Ananda Leeke

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday: Great News About My Digital Sisterhood Book

Posted by Ananda Leekeon September 3, 2013September 3, 2013in Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online, Internet Geek Tuesday2 Comments

Photo Credit: http://www.rwa-wf.com/2012/03/05/member-news-03-04-12/greatnews/

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

I’ve got some great news to kick off this new month. Last week, I submitted the final manuscript for my book, Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online to my publisher. See a description of the book below. The next steps include me reviewing the proofs (manuscript in book form) and approving the book cover design. My book should be available on Amazon.com in early October (paperback and Kindle). So get ready for a great autumn read!

One of the photos featured in the book - Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley - www.leighmosley.com — One of the photos featured in the book – Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley – http://www.leighmosley.com

Book Description: Digital Sisterhood provides insight and inspiration for any woman seeking to celebrate, express, or reinvent how the Internet, social media, and technology impact her life. Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke became a pioneer in the digital space when she first logged into the LexisNexis research service as a first-year law student at Howard University School of Law 27 years ago. She was immediately smitten with what the World Wide Web could do and in this compelling memoir, we follow her on her journey as she finds herself in an Internet café in Beijing, China and has an interaction that changes her life.

Leeke begins to embrace and define the concept of “digital sisterhood” and through interactions and conversations both on-line and in-person, she embraces a complete career reinvention (spoiler alert, she leaves the legal field) and finally embraces her enormous creative spirit. We get to know the digital sisters in her life as true sheroes and virtual mentors. Their experiences and insights helped her use the Internet as a self-discovery tool and identify leadership archetypes that shaped her role as a social media leader.

Her blogging and social media adventures will highlight the lessons she learned while tapping into the power of her leadership archetypes, the reasons she launched the Digital Sisterhood Network, and the experiences that caused her to adopt what she terms the “fierce living” commitments. At the end of each chapter, you’ll have an opportunity to explore aspects of your own Digital Sisterhood journey through a series of interactive exercises.

Photo Credit: Design by Dariela Cruz of www.daridesignstudio.com; Copyright 2013 by Madelyn C. Leeke — Photo Credit: Design by Dariela Cruz of http://www.daridesignstudio.com; Copyright 2013 by Madelyn C. Leeke

In honor of this major accomplishment, I thought I would share a photo of artwork that appears on the book cover. Dariela Cruz, an amazing graphic designer and co-founder of Dari Design Studio, and I worked together on the design concept. Dariela created the final product. I think she did a fabulous job. What do you think?

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in my writing journey. I am deeply grateful for your positive energy and prayers.

Happy Yoga Monday – Celebrating National Yoga Month in September

Posted by Ananda Leekeon September 2, 2013August 22, 2013in Yoga, Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Photo Credit: http://yogahealthfoundation.org/yoga_month

Happy Yoga Monday!

September marks the annual celebration of National Yoga Month. It’s a great time to recommit to your yoga practice.

What are you planning to do?

I am going to use the month to practice yoga outside more and take more yoga classes at my gym, Mint (like the Sunday evening flow yoga class I took earlier this year). I am also going to schedule some yoga dates with a few friends at local yoga studios.

Photo Credit: http://yogahealthfoundation.org

If you are new to yoga, check out the Yoga Health Foundation’s free week of yoga available during September.

Happy Creativity Thursday: Celebrating Faith Ringgold’s Art at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 29, 2013August 29, 2013in Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Today’s blog is wrapped in the creative spirit of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, the Civil Rights and Feminist movements, and the phenomenal artwork of Faith Ringgold, one of my creative sheroes. Visit her web site and read her blog for more information about her activism, art, and authentic way of living.

A few weeks ago, I took myself on an artist date to see the American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold’s Paintings of the 1960s series at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Ringgold’s American People series offers insight into how she experienced life during this powerful decade of change in the United States. It features 49 rarely exhibited paintings that I was able to see for a second time. The first time I saw them was at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art in 2012.

After seeing the paintings for a second time, I can now say the Black Light Series is one of my all-time favorite groups of Ringgold paintings. Her use of African masks in the design of people’s faces and the way she weaves words into her paintings dazzle my spirit. Each time I see the bold colors of red, black and green in the paintings, my eyes sparkle and my heart travels back to my childhood when my parents taught my brothers and I about the “Black is Beautiful” movement. I am madly in love with the Black Light Series #3: Soul Sister (I mention it in my novel, Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One). I also adore the Black feminist activist series of four political posters, Women Freedom Now, Women Free Angela, Woman Free Yourself, and America Free Angela.

