A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through an online newsletter when I read about the One Girl to Another Project, a literary and art anthology magazine work by and featuring women. Curious, I found them on Instagram and reached out.
That’s how I “met” Ella Rous, the founder of the project. I was able to chat with her about her work and how to tune out doubt. Without further ado, allow me to introduce Ella.
Liz: Let’s start in traditional Smile Project fashion. Give me a "Happiness is..”
Ella: Happiness is... feeling. Poems with words that sound good, stories that draw you in and don't let you go, pretty art and music with lots of percussion. It's the little things.
Liz: Tell me about your project.
Ella: My project is One Girl to Another Project, a recently launched online literary magazine focused on featuring works by women and girls.
Liz: What is the driving force behind what you do?
Ella: I think it's overwhelmingly important for our media to reflect our lives, and I wanted to create a space where those voices that don't get heard, can be.
Liz: What does service mean to you?
Ella: Service, to me, means giving back. I had an amazing opportunity with a conference I attended called the Young Women's Leadership Challenge, hosted by the Pangea Network, that empowered me to use what I had learned with them to give back.
Liz: How can people get involved?
Ella: People can get involved by sending me their work! Submissions close on April 19th, and we're a new magazine, so we need all the submissions we can get! If you're a female-aligned creator, we need you. Sharing and following the project on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr is equally valuable. If you know someone who might be interested, let them know!
You can follow along here:
Liz: Do you have a favorite piece of advice?
Ella: To keep moving, to keep pushing, to come up with backup plan after backup plan and so forth, if necessary. Learn from your mistakes. Acknowledge your fear and your doubt but do not let it make your decisions. Above all else: keep moving forward. You've got this.
Liz: Anything else you'd like to add?
Ella: Don't let your fear hold you back! We welcome all work we get, so don't hesitate send us your work. Doubt can cripple the best of us.
