About Us

We would like to introduce ourselves and explain the purpose of SWEAT  IT OUT blog.  We are 3 women from Corvallis, Oregon, USA and we felt there is a need for a blog focusing on self-esteem for all people regardless of gender, because we believe self-esteem issues do not discriminate!  This blog began out of a course project for a Women’s Study course about Self-Esteem and Personal Power.  It was important to us to create a site where our classmates and others could visit to learn more about self-esteem and personal power.  We wanted to create a place where we could talk openly about self-esteem and personal power and we encourage you to share your thoughts with us.

EMILY

Hello! I’m Emily and I am avid feminist and women studies student. This blog shall hopefully become an interesting and safe place for provocative thinking about women and self-esteem.

As for myself, I hold a close personal connection to music as a musician writing and performing. I cannot imagine how I survived my teen-aged years without the aid of rebellious and fiery voices I heard in rock music. Yet, as I grew, I felt as though the domain of rock was hostile to my female self. Indeed, much of the rebellion I listened to was only voiced from a masculine perspective, and did not include my own. Women in the scene were groupies and fans. Where did that leave a guitar wielding woman like myself?

So thus, enter Women Studies and my passionate feelings were back-up by decades of feminist research declaring that my feelings and thought on the subject were not only experienced by myself. Talk about a self-esteem boost! I now had language to describe the feelings I had being an outsider in the rock music domain. I now had a vision of transformation, and I way to challenge the “good ol’ boys club” with my guitar and my lyrical musings.  I have been extremely empowered by feminism and women’s studies, and indeed by music.

I have always said I have been a feminist since about age 10, all though at the time I had no idea a word like that existed. I remember very vividly getting my lunch and my strawberry milk and passing the table in the cafeteria where my “boyfriend” sat. I overheard him telling his friends “Yea, girls can’t do what boys can do!” I immediatly slammed down my lunch and said “Yes we can!” and of course promptly ended that childhood infatuation. Funny enough, we are great friends now.

So when it comes to my passion about women, their rights and social justice, you can say I am slamming down my lunch on a daily basis (except now I drink red tea more than strawberry milk). I feel that learning about women studies and just being informed by social movements for equality and empowerment can help young girls and women in developing positive self-esteem. I know it did for me.

Case in point: Feminism Is Amazingly Positive For Relationships

So, as I navagate through the blog world, perhaps my insights and musical musings will help all those who pass by. Rock on!

Here is my myspace Listen in and rock out!

HEIDI

Howdy!  My name is Heidi and I am absolutely thrilled to be contributing to this excellent forum on self-esteem and personal power.  I am currently finishing up my Masters degree in Sports Medicine and my background is in Athletic Training.  With my close ties to athletes, I have come to recognize the contributing role that sport and physical activity play in the development and maintenance of women’s self-esteem.

For me, I am a relative newcomer to the world of feminism – as a matter of fact, I only started taking women studies classes when I entered graduate school.  Since then, I have developed a great love for all things feminist.  =)  I grew up in an uncommonly egalitarian family and was never told that I couldn’t do something just because I was born female.  Having met and talked with so many different women from varying backgrounds over the past few years, I have a new-found appreciation for diversity of experience and an understanding of others that can only come from a feminist perspective.

Also, I appreciate that women studies classes allow each student to bring her/his own experiences to the table and recognize each experience as a source of knowledge.  Coming from a strict science background in which I have always had feelings of inadequacy, the environment in a feminist classroom nurtures development of an individual’s voice and sense of self.  For me, taking these classes and being made aware that I’m not alone has really strengthened my sense of self.  I identify myself as a lesbian – despite the fact that I usually do not approve of placing people in boxes.  Claiming this identity has been a long process that I know I haven’t finished yet.

MEGAN

My name is Megan,  I am excited to be part of this and to share my thoughts regarding self-esteem and personal power. I am in my early 30s and just now learning to embrace my strenghts, my success and myself as a woman.   I am a Ph.D. Candidate, and this has been a long journey pursuing the Ph.D. and my self-esteem has been tested, pulled, pushed and I’m still standing!