Free Angela America by Faith Ringgold - Photo Credit: FaithRinggold.com — Free Angela America by Faith Ringgold – Photo Credit: FaithRinggold.com

If you are in D.C. between now and November 10, treat yourself to a morning or afternoon visit to see Ringgold’s fantastic work at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. For more information about Ringgold’s work in the 1960s, click here to read her daughter Michelle Wallace’s Ringgold in the 1960s blog. Enjoy!

My Reflections on the March on Washington

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 28, 2013August 28, 2013in March on Washington4 Comments

Members of All Souls Unitarian Church marching to March on Washington, 1963 - Photo Credit: All-Souls.org — Members of All Souls Unitarian Church marching to March on Washington, 1963 – Photo Credit: All-Souls.org

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. It is also my brother, Mike’s birthday (yes, he was born on the day of the March in DC — making history on his own)!

Photo Credit: Everett - http://fineartamerica.com/products/civil-rights-march-on-washington-dc-everett-poster.html — Photo Credit: Everett – http://fineartamerica.com/products/civil-rights-march-on-washington-dc-everett-poster.html

The March means many things to many people. For me, it is about recommitting myself to supporting the human rights of all human beings on the planet.

I attended the 30th anniversary of the March in 1993 and felt like it was calling me to step up to the plate and do more in terms of advocating for women’s rights. My participation inspired me to travel with my mentor Barbara Arnwine and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law (met Barbara during my 1987 summer legal internship at the Boston Lawyers’ Committee) and National Council of Negro Women’s delegation to the U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995.

Million Woman March logo

That trip was a game changer for me in so many ways. It set the tone for my participation in the Million Woman March in 1997, creative expression in art and writing, volunteer service, and the work I am doing with the Digital Sisterhood Network.

Photos from 2013 March on Washington - 8/24/13 — Photos from 2013 March on Washington – 8/24/13

On Saturday, I attended the March with my best friend, Jason Randolph. Throughout the day, Jason and I had a chance to reflect on how much our generation has benefited from the sacrifices that were made by all of the people involved in the civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights movements. Our conversation created a deep sense of gratitude in my heart.

This morning, I asked myself one question: How can I use the Digital Sisterhood Network to deepen my support of civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights?

The answer to the question has not revealed itself yet. When it does, I’ll be sure to share it with you on this blog and my Digital Sisterhood Network site. In the meantime, I have two questions for you.

What does the March on Washington mean to you?

Are you being called to dream bigger and/or do more in the name of civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights?

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday – Do Know About Amy Jo Martin’s ReadySetPause.com?

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 27, 2013August 23, 2013in Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Photo Credit: http://renegadeswritetherules.com

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

Today, I’d like to share a discovery I made while reading Digital Royalty founder Amy Jo Martin‘s book, Renegades Write The Rules: How the Digital Royalty Use Social Media to Innovate in July.

It’s called Ready, Set, Pause, a social movement that encourages individuals to take an eight-minute ‘pause’ in their daily lives. Did you know that by taking a daily pause, you lower stress as well as increase productivity, creativity, and overall well-being?

The pause reminded me of my “Flowista” unplugging practices and Digital Sisterhood Unplugged Weekends. So I tried it and discovered it does in fact work. I have also recommended the practice to my coaching and yoga clients. Click here to watch Martin discuss the movement and mindful self-care practice.

Are you under a lot of stress each day while using your digital devices?

Are looking for a way to take better care of yourself?

If you answered YES, I encourage you to try the Ready, Set, Pause. To learn more about the practice and movement, follow @ReadySetPause on Twitter and use the #readysetpause hashtag to share your experiences with the RSP community on social media sites.

Happy Unplugging!

Happy Yoga Monday! — My Home Yoga Practice

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 26, 2013August 26, 2013in Yoga, Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Happy Yoga Monday!

Have you visited YogaInternational.com? It’s filled with a variety of yoga resources. The site also offers a helpful guide for creating a home yoga practice that I think you might enjoy. The guide shares the four benefits for creating a home practice. They include self-knowledge, self-help, self-indulgence, an exponential growth. I totally agree!

