A few months ago I received a great book called Feel Good Girl and thought it was a great addition to the teen self-help genre. It's so unfortunate that we live in a world where girls' self-esteem is constantly hanging in the balance, but books like this certainly help the cause. I especially like the Feel Good Girl tag line — "so beyond pretty in pink."

Teens or a concerned parents or teachers should check out Felicia Richardson Battle's inspiring book Feel Good Girl. In the meantime, you can read her awesome response to our One Simple Question…

"As an artist, what inspires and motivates you most in your role as a
writer for Young Adults?"

For me, HUGE inspiration comes from being a mom and realizing that the times we live in can be as confusing for parents as they are for pre-teen girls. I think it's really important for mothers to understand the world that our kids are growing up in. Being an "Informed Mama" means staying on top of the news, media, trends, and pop culture that have such a big impact on our girls.

It also means realizing that although times certainly have changed since I was a girl, the issues at the heart of growing up — being accepted, discovering who you are, finding your own voice, and expressing individuality — have not changed at all. They're just wrapped in shiny new packaging!

So with all of that stuff buzzing around in my head, writing about it is the best way to get it into the world where it can, hopefully, do some good (and out of my brain where it will eventually drive me nuts). I try to share the buzz with other mothers via my blog and, of course, pass it along to the girls via the Feel Good, Girl! book, workshops, and eventually the website. It just plain "feels good" (tee-hee, no pun intended, really) when something I wrote resonates with a mom or a girl and gets a dialogue going!

And really, there's nothing like the inspiration that comes from real people. Meeting and talking with other moms in the workshops or readings I've done has taught me that other parents are also seeing the effects of our hyper-sexual, materialistic society on their girls. They're relieved to know they aren't the only ones who are worried about it.

And the girls…what can I say? They're smart, resilient, and powerful in their own way. Helping them recognize that power in themselves is the best job in the world.

I recently did a workshop at a library in Long Island. About 20 girls showed up. Now, my partner and I both have our own children, but needless to say, we were a bit concerned about handling 20 girls at one time. Long story short…the workshop was incredible! The girls were amazing. It was a "Work Your Dreams" workshop so they learned a bit about the power of their dreams, they heard a chapter of the book, and they got to make their own really cool (really beautiful!!) dream journals. So we inspired them to think about what they want and ways to go after it, sure. But wow…the inspiration that came from them… the things they want, the passion they feel about their futures, and the incredible artwork they did… what they gave to "us" was the real prize! That's the best motivation in the world.

Ypulse Books Readers: For some more feel-good inspiration, make sure you check out Battle's blog as well, Reign of the Girl Child

Categorized under: Books & Print, One Simple Question

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