Thank you to Kelly, of Writing From The Ashes, for the nomination. It means so much.
The Brave Heart Mission Statement
To encourage all those (men & women) whom have been abused (all abuse) to share their hope with others so that they will no longer be a victim but a survivor that knows they are loved.
12 Questions Asked of Me
1.Tell us a little bit about your blog. Who designed it?
My voice has been stifled for far too long. This is my second (of three) blogging adventures on WordPress. The Redheaded Wonderblog was created with the intent that it would be a place where I and my inner child could have the freedom to say everything we have to say, without judgment, without filtration.
2. What is the title and description of your blog?
The Redheaded Wonderblog. Learning what makes me tick, one blog post at a time.
3. Who is your intended audience?
My self. My inner child. My therapist. Everyone else too. But more specifically, survivors of all kinds of trauma and those who were abused by their mothers, in particular.
Mothers are supposed to be the nurturers of the family and they usually are. As a result, society cannot fathom that a mother would treat a child the way that some do. Those of us who have gone through it can barely wrap our minds around it ourselves. Mother/child abuse is severely under reported and grossly misunderstood. It is more subtle, often incestuous, and deceptively damaging. At least mine was. I share what happened to me with the hope that it inspires, helps, or encourages anyone who may chance upon it.
4. How did you come up with the title of your blog?
I’m a redhead. Easy enough. But for some reason, I always wanted to call myself the redheaded wonder and was never bold enough to do it. It felt right for this blog, so I went with it.
5. Give us an interesting fun fact about your blog.
The Redheaded Wonderblog is a baby of the blogging world, born on February 26, 2014. I started this blogging adventure when I finally couldn’t bear to keep my real story to myself anymore. While I have slowly been telling people about how bad things were growing up, there was a point that I had to put it all out there. I’m so glad I did.
6. What other blogs do you own and what makes them alike?
I blog as The Lawyernerd for Alexis Brown Law and just created The Spotted Freckledog this past week.
Alexis Brown Law is a different kind of lawyer website/blog combination. It is less about the law (although there is definitely some of that) and more for writing about my life after law school, five years at a big law firm, and the ups and downs of starting my own practice, in an entertaining and sometimes informative way. One of my goals there is to put a real face on lawyers and to bring the subjects I am most passionate about to life – pro bono, education, the law, and humor, to name a few. However, because clients and past/future employers are free to read that blog, I have to censor myself.
The Spotted Freckledog is even newer than this blog. It has no posts yet and I’m not 100% on the direction it will take, but I see it as an extension of me as a creative and sensitive person, not me as a lawyer or survivor. The Spotted Freckledog will be my place to go when I travel and when I am ready to really start paying it forward. I imagine that my latest blogging adventure will focus primarily on art, animal rescue, and education.
7. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?
I love to color, have a pretty decent singing voice, and am fairly comfortable under the hood of a classic car.
8. How can we contact you or find out more about your blog?
You can read more, of course. You can leave me a comment here. Or if you want to email me directly, you can go to Contact Us page on Alexis Brown Law. I’m out there, you just have to find me!
9. What can we expect from you in the future?
More blogging for now. I have been in touch with a publishing company recently, so there may be a book or two someday. How cool would that be?! :-)
10. What can readers who enjoy your blog do to help make your blog more successful?
Read it. Like it. Share it. But more importantly, if you encounter someone who struggles with the aftermath of abuse, suggest it to them. They may find something buried here that saves their life.
11. Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers/bloggers?
Write from your heart. People really respond when you are genuine with yourself and your words.
12. Before you go, could you share a snippet from your blog?
We were all scrunched into the hallway bathroom at my parents’ house and my dad was standing by a full bath tub holding my brother’s head inches from the water. My mom was encouraging him, yelling at my brother. My brother was scared, but I don’t remember him crying.
My Nominees for the Brave Heart Award
For survivors and supporters alike, in no particular order…
For light in a very dark place, inconsistently yours
For a shining spirit, Ocean of Compassion
For standing up for abuse survivors, Not Your Victim
For a young girl, who needs all of our support, How to Get Through Every Day
For the physician, who struggles along side the rest of us, Boundaries of the Soul
For someone who can really relate, The War In My Brain
For education, awareness, and tireless support, The Abuse Expose with Secret Angel
For memories that feel so familiar, TeddyLee’s Blog
For surviving real life and therapy in ways I was not able, -Tesseract
For supporting the anxious person inside us all, The Anxious Athlete
For change, Trauma American Style
and, last but certainly not least,
For an emotional journey told with exacto knives and spray paint, Emotion on Canvas
The Redheaded Wonderblog 