by Julia Bluhm
When I’m in a crowded movie theater, or waiting in a ridiculously long line, or visiting a city that’s bigger than my teensy town of
Waterville, I catch myself thinking: “Gosh. There are a lot of people.” It makes me feel kind of…. insignificant. And then I remember that there are 7 billion more people in the whole world, and I really feel like an ant. It seems like the only people whose existence gets acknowledged are the people who get 19 gold medals in the Olympics, have won twelve Oscars, a Nobel Prize, or are in the Kardashian clan. Or at least that’s how I used to feel.
Then, I joined SPARK. I started feeling like I have so much power inside of me that I had never really known how to unleash before. I remember once I was talking to SPARK director Dana Edell, and I mentioned how being a part of SPARK has made me feel more confident and basically more awesome. And then she said: “It was always there, Julia. We just helped you find it!”
I, like a lot of people, have felt pressure to be a certain way or to fit a certain mold. That puts limits on us. Sometimes I feel like I’m “only a ballet dancer,” or “only a student,” or even “only a girl.” SPARK helped me discover that I’m a girl-student-ballerina-activist-writer-feminist-plus more amazing things that are yet to be discovered. Basically, I found my inner superhero. And that made me feel a lot more significant. Dana was right. It was always in there; I just needed some help getting it out. That’s what the term “finding your inner superhero” means in my mind. And now I feel like it’s not even my “inner” superhero anymore. It’s my “all around” superhero.
Speaking of superheroes, I just have to introduce you to this fabulous woman named Lourds Lane. Izzy and I met her at the TEDxWomen conference, and she inspired me to write this blog (check out her TEDx talk here). Helping girls and women discover their own inner superheroes is the basis of everything she does in life… She’s created a non-profit called “THE LIGHTNING GIRL FUN-DATION” where she’s currently working on creating art-based, after-school curriculums that emphasize self-exploration, discovery, empowerment, and much more. She visits classrooms all over New York. You think that’s cool? What about the musical that she wrote and starred in called CHIX6, that’s on its way to Broadway right now? I watched videos of it, and I felt like I was overflowing with inspiration afterwards. Seems awesome? Well, I’ll tell you a secret: YOU COULD HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN FREE TICKETS FOR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS. Yeah, really! The details are at the bottom of this post.
Anyways, I have always liked thinking about things, and contemplating ideas inside my head. So I thought it was kind of fun to spend some time pondering about my “inner superhero.” I tried to share the “funness”, and asked some other people what they thought.
“To me, finding my inner superhero means being the better person in an argument; you can’t always change someone’s opinions, but you can stay strong in your own convictions. Most of all, I find my inner superhero when someone I really love or respect doesn’t agree with me, or holds opinions I find offensive – sometimes, just telling yourself that you ARE right, when everyone around says you’re wrong, is the hardest, but best, thing to do.” – Super Georgia Luckhurst
“Finding my inner superhero for me was when I got involved in a youth activism network. Before I got involved with SPARK, I had a lot of opinions I kept mostly to myself, because I didn’t have an outlet. When I joined SPARK, I realized that I could combine my frustration with writing, and blog about something that made me angry, and spread it around to thousands of people online who felt similarly. Now that I have an outlet for my loudmouth feminist voice, I feel like I’m able to embrace my feminism a lot more, and change the world a little more day by day, just like the superhero I am inside.” – The Unstoppable Izzy Labbe
“While it would be nice to have the lethal skills of Jason Bourne or Jack Bauer, the reality is that the best inner superpower we can have is giving ourselves the permission to be who we are.” –My Dad …by day, Jason Bourne by night.
“Yip, yip. Arf. Woof. Woof. WOOF.” –My little dog, Ellie. Commonly known as ‘The Wonder Schnoodle.’ (Translation: I find my inner superhero when I’m brave enough to walk between a big scary backpack and an unfamiliar looking chair, to get a little piece of cheese that Julia dropped on the floor.)
“To discover your inner superhero is to create a deep connection to the most powerful part of your self. If you’re shy, your superhero self could be magnetic and talk confidently in large crowds, If you’re insecure about the way you look, your superhero self could glow a magical light of beauty so you walk around feeling confident and gorgeous. The superhero is IN YOU! When did I discover my inner superhero? Today!! And also yesterday! And the month before that! My superhero self changes all the time because my needs and wants change every day. I’m constantly in a state of discovery. When I wake up, I decide what qualities I need most to feel happy and powerful and I BECOME the superhero who embodies all those qualities. I play this game every day. It’s fun! Today, for instance, I became Multitask-atron, the amazing space aged robo-goddess who can accomplish every task thrown at her with grace, ease, and efficiency! The more you have fun and let your superhero free, the better you will feel about yourself, and the more powerful you will actually become.” -The incredible Multitask-atron Lourds Lane.
To sum it up, your inner superhero is whatever you want it to be. So the next time you’re in a really long line and you’re feeling like just another person, remember this: You are a superhero. And so is that guy standing in front of you. And you both have completely different powers that you are discovering and using every day to slowly (but steadily) change the world. You’ve made a big impact, even if you don’t realize it–even if you’re just standing in a line at Starbucks. Thank YOU for being who you are. (Just don’t be like this guy.)
CHIX6 CONTEST
Who is your inner superhero? Participate in this cool art contest for a chance to win free tickets to a performance of CHIX6!!!
- Like CHIX6 on facebook! (https://www.facebook.com/chix6rocks)
- Create some kind of original, creative project representing your inner superhero! It could be a painting, drawing, poem, dance, collage, sculpture, or anything else you can think of!
- During your exploration, be sure to give your superhero a name, your superpower, and think about how your superhero can have a positive impact on the world.
- Make a short video explaining your creation (30 seconds to 3 minutes). Make sure you state your superhero name, your superpower, and how you are going to positively change the world, and post your video on the CHIX 6 facebook. All videos will be displayed on the CHIX6 contest page.
- 5 winners will be chosen to go to New York City with their family or friends (up to 4 people) to the opening night of the Broadway musical, meet the cast, go behind the scenes, and be presented with special awards at a publicized gala event. The superhero artwork of 25 kids and teens will be displayed at the Broadway Theatre during the run of the show. Winners will be announced in the fall of 2013!!