Women Who Inspire Us

Do you know women who create spaces for artists to be uniquely themselves and who use their platform to tell truth to power? Share with us your stories of women carving an unpredictable path with #womenwhoinspireus

“In complete darkness, we are all the same. It is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us. Don’t let your eyes deceive you.” Janet Jackson

JANET JACKSON

Ms. Jackson knows a thing or two about struggling to prove herself against an overwhelmingly male backdrop, and she does her thing with equal grace, charm and badassery.

“All of us go through angst and identity crises. And even when you write in a specific context, you still tap into that subtext of emotions that we all feel…” Amy Tan

AMY TAN

Amy Tan creates stories that remind us all of our humanness while also celebrating the specificity of experience and culture. She is, quite frankly, the type of artist we want to be.

“I go through life like a Karate Kid.” Britney Spears

BRITNEY SPEARS

A true Pop Phoenix rising from the ashes, Britney inspires us to stay true to ourselves and find our power within. Throughout her decades-long career, Britney continues to surprise us and release the dance anthems of our dreams.

“Most men I know rely on women to do all the literal dirty work.” Elizabeth Banks

ELIZABETH BANKS

From ingenue to woman-in-charge to creator of comedy website Whohaha, Elizabeth Banks has carved out a very unpredictable career — especially for a Blonde in Hollywood. We’re as inspired by the number of her credits as much as the energy she has to get it all done.

“The path to your success is not as fixed and inflexible as you think.” Misty Copeland

MISTY COPELAND

If there is an artist out there right now who is showing the world what it is to create her own space, it’s the incredible Misty Copeland. Against all preconceived notions of what a ‘ballerina’ should be, she constantly proves that hard work and talent triumph above all.

“Saying ‘yes’ doesn’t mean I don’t know how to say no, and saying ‘please’ doesn’t mean I am waiting for permission.” Amy Poehler

AMY POEHLER

Not often enough are women described as funny AND bosses AND charming AND friends with other women AND successful AND…Amy is a champion for herself and others like her, but she’s not asking–she’s telling.

Let’s champion the type of women we want to be.

“It became obvious that we needed a cry against violence on women.” Luciana Olivares

LUCIANA OLIVARES

“Rebel with a Cause,” Luciana Olivares is the mastermind behind the #MisMedidasSon (#MyMeasurementsAre) movement at the 2017 Miss Peru pageant where on-stage beauties brought visibility to harsh statistics of violence against women in their country — one of the bravest acts of feminism in a difficult year.

We are inspired by women like Luciana who use an unconventional platform to create an unexpected and revolutionary moment for women.

“You can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears.” Gillian Anderson

GILLIAN ANDERSON

Gillian fearlessly put her career on the line for other women by refusing to reboot The X-Files without equal pay and a female director for the new season. She also uses her celebrity to bring awareness to many human and animal rights issues.

Scully would be proud.