. Within a year Griffiths had doubled the circulation from 2,000 to 4,000 and lifted the paper out of debt. No other single person did more to contribute to the success of the North Star. Griffith’s years in Rochester with Douglass were spent editing, publishing and promoting his work. And, the fact that she rescued Douglass’ newspaper, which shortly after publishing was in the red, was little known. It was said that her fundraising for him and his paper empowered antislavery women in multiple parts of the world. She made significant contributions to the thoughts and actions of women envisioning a new place for themselves. The ownership of an anti-slavery newspaper by a black man at that time was risky. Frederick alienated many heavy hitters (William Lloyd Garrison for one). Garrison and Douglass began as close friends and co-workers for more than a decade (1841-1850), both working toward a common cause—the American Anti-Slavery Society. Yet, the two men became estranged and their rift was never healed. No one really knows if it was a competitive edge, lingering racism
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on Garrison’s part, or Garrison’s unconscious difficulty when Douglass’ fame and leadership began to outshine his. In an interview with Leigh Fought, an Anna and Frederick Douglass’ Scholar, author, and professor at Le Moyne College, Syracuse, New York, Fought shares more personal information on Douglass and his family. She published Frederick Douglass letters containing information that proved just how important he felt women were. Her pod-casts and book of Douglass’ letters state that he often wrote about the women around him in very positive and caring ways. Anna, his wife of 44 years, and mother to their four children, was said to be a fascinating woman, and yet she didn’t want to be known. Both Frederick and their daughter Rosanna wrote how Anna didn’t want to be in the public light. Nor did Anna want people to know their family and personal business. Yet word got out regarding controversy around an alleged affair between Douglass and Julia Griffiths—a black man and a white woman, unique to those times. This gossip was considered to be retaliation from those following William Lloyd Garrison. Frederick’s handsome looks, compelling speech, and strength as a young man caused women to fall in love with him, yet no one knows much about the women he was close to. What is known is that each populated his private world, giving lessons learned preparing him to collaborate with many antislavery women, including Julia Griffiths. Important to Douglass for the paper, and ultimately therefore to the family, Griffiths was exuberant and had a take-charge style. Douglass spent much time with Griffiths in the home study during what was to be family time, and he turned to Griffiths rather than Anna on many matters. It was said to have drawn attention by many. When their work together on his paper was complete, Griffiths returned home in 1856. She went back to England rejuvenating support for Douglass, selling his new autobiography, and tapping into anti-slavery societies. She then became very ill and went to a spa to recover. She did recover and in 1859 she met and later married Henry O. Crofts, a Methodist minister and former missionary in Canada. Having no children of her own, she took on his children. Throughout, she remained supportive of Douglass. After her husband’s death, Julia Griffiths Crofts ran a school for girls in St. Neots—continuing to influence society. Who are the women today who have worked endlessly to contribute to a better and fairer society and in what ways? Many may not be in the limelight. Perhaps you, now reading this, are one of them. —Debra A. Jacobson is a freelance writer, Pilates instructor, marketing specialist at RIT, artist, and owner of Debra A. Jacobson Art.
Ju l i a G r i ffit h s
Skyler Johnson, collage, 8 1/2 x 11, 2019
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A Thousand Mary Doyles by Sonja Livingston
There she is, Mary Doyle, and another right beside her. Head turned for one last view of land before the Cork coastline slips out of sight. Dishwater strands pushed behind her ears, yellow curls pulled up under her hat, dark frizz flying in the wind. She is seventeen. She is twenty-two. She is just yesterday turned twenty-nine. Look at her now, studying the sky in place of crying, trying to remember what everyone has said, begging Mary-the-most-holy-mother-of-God they might make it across the ocean alive. She leaves behind her favorite cow and the kitchen garden she’s been fighting for years. She leaves behind her mother’s grave, her sister’s face, and her Uncle Michael’s way with the plow. She leaves behind the traveling priest, the Sunday Masses, and the words to every song she knows, the pretty lament sand, the keening, and Mr. Byrne with the tin whistle, and here it comes now, her father’s hand, swollen and cracked as it is, the way he held it to her father’s hand, soft as old cloth against her cheek. She leaves behind the big house on the hill and the broken buggy leaning against Coughlan’s cottage. Will it oh will it ever get fixed? And the marsh violet and the burnet rose and the blackthorn too sometimes, the patchwork of fields, and the baby Lizzie with her dark eyes and funny ways—what will the little one be like as she grows? And the abbey, of course, what times they had there, the slick moss and cold stone, and her best friend, Birdy, who swears upon her life she will write, but both girls know how these things go, a few long letters at first, the distance between them widening as the
world settles into the spaces made by those who leave, until words are folded less often into envelopes, because if there’s one thing everyone knows, it’s that when someone leaves Ballyhaunis, sure enough, she ’s gone for good. Mary Doyle. Come from Moycullen from Westmeath and Usher’s Quay. Come from Poulnamuck, Gweesalia, and Tourmakeady. From Clongeen, Collooney, and Cahermacrea. From Kilkelly and Kilmeena, Ballina and Bonniconlon. From Portlaoise, Mountshannon, and Roscommon. From Donoughmore, Dún Laoghaire, and Drogheda. That one there with the reddish hair, the tall one with the overproud back, the one gone flat against the rail, trying her best to hide the sight of a broken shoe under her trunk, fan of fingers placed on her brow. That one. And that one. Then again that one too. Sailed in 1851. Sailed in 1847. Left from Queenstown in 1869. Doing what she must in order to survive. See her now, stepping from the gangway, swaying a bit as her feet reach solid land. That’s her there, scanning the crowd for the sight of a familiar face. And here we are. We can’t call out, but we can at least see her, every girl bound for Boston, New York, and the Upper Saint Lawrence. We can’t call out, but we can look for a moment in her direction to see what might be found in her face, for she belongs to all of us, does our girl, Mary Doyle. This essay appears in Ladies Night at the Dreamland, UGA Press, 2016 and was originally published in Brevity Magazine.
