Monday, March 11, 2013

I Can Do That!

Almost 15 years ago, I co-produced and directed a video called "I Can Do That," which aimed to help girls learn about and aspire to careers not traditionally pursued by women. We interviewed working women about their jobs and preteen girls about their aspirations, and to this day, I think about how capable the girls were of saying they were good at doing certain things, at owning their strengths. It has taken me years to get to that point, despite having accomplished a variety of things in my career and with my family. When I think back to those girls, I am reminded of how interesting that ability made them, and I wonder if they, now women in their 20s, have continued to have that ability as they have started their careers. (Given that they were part of a video about non-traditional careers, I also wonder where they ended up!)

One of the nice things, I am realizing, about Stamford, is that, while I am doing some of the same things I have done for years, it is different, and new enough to let me be that "I Can Do That" person. I can bring all that I have learned--on soaps, on sitcoms, on reality shows, and in life--and know that, in doing so, I can own my skills. I can say "I'm good at," and back it up with confidence and experience.

Although "I Can Do That: A Career Video For Girls" came out over a decade ago (and with help from my producing partner and a whole lot of donors, was distributed free to hundreds of schools nationwide), it still resonates with me today. Because, while many of us may question our abilities on a daily basis, it is always a good day to change course, and instead have the strength to say "I can do that!"

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