When I started practicing yoga in my home in 1995 after I attended my first yoga class during an African American studies trip to Egypt, I hired a private yoga teacher to guide me through the asanas (poses). Her name was Gloria. She was a kind, firm, loving, and knowledgeable woman I met in my monthly meditation group. She showed me how to embrace yoga as my own healing balm for anxiety, stress relief, and tight hips, hamstrings, and legs that needed stretching after my long runs. She showed me how yoga when paired with meditation could help me focus my energy on my creative projects. She pushed me to try poses I was afraid of (at the time I was afraid of downward facing dog) in my home practice. She encouraged me to take my yoga practice outside and into my local park.

She also taught me how to create a five-minute practice that includes seven deep breaths in a seated pose followed by child’s pose. When I have more time, I add in a few rounds of sun salutations, cat/cow, lots of standing forward folds, cobra, plank, twists, squats, pigeon, and alternative nostril breathing.

Cyndi Lee’s OM in a Box was one of the first resources I used to deepen my home yoga practice.

Yoga Journal is another resource I use. What does your home practice include?

I have created many collages over the years to remind me to practice yoga daily. What do you use as a yoga reminder?

Happy Creativity Thursday – Read Poem About Being Poetry Virgin

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 22, 2013July 19, 2013in Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Here’s a lovely poem that shares the moment I lost my poetry virginity in the 1990s! Enjoy!

When I Lost My Virginity as a Poet from That Which Awakens Me

Before Busboys and Poets arrived on the scene, spoken word poets congregated at Soul Brothers Pizza on the corner of 14^th and U in the early 1990s.

Two Morehouse brothas opened it up and kept it going for a few years.

Soul Brothers Pizza is where I lost my virginity as a poet.

It happened one night when my friend Kwame was hosting an event.

He had just helped me publish my first chapbook of poetry.

WPFW 89.3 radio host Grace Cavalieri had recently interviewed me on her show, “The Poet and the Poem.”

Despite these accomplishments, I was nervous.

I had never read my work in a public venue before.

As soon as Kwame introduced me, I could feel my hands trembling.

By the time I reached the makeshift stage, my mind was playing tricks on me.

My five senses soaked up the scene.

The second hand smoke made my eyes itch.

Conversations at nearby tables overwhelmed me.

I stood looking into the small crowd and wondered if they would even listen to anything I had to say.

Just when I thought I was going to sit down, words tumbled out of my mouth.

They were rushed.

Some folks stared at me for a nanosecond before returning back to their conversations.

The volume of table banter increased.

Kwame asked the audience to quiet down.

A few moments of silence emerged.

I closed my eyes.

That’s when I offered a few lines of my poetry.

After I uttered the last word, I opened my eyes and stared into a sea of blank faces.

I wondered if they understood my poem’s meaning.

Maybe it was too deep

Or maybe they just wanted to keep talking and eating.

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday! – #BlogHer13 Recap #4 – Celebrating the Beauty & Power of BlogHer’s Multi-Culti Community

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 20, 2013in Blogher Conference, BlogHer13, Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Ananda, Dwana, and Pauline -- Photo Credit: BlogHer — Ananda, Dwana, and Pauline — Photo Credit: BlogHer

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday!

While I was co-hosting the BlogHer Multi Culti party with my digital sisters Pauline Campos and Dwana De La Cerna on July 26 at the Sheraton Chicago, I had so many wonderful conversations with the dynamic members of the BlogHer community. The conversations reminded me how diverse we are as bloggers with different ethnic backgrounds, family histories, gifts, life experiences, opinions, perspectives, and talents. Check out some of the event photos below. All photos are from BlogHer.com. Click here to see the entire collection.

Did you attend the Multi Culti Party? If so, what were some of your favorite moments?

The conversations I had also reminded me of author, blogger, and photographer Karen Walrond’s book, The Beauty of Different.

Photo Credit: Copyright by Karen Walrond

Walrond’s book celebrates the concept that what makes us different makes us beautiful — and may even be the source of our superpowers. Her book personifies how I feel about the BlogHer community.

Our differences make BlogHer more beautiful and powerful. Together, we are able to tap into our superpowers as bloggers and give voice to what so many others may not have the access, courage, or right to say online and offline. And for that I am truly grateful!

What makes the BlogHer community beautiful and powerful to you?

Happy Yoga Monday! – Have you ever read Tathaatsu Magazine?