Marilyn M. Belle-Isle, Three Irish Sisters, oil on linen, 2008, 16 x 12 inches www.marilynbelle-isle.com
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Clean
by Sarah Freligh When I finally woke up, all the decent summer jobs had been taken. Lifeguard, sales clerk, cocktail waitress, bartender—all gone to the girls who’d shaved their legs and set their alarms. What you get for not trying, said my mother. She worked first shift at the Ford plant and claimed to have an in with the foreman. But I didn’t want to be her, terminally sadeyed, smelling of glue and ruin and Oil of Olay. I tried. I did. For days I sat in a forgettable string of employment offices filling in clipboards of blank applications and got exactly one callback, from a Mr. Wright who owned a cleaning business. Steady work, good pay, he assured me. Nice clients, nothing gross. Did I have my own car? A bucket and mop? I met him at his house and filled out more forms. He showed me color brochures of a woman standing in front of the Cadillac she’d earned for attaining Gold Status--the sky was the limit, he said— before sharing a handbook of don’ts: Don’t snoop in medicine cabinets. Don’t steal. The man had a lazy right eye that wandered so I wasn’t sure where to look when he spoke to me. Later I met Mrs. Wright and their baby who’d apparently inherited the same lazy eye. For my tryout, I cleaned their bathroom and bedroom while Mr. Wright trailed after me shouting, “I’ve got dust” wherever I missed spots. Aside from a few streaks on the mirror, and the fact I’d forgotten to wipe the tops of doorways, I’d done great. I hung around afterward thinking I’d get paid before it became apparent that this was a freebie. My very first client requested that I bring my own vacuum cleaner, so I humped my mom’s old Hoover up a steep sidewalk bisecting a yard full of dead plants. The house was a big colonial in a wealthy suburb. I thought it was strange that such a nice house didn’t come with its own vacuum cleaner or a gardener, for that matter, but what did I know? I rang the doorbell and when no one answered, I knocked. Finally a man opened the door. He had a raw look, liked he’d been recently peeled. He was barefoot, the string on his sweatpants undone. His white t-shirt still had fold marks as if he’d just freed it from its plastic. “Ah, the cleaning lady,” he said finally. “I remember now.” I followed him inside. Except for a card table and two chairs, a big screen TV and a recliner,
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the living room was empty. Ditto the dining room and the kitchen. “My wife took everything,” he said. “Much less to dust,” I said with a forced heartiness. The empty room bounced my voice back to me. He excused himself to go back to his TV show, and turned the volume up. Kathie Lee was going on and on about how Frank woke up grumpy every morning. “That broad never shuts up,” the man said. I plugged in the vacuum and started on the carpet, which looked clean and new. I vacuumed the dining room and the bathroom and the hallway into the living where the man was watching a cooking show and crying. I turned off the vacuum. “Do you want me to clean the bathroom?” The man fumbled around in the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out a wad of bills. “Can you get me a bottle? Vodka, anything.” I took the money. There were a bunch of fifties, a couple hundreds. More than enough to pay off my Visa. “Please,” he said. “I need to do that front window first,” I said. I got my spray bottle of glass cleaner from the kitchen and a roll of paper towels. I started at the top. It was a big window. At some point, the man blew his nose and joined me. I showed him how much to spray and how to wipe up afterward so there wouldn’t be streaks. We worked in silence for a long time. When I got home my mother was lying on the couch watching an old Law and Order. “It was terrible, right?” she said. I thought about how the sun had come out as we were finishing the window. When we stepped back to admire our work, I saw streaks. But it was clean enough. I sat down next to her. “It was all right.” “You smell like a diaper pail,” she said. “Ammonia,” I said. It was a guilty smell, clean and yet dirty at the same time. The money rode heavy in my pocket.
