She's Doing It: Brooke Axtell – Employing Every Medium to Break The Silence of Sexual Abuse
“Isolation is an illusion. So many of us have suffered through violence against our bodies, souls and minds. I hope that by sharing my story and what I’ve learned through recovery, women will be inspired to break open their own silences. Suffering can be the seed of awakening. When we awaken, we encourage others to do the same.”
You may have heard of the name Brooke Elise Axtell through her wonderful work as an artist and activist to eradicate sexual abuse. If not, I predict you will very soon.
A survivor of sexual assault, abuse and domestic minor sex-trafficking, Brooke uses the power of her beautiful and passionate voice through her numerous talents to bring her own healing message to others.
She is not only a musician and an award-winning writer but through powerful, multi-media presentations, she has a unique way of articulating the importance of feminist leadership in changing how culture deals with sexual abuse. Brooke’s work is an inspiring example of No Excuses Power Tool #8, Employ every Medium. And she is the focus of this week’s She’s Doing It.
Brooke says creative expression has revolutionary potential in the hands of women marginalized by gender violence. And through the arts, initiate the transition from victim to survivor to leader and creator of change, empowering women to “discard confining scripts and write our own narratives.”
“My passion is encouraging women to reconnect with their power and worth. My vision is one of radical recovery: inner healing that ultimately leads to social justice. Through Survivor Healing and Empowerment (SHE), I have the opportunity to help women reclaim their creative passions. Through their poetry, music, visual art, films and jewelry, I see their resilience and dignity. I know a woman is healing when she starts to value her own voice.”
In her book of poetry, “Kore of the Incantation”, Brooke takes on gender violence, Goddess spirituality, women’s rights and healing through the creative process. Author and Poet John Herndon wrote of Brooke as “… a breath-takingly talented writer… one of those gifted persons who seem to be born with a voice… overflowing with energy.”
“I see the need for an open discussion of the questions and concerns that often arise in peer counseling. We live in a culture of relentless victim-blaming, so I feel a deep sense of responsibility to combat rape myths through bold art and truth-telling.”
See Brooke in this appearance with MyFoxAustin sharing her story.
Most recently, Brooke has been shifting her focus from one-on-one advocacy to public speaking, writing and media commentary.
Currently she has two guest posts in Forbes: “Breaking Free From Economic Abuse: How Women are Reclaiming Their Financial Freedom” and “The Language Of Rape Matters”. Clearly, she intends to employ every medium at her disposal to take her message to the widest possible audience.
You can follow Brooke’s work as a writer, performer and activist on her website BrookeAxtell.com as well as her work with the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN), the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the United States.
GLORIA FELDT is the New York Times bestselling author of several books including No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power, a sought-after speaker and frequent contributor to major news outlets, and the Co-Founder and President of Take The Lead. People has called her “the voice of experience,” and among the many honors she has been given, Vanity Fair called her one of America’s “Top 200 Women Legends, Leaders, and Trailblazers,” and Glamour chose her as a “Woman of the Year.”
As co-founder and president of Take The Lead, a leading women’s leadership nonprofit, her mission is to achieve gender parity by 2025 through innovative training programs, workshops, a groundbreaking 50 Women Can Change The World immersive, online courses, a free weekly newsletter, and events including a monthly Virtual Happy Hour program and a Take The Lead Day symposium that reached over 400,000 women globally in 2017.