“Tenacious, often over extended”
Recently, CBCA and the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce collaborated on a special event, “Backstage with Women in the Arts“. This panel conversation included amazing professional women in the arts and creative industries. At the conclusion of this insightful and inspiring discussion, one of the panelists, Bianca Mikahn (artivist, educator, performer), shared a poem she had crafted during the course of the dialogue that evening. Thank you, Bianca, for generously sharing these words with us.
Tenacious
often over extended
existentially ambitious
Women
How did we start with
a front row empty
at a table not always
feeding these bellies
Still quickly conquering
everything before us
One step in front of the other
The passion of this sector
Is sectioned off
A goal
A dream to be whole
These briefcases only carrying
costume changes
and compassion changes
and memories of when
that one time
when a chair was thrown
in the name of business
What of us makes this space
These leaders always feeding
connecting with those led
Respecting the most capital
Human capital
Answering the questions asked
and those only implied
We are an art form
These dynamic differences
simply tools
The failing and rebuilding
replacing ego with question marks
Ask anyone
Ask everyone
until the answer is born
This is our blooming
building each other up
as the soil changes
as the seeds are shifted
sometimes blocked from sunlight
How can we smooth the path
welcome the future
sow our hope
reap the lessons
Walking in strength
A family of creatives
defining horizons
for every eye
By Bianca Mikahn