JACI AYORINDE, Banishment
VALERIE O’HARA Rose Window at St. Catherine’s Church, Mendon, NY, 4 feet diameter
Call Me A Radical Poverty and social inequity aren’t abstract concepts. They translate to powerfully different real-life outcomes for certain communities - dirtier water, poorer schools, neglected disaster recovery or worse healthcare outcomes. I am often called radical because I do not believe children’s lives should be determined by the circumstances of their birth, or that a person’s life should be destined by the misfortune of illness. I am called radical because I believe a minimum wage should be enough to sustain dignified life, and that we should treat healthcare as a right, the way every other modern developed nation does. Far too often, a child’s life is determined by the circumstances far outside of their control. Kids in the Bronx didn’t choose asthma from the dirty air. Children in Flint didn’t choose neurological disorders from the lead in their water. But somewhere along the line, someone in a position of power - whether private or public - decided that what WASN’T acceptable for their children COULD be acceptable for someone else’s. And I will never, ever believe that is a reasonable compromise to make. So call me radical. —Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Ocasio-Cortez was born on October 13, 1989, often referred to by her initials, AOC, is an American politician who serves as the U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 14th congressional district. The district includes the eastern part of the Bronx and portions of north-central Queens in New York City. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Ocasio-Cortez drew national recognition when she won the Democratic Party’s primary election for New York’s 14th congressional district on June 26, 2018, defeating the ten-term incumbent Congressman, Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, in what was widely seen as the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries. She beat Republican opponent Anthony Pappas in the November 6, 2018 general election, and at age 29, became the youngest woman ever to serve in the United States Congress. Born in The Bronx, to Blanca Ocasio-Cortez (née Cortez) and Sergio Ocasio in a Catholic family. She has a younger brother, Gabriel Ocasio-Cortez. Her father was born in the Bronx to a Puerto Rican family and became an architect; her mother was born in Puerto Rico. She has described her Puerto Rican community as an amalgamation: “We are black; we are indigenous; we are Spanish; we are European.”
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The most powerful thing you can do to improve your family’s health is to cook your own food and to teach your kids to cook. —Laurie David
Merle Heath
5th graders from PS 34 Louis A. Cerulli School were asked to pen-pal with seniors from Lifespan Senior Center. They were to share a little bit about themselves and ask questions. Favorite games, names of siblings, foods they loved and don’t, pets and pastimes. That was their assignment and what they got was a lot more.
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No one wants to hear, eat your veggies! Unless, they are roasted with herbs, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until crunchy and delicious. That’s how simple it is to make this kid-friendly recipe. It is the difference between eating your veggies and devouring them. Roasted brussell sprouts, carrots and potatoes were just one of the recipes we cooked for our new friends at
Lifespan Senior Center. We also demoed and sampled pasta with faux meat crumbles, (Beyond Meat, Gardien, and Lightlife) are all great choices, and the vegan cheese we chose, Follow Your Heart parmesan, is as good as the real thing and it melts. Waldorf salad, and triple berry crumble for something sweet to go with the savory. All vegan, all scrumptious. All kid and senior approved! —Michellle Cardulla, Meatless Monday Ambassador
Kids Cook Monday (kidscookmonday.org has a heap of recipe and ideas.) And check out the recipes we made at issuu.com/lakeaffectmagazine
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On the bus ride back to school, the kids asked if they could come back and take their new friends to the zoo or to a movie or if they could return and play games again....
And one of the seniors told PS 34 staffers that she hadn’t smiled in weeks. Her brother had passed away 2 weeks ago. But after today, she felt like she had added some new grandchildren to her family and couldn’t stop smiling and laughing.
Thanks to the Monday Campaigns for their support of this program. Special thanks to Brigette Cerra and Merle Heath
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE MACIRELLA Lake Affect Magazine
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My parents were born in Rochester as first generation Americans of Italian descent, and both served in WW II. My father, James Lachiusa, served as an Army medic in Europe, and my mother, Sara Mancuso Lachiusa, was a member of the Army Ordnance Department at the Pentagon working on main-frame computers. She was a brilliant mathematician, selected for this service as a result of national competitive testing. After the war, she continued her career at Haloid, the precursor of Xerox. After marrying, she was a stay-at-home mom and raised seven children. She had a small income tax business, and after more than twenty years, went back to work and retired from branch management at Rochester Community Savings Bank. I often wonder what she would have accomplished in her career if she hadn’t dedicated herself to childrearing. Later in life, she told me that she had no regrets, and that for most of us, the greatest contribution we make to the future is through our children. My dad was a talented woodworker, and cabinet maker. He changed careers and retired from RIT as Chief Engineer for HVAC. Our parents raised us to be independent thinkers, self-disciplined, to always do our best, and to respect others. I had a great experience growing up in the city here in Rochester. Our one block street had 34 kids. We were always outside playing together, and many of us are still in touch today. I attended St. Ambrose School, and East High School. My desire to be of service stems from seeing need, identifying solutions, and caring. All over the community there is so much to do and so few resources. Coming from a large family, I know that if we all pitch in to help, we can make things happen. I was raised to be proactive and to speak up. So when there was no one to coach my little sister’s CYO basketball team, I wasn’t about to see those girls be let down. When my Beechwood Neighborhood association wanted a community mural on the side of Wegman’s, I recruited a team and painted it. My son is deaf, and I became a parent rep for the Committee on Special Education (CSE) to support other parents who were less experienced in advocacy. I have found great satisfaction in being able to help move an agenda forward by being part of the solution. My professional life has been working in notfor-profits and government. As CEO of the Susan B. Anthony House, Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Rochester, Development Director at the YWCA, and Councilwoman in Irondequoit, I was dedicated to work for the greater good. History of being the first paid ED at Susan B Anthony House Volunteering is what first brought me to the Susan B. Anthony House. My aunt, Roberta La Chiusa, President of the Board, recruited me for committee work and then trusteeship, as she was recruited by her aunt, Elizabeth Copson, a founding trustee, whose aunt knew and worked with Susan B Anthony. I served for 10 years as a vice president of the Board, until my aunt’s death. Then came the pivotal moment. With $5K in revenues, $6K in expenses, and the historic fabric, and artifacts at great risk of deterioration…would the SBA House survive? As newly elected president, it was my responsibility to secure the future of this National Historic Landmark. I was passionate about it. I was a full time student at Nazareth College with an internship, had two young children, and was co-owner/operator of a tax accounting business. Yet, I felt I was put in this position for this purpose and that it was my duty to step up and help save this national treasure. Who else could or would
