A Room of Her Own and Ideas to Fill It

A Room of Her Own Foundation offers many opportunities to creative women who long for the time and space to pursue their arts, most notably “The Gift of Freedom”, a $50,000 grant awarded to one woman to support her in the completion of a writing project. Along with approximately 750 other women writers, I applied for the grant and, along with all but one of them, was not the recipient. Tracey Cravens-Gras, Associate Director of AROHO Foundation, softened my disappointment with her statement that made me feel part of something much larger than my individual ambition; she said that the myriad grant application submissions were “striking testaments to courage and brilliance, and part of a ground-swelling rise among women to reach their creative potential in the world.” The personal process of applying for the “The Gift of Freedom” is a revelation for each woman—and the collective result of that process creates a force-field of literary energy. To the winner, Barbara Johnson of New Orleans, I offer my heartfelt congratulations. In addition to being a dedicated writer, Ms. Johnson is an experienced carpenter, who volunteers with Rebuilding Together. How beautifully fitting it is that Barbara Johnson, who builds spaces for others, has now been awarded a room of her own.

For more information about AROHO, please visit: www.aroomofherownfoundation.org