Brandywine Art Guide: The power of great dames

Posted by Victoria Rose; Chadds Ford Live

Being part of a supportive community can make all the difference in the world. A new book, Great Dames: Women Sharing Their Power, is a celebration of the power that comes from women celebrating women. It starts with a familiar face of the Brandywine Valley art community, Lele Galer.

“My story is from the vantage point of me as a newborn coming into a world that is seemingly very advantageous (healthy, rich, educated, old money WASP) but instead is laden with very unhealthy psychological and emotional twists,” said Galer, a local artist. Her story is the first in the collection, introducing the reader to the power of the tales within it. “I felt a commonality with each author and compassion for every story.”

“Of course, we started the book with Lele Galer's story because we thought it would pique readers' interest and convince them that this was a special book that deserved to be read,” said Sharon Kelly Hake, founder of the Great Dames community and editor of the anthology. “We asked each storyteller to answer this question: Think about a moment in your life when you discovered your power.” The book includes short stories from 52 people who share their experiences and their impact.

“A Great Dame is someone who believes in her individual and collective power to create meaningful change,” said Hake. “We created the Great Dames community nearly 15 years ago and during that time hundreds of women have shared their powerful stories with us.” After hearing so many of these amazing tales, the idea of putting some of them out in a book came about. “We decided that it was time to share some of these stories with a broader community of women and girls who might benefit from hearing them.”

The book has proven to be inspiring, both in its message and the way it came to be. “I think everyone appreciates that the stories are short and that most are not by professional writers, but by women speaking truthfully in their own voice,” said Galer. “I saw one reader comment that she didn’t realize ‘average women’ could write their stories and it inspired her to write down her own.”

“The initial response from readers has been phenomenal,” said Hake. Readers have been “really responding to the courageous themes that the authors are introducing in their stories.”

Each story in the book has its own message, but overall, the celebration of the power of women coming together stands out. “I think all of us have a responsibility to help and support one another where we can and I never gave much thought to supporting women versus any other group until I became part of Great Dames,” said Galer. “There is an amazing positive energy that is generated by this group—mostly to do good—but also a realization of your kinship with every woman at a deeper level no matter your differences.”

The book has had a fantastic reception from readers who have been deeply impacted by the storytellers who have shared such personal experiences. One reader, Gemma, said, “This book of stories shows us that courageous conversations do not mean you have to be the lead or the strongest, just that you are willing to engage in the deep topics in an authentic and genuine manner.” Others have mentioned that it has inspired them to share their own stories, either in the Great Dames online community or closer to home.

“Women want to support, encourage, believe in, and challenge each other to help them thrive,” said Hake, “and achieve their dreams.  Women want to help one another discover their 'Great Dameness.'” By letting their stories into the world, the writers have given voice to what has been hidden in the past for so many women. “Every one of us has a story to share. And it needs to be heard. Our stories are our legacy. Our stories help us discover our voice and our power.”

Galer believes in the power of the book, Grand Dames, and community. She said she hopes readers discover, “our story is important for you to write down and to share . . . we all have much more in common than we think, and everyone needs a little help sometimes.”

Great Dames: Women Sharing Their Power is a collection of 52 true stories celebrating the power of community and women coming together. Proceeds from the book go to the Great Dames Empowerment Fund. More information can be found online at GreatDamesBook.com.