Goofy Spice

I'm getting more and more nervous reading up on Girls Rock Camp stuff. There's a lot of child psychology in the handbooks and I'm just so overwhelmed. I cannot say HOW excited I am to be apart of this. This is a dream of mine. It's ALWAYS been a huge dream of mine to work at a camp that empowers young girls.

I remember sitting in my Women in Society class listening to a lecture on young girls and self esteem. The statistics were concerning to me. The amount of girls that are bullied, suicidal, depressed, and have body image issues were astounding. It broke my heart. I remember exactly where I was sitting in that classroom when my brain went, "Man... I want to, like, start a camp for young girls and teach them how to be strong women."

I remember wanting to hug all the girls in the documentary we watched about the effects of young girls without father figures. I wanted to be a big sister to all of them. I wanted to take each one aside and tell them how things get better with age, how beautiful they were, and how much they were worth. I wanted to tell them that people will try to walk all over them. People will try to put them down. People will laugh at their dreams. People would call them names...

And the answer to all of that is? When someone tries to walk all over them... stand up. They can't walk all over someone who stands tall and strong. When someone tries to push them down? They need to reinforce themselves with positivity. A strong foundation cannot be knocked over! When someone laughs at their dreams... they have to use it as motivation. Forgive them for not having the ability to imagine and possess ambition and remember that the power of suggestion and belief is unstoppable. If you believe you can move a mountain... that mountain will move.

.... and finally... when someone calls them a name... they need to know that, "you're only what they call you if you answer to it." Don't let someone ever tell you who you are. Ever.

Sure, names and accusations may hurt... we're all vulnerable to hurt, but in order for that put-down to affect you, you have to care about it. If you don't care... it can't affect you. We will all fall, find bumps in the road, and have doors slammed in our faces. It's the person who gets up and keeps on fighting that wins. Resilience, persistence, ambition, dedication, and hard-work will find success.

This camp brings the power of music and the power of self esteem together. I'm so thankful to be a part of it.

This is where I'm a little scared.....

These girls will be very interested in the instructors. These girls will ask us lots of questions and will want to know about my personal life. They also might idolize or find heros in the instructors so they'll absorb a lot of what we say. The girls will LOVE gossip and we're warned that it spreads like wild fire. They'll also want to add us on facebook, myspace, and twitter and we're warned to watch the things we say on all our media outlets. (yikes)

These girls are one of the target markets with my music. It's no doubt that they will be curious of me. I KNOW they will love a couple other musician lady-friends of mine involved in this program as well. They're silly, fun, intelligent, talented, and beautiful to boot. This equals fascinating!

.... this is terrifying. I know that I was a little sponge at their age too. I remember my camp counselors at camp and how we wanted to know what counselors were dating. I remember looking up to them and even mimicking a lot of their behaviors and attitudes.

The pressure! The pressure to make a positive impact!!

((sigh))

I've wanted this. God has given me an immense opportunity and a blessing to do the very thing I said I wanted to do, silently to myself in that classroom 4 years ago.

I'm ready to step up to the plate. I've got to be strong for these girls. I wish so much I'd had what I'm about to do when I was their age. I had a really rough time with body image specifically and believing in myself. In middle school I was told I was an ugly duckling constantly. I think a counselor even told me, "just because you're not one of the pretty girls doesn't make you less of a person." (Nice, lady. Right? Bitch.) I had girls tell me I dressed weird and laugh at me. I had girls say cruel things about my weight. I started late with music because I was so afraid. Girl would tell me I couldn't sing... and that I should quit dreaming of meeting my idols because I was a nobody. I hope I change at least ONE of their lives and make them strong... then I know my work has been done. These days... all those girls from junior high message me about where to shop, get their hair done, and how I do my makeup. I'm the go-to gal. These days... those mean girls are coming to my shows and signing my facebook wall with well wishes. We all grow up and out of things. They were just as insecure as I was... if not more. Instead of embracing my unique style. I let them make me believe I was wrong. If it feels right for you. It's never wrong.

.... I wish I'd known that. These girls are going to have it drilled into their cute little skulls, I tell ya! :)

I feel like a spice girl... but damn.... "Girl Power." :)

Love,

Goofy Spice

The most intimidating thing...

I recently got asked to be apart of a volunteer program called Girls Rock Camp, in which young girls who want to be musicians are coached, encouraged, and brought together to showcase their talents.

Can I just say WHAT an honor to be asked to be a part of something like this? My gah... this has always been a dream of mine. I remember when I was in junior high I wanted so badly for something like this to exist for me. In college I thought, "Man, if I ever make it big I want to start a camp for young girls who need encouragement and the need to build their self esteem."