do it…for free? After a year of research and strategic planning, the board realized that a paid position of executive director was needed to save the House and secure its future. Through a unanimous decision, I was hired as the first Executive Director of the Susan B. Anthony House. During my tenure, I transitioned the all-volunteer organization to a professionally managed institution and raised it to an internationally respected entity, raised the funds to implement the strategic plan and support a staff of ten and manage 100 volunteers, established standard museum practices for collections care and archives, quadrupled the size of the historic site and dramatically increased attendance, developed an aggressive communications program, branding, and web develop. We conducted a successful $3 million capital campaign to build an Education/Visitor Center and facilitate restoration for the Susan B. Anthony House. After being retired for a few years what possessed you to run for office knowing full well the amount of work it is. I may have retired from my job, but I never stopped working. Many people in my district have encouraged me to run for office again because they felt I played an effective role on the Irondequoit Town Board. They see a need for my voice at the county level; and frankly, so do I. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to be inspired by one-on-one conversations with Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Janet Reno, Nancy Pelosi, Helen Thomas, and many more. As I’m running for theMonroe County Legislature, I’ve been drawing inspiration from two local women of integrity with whom I had decades long friendships …Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (Democrat), and past Monroe County Legislature President Joanne VanZandt (Republican). They got things done.They governed. They realized the importance of coming to consensus and putting government into action. They held true to their philosophies and found a way to work together. Integrity. They were effective legislators not in spite of being women, but because of it. They believed in me, and encouraged me to serve in elected office. Advice to young women? VOTE!! Vote as though your life depended on it. Your right to do so was hard fought for. Don’t let other people define you! Aim high. This era of Times Up and Me Too, I hear women saying ofter that these issue we face are men’s issue. We don’t have the problem, they do. What could we say to men so that they understand that they need to stand up and not allow their fellow men to continue treating women the way they have. We women govern our lives on a daily basis by making decisions about what is going to keep us safe from physical, emotional, verbal or sexual harassment and abuse. Where is it safe to walk alone? Can I go out for a run in a beautiful remote location as part of my training? Is it safe to go into that bar alone? We are worried about being safe from men. (not terrorists, not gangsters, just men.) That shouldn’t be the case. It’s the responsibility of every parent to raise their sons to respect women; but, it’s especially important for fathers to be clear about it. My brother, Dr. Tom Lachiusa, ran domestic violence reduction groups in a county jail for 21 years. He believes it is critically important that a father figure tell a boy or young man to respect a women’s boundaries and rights. The father figure can be a grandfather, uncle, friend or older brother.
Interview by Michelle Cardulla and Photograph by Michelle Macirella
Lori Lachiusa Barnum
Executive Director Emeritus, National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House& Candidate for Monroe County Legislature
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Andrea Geer Clothing Designer My super power. My super power is my unwavering faith in the creative process and my ability to stay open to possibility. I’m not sure why I love design so much but I don’t question it. I have had the same passion for it since I was a child. It never went away, it just grew stronger over time.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. When I purchased my first knitting machine, I had the epiphany that it was possible to create a piece of clothing starting with the stitches of the knit fabric. I was enthused for years about the mechanics of the knitting machine and the possibilities for creating fabric. Then, I learned about digital printing and the same thing happened. I fell in love with the endless opportunities for surface patterning. I am in the midst of experimenting with various types of images, whether it’s beginning with a traditional painting, a drawing in procreate or a photograph. The resulting images are printed upon the fabric that we make the clothing from.
Advice to young women. 1. When you are inspired to create something in a certain way, do it even if it isn’t perfect. Inspiration can be fleeting and if you don’t pursue it when you are feeling excited, it can drift away. 2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It is rare to do something that you feel is flawless in every way. The real power of your creative gift is in the pursuit of your ideas and passion. You have to lay the groundwork and build skill so that you can articulate your ideas in your chosen medium. It takes some time, be patient with yourself. 3. Experiment and try to do things in new ways. This will fuel your creativity and open new possibilities. Don’t worry about always having an end product from each effort. If you focus on the process instead of the end result, you will experience the real joy of creativity. 4. Do the work, don’t let circumstances pull you off your path. Your ability to focus on what is most important to you will help you accomplish so much. It’s a bunch of little steps that will lead you to something truly special. The book that describes this so well is “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. 5. Read, follow and learn about inspiring people. There are endless resources for learning. You will probably read and think that sometimes other people’s journey sounds similar to your own. 6. You are enough. You are perfectly prepared to pursue your interests. Just start somewhere! The reason you are motivated to follow a certain path will reveal itself over time.
My “Shero” and why.
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My Shero is literally every woman who is focused on her goals and not afraid to own it.
