BECOMING A NEW HEROINE

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Our meetings are coming to an end. Women, richer and different, remind us of the journey of the butterfly that transforms from a caterpillar into a beautiful and wonderful being. In their own words, at first they were embarrassed, anxious, skeptical, closed, anxious, and «mad». But they came with the desire to learn, to get to know themselves and each other better and to be transformed. The seeds sprouted and the flowers bloomed, each one different, each one with different colors, different shape.

Our journey had the peculiarity that it happened through the screens of our computers. This seemed strange at first, but for all the women it was an empowerment and a consolation in the difficult conditions of physical distancing created by the covid-19 pandemic. The better we got to know each other, the richer the sharing became, the hearts opened, the defenses and difficulties decreased. Each one, found her own place in the team and saw her life with a new perspective.

This does not mean that there were no difficulties. We disagreed with each other; we agreed that we could disagree on many essential issues such as faith in God or our political beliefs. But from the conflicts the new Heroines came out strengthened, with tolerance for the different, more bounded.

The source of inspiration was the Heroines chosen by the facilitators, but also each one for the other, as well as themselves. Through the examples of famous women, they recognized their difficulties, the obstacles they experienced, but also the struggle of these women for their rights and the rights of society at large. Each one was identified with another Heroine, but all played their part in the transformation of the new Heroines.

But what seemed to be most important were the experiential exercises, «the dive inside us» to speak in their own words. And especially the exercises that helped them to know themselves better or to create something themselves and to feel what it is like to paint or write creatively something that you will share with others, using the possibilities of speech and imagination. «Artistic creativity in the case of writing lies in the very act of writing, which goes beyond the limits and function of simple communication. That is, emphasis is given to the term «creative», which refers to different patterns or aesthetic uses of writing. In creative writing, the author expresses his thoughts, feelings, reactions and attitudes towards the experiences he comes across”(1).

With the limitation of the lockdown, they want to meet and hug, have a big party, listen to music, hold and release balloons in the sky, eat pies and sweets.

Friendships have already been made and we believe they can last over time.

Lastly, let us listen to their own voice:

For my journey with the team

Everything is now new and ready

for a new journey.

Being with you taught me a lot.

I became more humble but also stronger.

I became a better pilgrim

of beauty, of diversity, of opposites.

I’m ready for another journey,

for another Ithaca.

And I’m scared, but I’m not scared!

Evie Milonaki

Sources:

Healing through poetry and Therapeutic Creative Writing, p. 201, Nikolaos Tsergas, Gutenberg Publishing (in Greek).