Women in the Arts Network; Where it all began.
By Suzanne Montalalou
The idea for this web site grew out of a project founder, Margaret Levine,
undertook a year ago in order to begin following her own passion more in
life. "I had wanted to be a standup comic," says Ms. Levine. "I found Team
Management and Leadership Program through Landmark Communications. The
people there don't want to buy into your stories of you can't. They teach
you several communication technologies (that help) you see the power of
numbers, audience and focused support."
And that is what she wanted to create for other women, an opportunity to
experience some of the magic she experienced with that project. "I pushed
myself to do things I otherwise would not have done. I had more fun with my
life while I was doing this," Ms. Levine says.
So she began inviting friends to an online forum, that sort of evolved as she
went along, and is still evolving, by design. "I had these people who were
so creative, and I started thinking, what if I had people like this from all
over the world, and what if we could all bring our friends on?"
So, is anyone making any money off of this? "We just wanted to provide
resources for people who have things they want to do, that they do not know
how to go about, or don't have the people around them or other resources to
help them make it happen."
"The original idea was that just by having a group that stood for having
women win, and having women step forward with their goals, without having to
give specifics (or give their idea away), we can ask questions and the
process of answering those questions is starting the process. It is a
powerful motivator, just declaring it."
"We are all a network of conversations of the people that are around us," Ms.
Levine says. "It is all structural. Are you around the people that are
going to support you in structuring (your vision of success)?
Ms. Levine grew up in San Francisco, went to Israel for a year on kibbutzim,
then studied spiritual and mystical texts in a Yeshiva for a year. Then she
came back to the US to get her BA in religious studies and a Masters in
library science. She founded the web site in October of last year.
Margaret Levine 2001