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 19, 2013August 19, 2013in Yoga, Yoga MondaysLeave a comment

Photo Credit: www.tathaastumag.com — Photo Credit: http://www.tathaastumag.com

Happy Yoga Monday!

Reading yoga-inspired magazines is one of the ways I deepen my yoga practice and teaching skills. Tathaatsu Magazine is a personal favorite. The word Tathaatsu means “So Be It.”

I like the magazine because it is filled with information on Ayurveda, feng shui, healthy food, holistic living, mantras, meditation, spirituality, travel, wellness, and yoga. Tathaatsu’s web site is filled with great resources too. Make sure you visit it this week!

What magazines do you read to deepen your yoga practice?

Happy Creativity Thursday – Depicted/Connected: Paintings by Tim Okamura Coming to U Street in September

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 15, 2013August 15, 2013in Art, Creativity Thursday4 Comments

Photo Credit: Tim Okamura's painting, Sun Rise on U Street, 2013 — Photo Credit: Tim Okamura’s painting, Sun Rise on U Street, 2013

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Today, I am excited to announce that Smith Center for Healing and the Arts is hosting an opening reception for the D.C. debut of Brooklyn-based painter Tim Okamura’s new portrait collection, Depicted/Connected on Friday, September 27, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, 1632 U Street, N.W. (three blocks from the U Street/Cardozo Metro Station on the Green Line).

Depicted/Connected features 11 culturally diverse women who were primarily born and raised in the D.C. area. They are depicted through Tim’s self-constructed lens which captures how they have experienced the evolution of D.C. as a city. Through the paintings, he says, “I have sought to celebrate these women as individuals, connected to their environment, but also to discover through them metaphors for greater aspects of the human condition – connected to all of us.” If you are in D.C. on September 27, please plan to attend this amazing event. See you in September!

SIDE NOTE: Just in case you couldn’t tell who is featured in the painting above, I’ll let you in on a secret. It’s me. Tim included a door from Republic Gardens, a club I used to hang out in during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Ananda Leeke at Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery

Photo Credit: http://soulofamerica.com/interact/us-cities/washington-dc/washington-dc-restaurants/republic-gardens-restaurant/

The club has a rich history too. It first opened in the 1920s when owner W.G. Tindel converted a brick rowhouse (1355 U Street, N.W.) into a restaurant with a backyard summer garden on U Street, the heart of D.C.’s African American culture and life (the reason I moved to the neighborhood 23 years ago). During the next 30 years, it became a major destination for fans of live jazz. Two of my favorite jazz musicians Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker performed there.

When I look at the sun-like gold window on the red door in the painting, I am reminded of Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess. She is associated with the colors red, gold, and yellow. She represents royal power and returning life and joy after dark times, as the sun becomes stronger and warmer after the winter solstice.

Tim Okamura and amazing ladies at Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH TIM OKAMURA:

I met Tim on June 9, during his photo shoot for Depicted/Connected at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery. Smith Center invited me and five amazing women to participate in the photo shoot. The first thing I noticed about him was his easy-going spirit, positive energy, and kind smile. He was able to stay focused and have fun too.

Tim Okamura and Ananda Leeke at Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery

After the photo shoot, I went home and Googled Tim to learn more about his work. When I visited his Facebook page and saw his painting, “Les Nubians Combat Pour L’Amour” and “Courage 3.0,” I became an instant fan. I also listened to his 2011 interview on NPR’s Tell Me More with journalist Michel Martin. During the interview, he discussed his passion for hip hop, his hip hop radio show in Canada, and his ”Bronx Brooklyn Queens” series of paintings that feature African-American women of New York City. I Googled the series and fell in love with each painting. What a powerful body of work!

More About Tim (from his official bio):

He earned a B.F.A. with Distinction at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Canada before moving to New York City to attend the School of Visual Arts in 1991. After graduating with an M.F.A. in 1993, he relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where he continues to live and work. His artwork has been exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in London, England; galleries throughout the U.S. and Canada; and he was short-listed by the Royal Surveyor of the Queen’s Picture Collection for a commissioned portrait of the Queen of England. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Toronto Congress Center, Standard Chartered Bank, and the Davis Museum in Massachusetts, as well as the private collections of celebrity clients such as John Mellencamp, Uma Thurman, and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. He is represented by Lyons Wier Gallery in New York, and Douglas Udell Gallery in Canada. To learn more about Tim and his work, LIKE him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.