In whatever you do, you’re not going to stand out unless you think big and have ideas that are truly original. That comes from tapping into your own creativity, not obsessing over what everyone else is doing. —Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELLE MACIRELLA Lake Affect Magazine
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Jackeline M. Vazquez Fire fighter
My super power. My super power is empathy. Although some may consider the talk of emotions a weakness, I have found it to be my greatest strength. The ability to be empathic to the emotions of others has allowed me to build deep bonds with those around me and has even helped me anticipate people’s needs before they are vocalized. This has often times provided me with an advantage in various work-based situations.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. An event that has had a significant impact on my life was my deployment with the U.S. Navy to Afghanistan in 2015. The time spent in that country greatly humbled me. I had the honor of serving as an equal next to my male counterparts in a country in which women are still fighting for rights. It sparked in me both pride for my country and the desire to achieve more and be a voice to women that feel bound by gender roles.
Advice to young women. Finding my voice as the woman I am today has been a journey. If I could offer any advice to the young ladies reading this, I would say two things: The first would be to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That is where the magic happens. You will learn something from each experience even if it doesn’t go the way you planned. With that being said, the second piece of advice would be to be unapologetically you! Embrace your uniqueness. Set boundaries and don’t be afraid to fight for the things you believe in.
My “Shero” and why. My Shero is my former supervisor and now close friend Marisol Ramos-Lopez. I consider her to be my Shero because she exemplifies what it means to be a transformational leader. She inspires those around her to set and strive for bigger goals than they themselves have thought possible. She is confident, decisive, and empathic. She is a leader and Shero not only by title, but by her ability to develop those around her. I hope that I too may one day be of such influence to others.
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Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. —Anais Nin
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELLE MACIRELLA
Maria Fisher
Rochester-Genesee Valley Area Labor My Super Power. Compassion. I try to practice compassion with everyone I encounter on a daily basis. I see the humanity in everyone I meet. Sometimes the toughest, hardest people need the most compassion. My next trick will be to practice it more with myself.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. My family survived a Ukrainian genocide only to be forced into a Nazi slave labor camp. They survived the camp and lived in a refugee camp until a country would take them in. They came to the United States with no money, no education and no English language skills. They were welcomed in. My uncles went on to serve their nation and bought houses and went to school on the GI Bill. Growing up in my family I was often reminded that I owed my very existence to the generosity and the compassion of the American people. My family background influences everything I do. My upbringing is why I feel it is my responsibility to give back to help pay back a small part of all that I’ve been given.
Advice to young women. Remember that you have a voice and something important to say. Make sure to use your voice to make a difference in the lives of people especially those who are voiceless and struggling.
My “Shero” and why. I have so many sheroes. One of my role models is Dr. Alice Holloway Young. She was one of the first African American classroom teachers in the Rochester City School District and became one of the first principals. She started the Urban Suburban program and was one of the founders of MCC. When she saw kids ride by on a bus she would say “there go my kids”. It didn’t matter if they were in her school or not. She saw all of this community’s kids as her kids. That’s how every single person in this community should think. She faced so many barriers. Yet, she never let it stop her from doing life-changing work in the lives of children. I can’t really express in words enough how much I admire Dr. Young. She’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met.
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Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living. —Mother Jones
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELLE MACIRELLA
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CARMEN SCHAEFER Time Passage, 2016, colored pencil, 24” x 32” Permanent collection, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas
Photo by Allison Asselbergs
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Gillian Scott-Ward Clinical Psychologist/Documentary filmmaker. Creator of content for healing and social justice
My Super Power. My intuition is definitely my superpower. Over the past decade I have been intentional about figuring out how to attune to my internal guiding system; specifically how to figure out the difference between my inner knowing and fear, doubt or ego. Helping others find ways to tap into their intuition is a huge part of my clinical work as a psychologist.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. Deciding to take a huge risk and embark on producing Back to Natural changed my life. By logical standards, a psychologist with no film training or funding will not likely be able to complete a feature film and get it seen. It’s easy to get caught up in the ups and downs of navigating learning a completely new, and creative field. But I stuck to it, got a good support system and focused on my goal of spreading a healing message. After 30 film festivals world wide, we were invited to screen at the New York City Human Rights Commission which ultimately played a key role in the development of guidelines protecting people’s rights to wear their Natural Hair at work and school in New York City. In some ways I still can’t believe it and i think, what if I didn’t listen to my inner voice that day telling me to start this project? It made me trust myself, my intuition, and helped me believe that with supportive people around you, anything is possible.
Advice to young women. Prioritize refining your intuition and learn to trust yourself. A lot of us have all types of life experiences that can lead us to doubt ourselves, our worthiness, or our value. If you can’t trust yourself you lose control of your life. That doesn’t mean don’t take input from others and learn, but it does mean ultimately your life choices are yours and you need to find a way to make them with intention and self trust. Pay attention to your self-talk. A lot of people would never talk to someone they love the way they talk to themselves. With healthy self-talk, you can hold yourself accountable, but also be compassionate. Growth and healing comes from a place of gentle understanding. Don’t prioritize your professional life over your mental health, physical health, or healthy, supportive relationships. At the end of the day, external success can be fleeting, but our relationship with our bodies, minds and others are really important for lifelong happiness and well-being. Learn to say no to things you don’t want, to make room for things you do want. It can be scary to take that risk, but it also might be worth it.