It's no secret that I have a huge love for children. I kind of adopted a little sister about 3 years back and she's helped me grow as much as I've helped her. I feel really great being apart of her life and teaching her not to make some of the mistakes I did. I feel like it's such a good thing to be that, "big sister," type and not some mother figure. I also love encouraging her to not go with the flow and telling her not to be afraid of being different. I always tell her how proud of herself she'll be looking back knowing she marched to the beat of her own drum.


Things like my relationship with that little girl is what makes me feel truly fulfilled.


To do that on a grand scale? To be a big sister to a bunch of cool little chicks wanting to do the things I do? .... My heart would only pop into a grand finale like the fireworks display at Disney.


The thing is.... how do I even teach them to do what I do? How would I be good at this job they've asked of me? Teachers are amazing people! They shape our youth! You have any idea how big those britches are? What a responsibility! I'm so scared! I can't play an instrument. I don't know much about music theory. How would I create a lesson plan? Where would I begin?? All I have is songwriting experience, stage presence experience, and just a positive attitude.

I do have one thing....


I see it with my, "little sister."

.....I feel like I'm kind of a pied piper of little girls. I don't know what it is... but little girls LOVE me and I love them. I'm able to just.... morph back into being a ten year old instantly. I'm very influential on them and they think I'm cool. :) ... I wonder how long THAT will last now that I'm getting older.


However, when I'm with little chicks, I sometimes feel like Jennifer Garner in 13 going on 30 lol.


I wanna teach them what's cool, what's fun, what's right, how to stand up for themselves, how to love themselves, how to deal with bullies, boys, and mean girls. I want to just... be there and help them be tough little Danielle Brittanys. :)



My heart is in a knot. I'm like, "Oh man! How do I teach these girls the things I know?" Most everything I do just comes naturally. How to I put that into words or... be their sensai? Also I think, "Man! I don't want to let the people down running this camp because I'm not really all that credible!" ... I just write and record music. I get on stage and I sing. It's what I do. I'm not a credible source for anything in the music industry. The women playing instruments and teaching choir are soooo the people for this job. Me? I'm just a pop tart. :)


I don't know what I can bring to the table... but what I do know is I want to be involved SOME how. I just am so scared and intimidated by teaching what I know. I don't know it all. All I know is that I can totally teach these girls to be kickass and tough.


I want these girls to think, "Hey! I'm unique. I'm gonna show these people JUST who I am!" and I want to teach them to follow their dreams and work hard.


If that means that I'm just kind of a peon in the background chiming in a bit and cheering them on... then deal.


I should show them a picture of me when I was in 7th grade and say, "Check this goofy lookin' thing out!" and let them laugh at it. :) Then maybe, hopefully, possibly, they'd see I've morphed into a less awkward, pretty fun, ambitious chick with big dreams and they can do it too?


I only hope.


I want to teach these girls to not be afraid of who they are and being goofy. ..... I've embraced it. Have you seen my shake weight video on youtube? ((slaps forehead))

:)

<3
Danielle

So this is it

My shaking hands felt the scratches in the varnished wooden floor boards. A lot of people had paced and bustled over these floors. Dust bunnies and salt from the sidewalks made them gritty to the touch. My legs were splayed out carelessly as I leaned on one hip. I was merely a collapsed lump on the floor. I was totally unconcerned that my ensemble was black and that I was probably going to be full of floor silt when I decided to stand up. Didn't matter. Not right then.

With little wells of tears wobbling on my lower lids and tiny tear drops resting in my lower lashes.... I looked around the green room. I sniffled and tried to catch my breath. Band stickers and graffiti littered the walls and mirrors. A lot of people who share the same dream had made their mark. I kicked myself thinking, "Man... I wish I had a sharpie or something to plaster my name up there with the rest of them."

It would have been a great night to be a vandal.

Loud music, teaming voices, and a gallery of sounds slammed up against the other side of the door. The noise was sneaky. No escape. It crept in through the crack underneath the door just to antagonize me.

I looked around again, just sitting in that pile of myself. Slow motion. Everything ran in slow motion. I was thankful for my luck and blessings... my God, I'm so lucky.... but I couldn't help dwell on the reality that there was always going to be something trying to bring me down. The higher up you go... the more potential energy you gain. It's like an elevator. You're heavier going up. There's just more pull on you to bring you down. You can either accept it and proceed or you play it safe on the ground. Something had just tried to drag me to hell. In that moment, I was trying to decide if I was going to let it.

I wiped my eyes. "No more of this, Danielle. You're tough," I thought. Black streaks of mascara smeared across my index finger. "Aw crap." I looked in the mirror and tried to fix the mess I'd made. Hopeless. I looked like a blubbering, blonde raccoon. I fussed with my hair, powdered my now pink nose, and tried to blink away the sadness in my eyes. I had work to do. Brave face. It didn't matter what happened to make me feel this way. It comes with the territory and the show must go on. This is what will separate me from the faint of heart. This attitude will keep me in the game. I'd lick my wounds later when I had time to myself...

DB