My “Shero” and why. Ava DuVernay. She didn’t make her first film until she was 33 years old and came from a completely different field. She bet on herself and now is one of the most successful and well-known directors of all time. Not only that, but in everything she does, she intentionally fights for justice, has given the industry a road map for how to diversify, and proves that that leads to better media. She does all of this while reaching back to make room for others. She is an important model for us all.
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Don't wait for permission to do something creative. —Ava DuVernay
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Artistic Director
Rosalie M. Jones
“Daystar”: Contemporary Dance Drama of Indian America My super power. This is a question that I cannot answer. I do not consider that I have a superpower. I may have ‘powers’ but not a superpower. As a person who was raised by a mixed-blood native mother (and non-native father), I was taught that one may gain a ‘power’ that is earned through visionary quests, dreams or perhaps great suffering. Rather, I would say that perhaps I have a certain knowledge of life and art gained through life experience and hopefully a sincere observation of them both. Life and art influence each other, guide each other and contribute to each other and in that way, perhaps in time infuse us with a kind of ‘power’.
Name an event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. One significant event in my life did greatly influence my understanding of myself and my work as an artist. It is a long story! While living in Wisconsin, I had the good fortune to perform one of my first full evening concerts titled “Daystar: An American Indian Woman Dances”. I was extremely nervous, since the audience was to be a mixed audience, but the primary observers were to be the local Indian populace. I had no idea how they would react to this kind of program – a dancer enacting Indigenous cultural/historical stories within a ‘native modern dance’ and theatrical idiom. And in actuality, it was the 1980’s and I was one of the first dancers in this country to conceive and present such a program. When I finished the performance, there was a rather quiet smattering of applause and the audience left the theater. My heart sank! Did that mean it was not well-received or even understood? I packed up and on leaving, walked out the front door of the theater. There in the lobby was an elderly native woman – long cotton dress, moccasins, kerchief on her head. She smiled at me and said: “Was that your vision”? My knees nearly buckled! In the shock of it, hesitatingly, I said: “Well, yes, it was”. She smiled back. A younger man, perhaps a relative, approached, took her arm, and assisted her out the door. I stood still, dumbfounded. What did she just say? And why? All these years later, I still question whether that old woman was real – human - or a spirit. Either way, I began to realize the wisdom of her words. I began to realize the reason for my work, my art. It was to find in the creative process not only a story, but yes, a ‘vision’. One’s art is a visionary process; it is a way to realize a vision, a message, a teaching. That experience at the theater taught me that my work was not just a matter of choreographing a dance, rehearsing and performing it. It was a vehicle of mutual interaction – a communication between performer and observer as witness. In participating in such actions, we are, in actuality, participating in ‘ceremony’ - a modern-day ritual that still has at its core healing, teaching and life renewal.
Advice to young women. Believe in yourself! Look within to acknowledge your own beauty, talent, empathy and compassion. The Elders teach us that each person is given a particular GIFT. Each one’s gift is unique; it is unlike any other gift because you are unlike any other person. Acknowledge that gift, nurture the gift, expand the gift, use your gift to shine a light on the gifts of others. Only when we acknowledge and grow our particular gift can we in turn give that gift back to the Creator. Anyone who neglects to develop one’s gift is not grateful and disrespects self and the Creator. Only when the GIFT is nurtured can we then one day give it back to the Creator, the gift fully realized.
My “Shero” and why. I consider my mother to be my greatest influence and source of admiration and inspiration. She was born and raised on the Blackfeet Reservation at a time when it was experiencing extreme poverty, turmoil and trauma both personal and communal. Everyone there was dealing with their own version of what the rest of society called ‘the Depression’. But more than that, they were dealing with severe restrictions on cultural values, the dances, the songs, the language and the land, all a result of what we can now rightfully term the American Genocide. It was a forced assimilation to the modern way of life by way of an attempt to destroy native identity. My mother could have become an herbal healer, being taught by her grandmother, but instead she was obliged to go to work as a ‘domestic’ – a maid in a hotel, in order to contribute to the family income. My mother wanted to be a painter, but again was diverted from it for a multitude of reasons. My parents left the Reservation immediately after I was born, seeking a more stable economic life that they achieved with years of dedicated and focused work. Fast forward to my adulthood: I chose to study the arts – music, visual art, dance and theater - as vehicles through which I could ‘know’ myself and develop my unique ‘gifts’ and to build my place in the world. I am forever grateful to them both for the opportunities they provided for me and for the ultimate advie for life: you can become whatever you want to be if you are just willing to believe in yourself and work for it.
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Fashion Designer
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELLE MACIRELLA
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Susan Rogers Executive Vice President & GM at WXXI Public Broadcasting Council
My super power. My super power is resilience. Regardless of obstacles I am willing to persevere in order to accomplish what I believe needs to be done. By twisting, bending and adjusting, but not breaking, I believe I can adapt and learn from difficulties without letting them get me down. An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. Being asked to join the Ladies of the Club – a group of inspirational and powerful women administrators at RIT who got together once a month to provide support, a sounding board, and often comic relief, through so many of my life changes and challenges. It was been almost 40 years and I still know they are there to listen and help put things into perspective for me. Advice to young women. Don’t be afraid to be yourself – and don’t be worried if you’re not even sure who you are. Time and experience should help you and change you along the way. Be proud of your bruises and scars. My “Shero” and why. My mother – who passed away 32 years ago. She was the most “real” person I ever knew. Smart, funny, caring, demanding and occasionally complicated. She always believed in the potential of every young person and took action to invest in helping them succeed. While I knew my sisters and I had a special place in her heart, there was always more than enough room for so many others she took under her wing and helped nurture.
“ ” The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.—Alice Walker
Erika De Jesús Safe Zone Trainer Trillium Health
My super power. Adaptability. I don’t particularly consider myself a person who loves change, I mean, who does? But once hit with it I’d rather push through than moan the loses… I adapt and see the benefits of everything new, and it’s made for many interesting life experiences.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. I have been a Safe Zone trainer for almost a year now and last summer I trained a group of High School students from various city schools on different LGBTQ topics. It truly strengthened my overall belief that young adults have an incredible ability to understand adult labeled “taboo” topics with ease and extreme empathy. I was inspired by their insight, by the way they took in information and related it to what they have learned (at home, with friends) but ultimately coming up with their own conclusions and perspectives.
Advice to young women. My advice to young women, always; explore yourselves. Mentally, spiritually, physically. You are your greatest gift. There is an incredible amount of joy that comes with learning something new about yourself with every new day, week, and year. You are ever changing in wants, needs, desires… explore them all. Share them with yourself, with others (if you so choose), at your own pace. Don’t aim to know yourself completely, leave room for new versions of yourself to surprise you!
My “Shero” and why. A current “shero” of mine is one of my best friends, Leah Shaw. I am ever inspired by the women who surround me, but Leah goes after everything she wants with such force... I feel beyond privileged to witness her drive. She doesn’t ask, wait. She goes, she does. I’d be lucky if half her determination sprinkled onto me and if you see this, girl, you’re amazing!
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I am a woman with a foot in both worlds; and I refuse the split. I feel the necessity for dialogue. Sometimes I feel it urgently. —Cherríe L. Moraga
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Dr. Carla Casulo
Associate Professor of Medicine, Oncology Program Director, Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Wilmot Cancer Institute University of Rochester My super power. I would say my superpower is tenacity. When I propose something to myself I commit to getting it accomplished. This has helped me in many ways throughout my life. Even if a challenge or a detour arises along the way, I still remain focused on the next step to achieve my goals. I consider myself very fortunate to have unrelenting persistence when I have a dream or ambition.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. Going through medical school and many years of training to become an oncologist and researcher has informed my life in many ways. My career has blessed me with the perspective of being grateful for everything in my life, especially my health and that of my family and loved ones. Taking care of patients with cancer reminds me to stay calm in stressful circumstances and put small things in perspective. I also feel that my hope and optimism to offer new treatments, and help guide patients and their families through this difficult time brings me joy and a sense of purpose.
Advice to young women. I would definitely say don’t give up on your dreams. Always be faithful to what inspires you and take the steps necessary to achieve your goals. Even if something seems out of reach, with hard work and commitment, you can definitely achieve anything you want. We need more inspired women in the world to encourage others. Never give up!
My “Shero” and why. My mother is definitely a shero! She has a very strong work ethic and never ceases to keep moving forward. I have always been inspired by her incredible ability to stay calm, remain kind, and continue forging ahead, even though in life she has faced difficult circumstances. I use her as my own inspiration for persistence and compassion in life.
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You must do the things you think you cannot do. —Eleanor Roosevelt
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELLE MACIRELLA
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Dressing Women of Excellence The Red Barn Fine Apparel The Red Barn Fine Apparel 3349 Monroe Ave, Pittsford Plaza rbfineapparel.com
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Annette Ramos
Executive Director of the Rochester Latino Theatre Company and Community Connector for Geva Theatre Center
My super power. When I think of superpowers it brings to mind an ability beyond human capability but it is the everyday abilities that makes a person special. Seeing the talents in every person you meet and our desire to nurture it. My Mama taught me to see the good in everything, even when bad things happen, there is always a lesson to learn. It is everyday simple acts of kindness that guide my actions. I view the world through compassion asking myself the question; “How can I bring joy to this moment?” Many have said my superpower is my endless energy, drive, determination and passionate positivity like the Ever Ready Bunny! And yes, I do sleep.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. There have been many significant events in my life but this past year my work life has stretched my learning in new ways—to ride the many adventures of transformation. Life is a process of living authentically in the day to day moments. Breathing and being present is always challenging for a scouting nature like mine, but what I am discovering is essential to living well is learning to simply to sit with yourself and be in good company.
Advice to young women. My advice today to my many daughters is always surround yourself with woman who inspire you. Women who are authentic and empowered. See their beauty and celebrate it, feel their power and admire it, know their character and learn how to develop your own. Your circle of sisters protect you and when you most need their strength, they will be there for you, but it is the moments when you are there for them, that you become your best self.
My “Shero” and why. When speaking of Shero’s, my Mother is always at the top of my list as I admire her strength to be the voice for so many who did not have one, but today I want to celebrate a woman who has always supported me even when I didn’t know it. When I first moved to Rochester, it was Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez who welcomed me. She saw my talents as an asset to this community inviting me to be of service and work with Borinquen Dance Theatre. Nydia supported me as a new wife and mother, she mentored me to become a community leader, to use my skills and talents for Latinx Arts. She celebrated my victories and was there to pick up the pieces when I failed… always with a loving hand to guide me. Nydia is the first Goddess Sister I made in Rochester and I thank her for loving and supporting me over 20 years now and paving the way for so many other sisters to follow. I am grateful to be in her circle of sisters and blessed to celebrate her as my Shero today.
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Now I can talk to more girls and tell them that any TEACHER TRAININGS skin color, any economic background, any shape INTERNATIONAL RETREATS they are born into is perfect WEEKLY and right CLASSES and strong and beautiful and enough because I am sitting here not a stereotype. —Gina Rodriguez
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Krystle Ellis
Director of Communications and Special Events Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, NY My super power. Having the ability to leverage the power of perspective, foresight and culture for organizational change. Our Nation is at a noticeable tipping point and collectively we are in need of individuals who are sensitive enough to recognize the needs of all people, wise enough to project all anticipated outcomes and strong enough to examine questionable traditions. My super power allows me to create organizational change, with tangible solutions while formulating a culture of innovation, honor and respect.
An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. The birth of my daughter. Brooke was born with severe health complications. She was in the hospital for six months before we could take her home and has been close to deaths door too many times to count. Our daughter is described as being a powerful force, ball of love and testament of hope. Having gone through multiple surgeries, learning how to walk at age three, saying her first recognizable words at four, I have learned that waiving the white flag is not in her DNA. Brooke has taught me how to be a fierce advocate for special needs children and for those without a voice. She has inspired me to stand firm in the face of adversity, while being a soldier of love and pathway to peace.
Advice to young women. Authenticity is greater than approval. Do not model your life based on the expectations of others. Always strive to be your authentic self because the world needs the unfiltered you. Remember, you were born an original; never to die a copy. Authenticity may be unpopular at times but it will give you access to unfathomable peace. When you are unapologetic about who you are, the world becomes colorful and you are able to make an impact that is remarkable.
My “Shero” and why. Gail Pucker and Jean Howard. These women have played such a monumental role in my growth, both personally and professionally. They have imparted lessons of strength and hope, while teaching me how to kick doors down while standing tall while inside. Gail and Jean are beautiful souls. They are change agents, teachers and mighty warriors. They have been forever woven into the tapestry of my life and for that I am grateful.
“ ” Be the influencer of your generation. —Krystle Ellis
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELLE MACIRELLA
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For the past five years I have been an ambassador for the Monday Campaigns. For any one who works with kids, the Monday Campaigns website is a gold mine of resources, ideas, and curriculum. www.mondaycampaigns.org
Michelle Macirella
I have had the honor of bringing meditation to Rochester City School, PS 34. Their first year principal, David Passero, was enthusiastic, knowing how inherently valuable and helpful mindfulness would be for the children. It was way more successful than we could have ever imagined.
Teachers, children, and administrators thanked me. I told them to not thank me, but rather the magic that comes from slowing down and to thank themselves for welcoming the program as warmly as they did. We began early, before classes even started and again, at the end of the school day, spending 30 minutes in a guided body scan meditation I learned from Jon Kabbat-Zinn. We also did some meditations from the teachings of Thich Nat Hanh, Conscious Breathing Meditation, Plum Village Meditations. It truly has been some of the most meaningful moments I have ever experienced.
—Michelle Cardulla
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Everyday in Rochester thousands of homeless cats and kittens suffer as they struggle to survive on the streets.
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Janine The Bean’s ad is sponsored by
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Valerie O’Hara
President and Designer, Pike Stained Glass Studio, Inc.
My super power. Cooking: My mother was a good cook. She taught me the basics, as well as gardening. Growing up, we grew a lot of the food we ate. I continued both cooking and gardening into adulthood, and began exploring more exotic recipes, inspired by fine restaurants and the food channels on TV. I find myself traveling all over upstate New York for work, and try to include a great place to eat, and an art museum or place to bicycle or kayak on the trip. An event that influenced, informed and/or inspired you. While in college at RIT, one of our assignments was to take one of our paintings and make it with another medium. I had already been working at the family’s stained glass studio part time and during the summer since I was 12, so in order to fulfill the assignment, I went to the studio and interpreted my painting in glass. Even though I had been cutting, painting and assembling stained glass windows and even making small objects of my own design for several years, this was the first time I had made a large scale abstract piece that did not have a specific architectural setting. Simultaneously, on the west coast, there was a movement of artists making autonomous stained glass pieces that I was previously unaware of, but became aware through a trade magazine. My work ended up on the cover of that magazine, and later, both the painting and the stained glass piece were exhibited and then sold to private collectors. Advice to young women. Eat good food, food that is not just good for you, but that also looks beautiful. Food can satisfy and excite all of the senses—a work of art that you can eat! Wear good shoes (in this case, shoes that are good for you and not just look good, because later you will pay for those high heels and platform shoes – now I am dating myself! I am always on a quest now for good shoes that also look good, as I have been on my feet working for over 50 years and still need to stand. My “Shero” and why. My teachers, many of whom I have stayed in contact with to this day. They continue to encourage and inspire me. My mother was one of my greatest teachers, too. She was an accomplished artist. She taught me watercolor technique when I was 5 years old at the kitchen table. She was a great cook, seamstress and gardener who could also make furniture and repair the bodywork on her car.
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One really beautiful wrist motion, that is synchronized with your head and heart, and you have it. It looks as if it were born in a minute. —Helen Frankenthaler
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