The Power We Hold
Welcome to The Power We Hold podcast. My name is Vanessa Albury. I’m an eco-visual artist who grew up in Nashville, TN, went to college in Charleston, SC, and moved to NYC the day before my interview for graduate school at NYU in March of 2006. I left my apartment of 13 years in Brooklyn and I now live in the world making art and focusing on healing and love. This podcast follows my journey to becoming a better and better ally to people of all our beautiful difference ( BIPOC, LGBTQAI2S+ and fellow non-normative brained and bodied friends, neighbors and strangers) and a better steward of planet Earth, our shared home.
The lovely human and brilliant artist, Caleb Williams is my season 1 co-host on this journey because of her vast talents along with her willingness to have uncomfortable conversations with me and our shared belief in our intentions, integrity and love.
We are here to support you on your journey into better allyship and Earth stewardship with us.. I understand that people tend to listen to other people who look and sound like they do, so I’ve created this podcast to provide an example of how to navigate uncomfortable and even difficult conversations about race, gender, brains, bodies and the planet as a white person.
Also I'm in the non-normative brain category. I have narcolepsy with cataplexy from C-PTSD. I am by no means perfect. I will step in it, say the wrong thing, and I’m committed that being ok and to digging deeper and learning.
For those of you listening who are BIPOC, LGBTQAI2S+ and non-normative embodied, I thank you for listening and participating in the education process of informing the privileged classes of your experience of racism, sexism, ageism, body-ism and all the -isms in America and the world. I understand that is a generous action and I’m grateful to you.
My intention is for this podcast to give you, and us all really, hope for a future of equality and faith that many white, straight, generally normative people are on your side and truly want to create a better, equal and sustainable world together.
To get there, to understand each other, we must discuss uncomfortable topics and learn how to relate to each other through them.
With deeper understanding of each other, we can truly love each other. Thank you for joining me on this journey exploring The Power We Hold.
The Power We Hold
The Power We Hold Podcast S01 Ep01: Our Intentions for this Podcast
Thank you for joining me, your host and visual artist Vanessa Albury, on my journey as a better ally to people and steward of the environment in podcast form as The Power We Hold!
In our first episode of The Power We Hold, Caleb Williams and I chat about our intentions for this podcast adventure together. create this podcast as a companion tool for your journey and to spark hope and more in-depth conversations between people from all backgrounds, lighting a way for hope and action towards a better way. We discuss Caleb's work, how we met, the power of art and some aspects of the issues around facing race as a person in a privileged class. I'm honored to share my journey with you and Caleb's companionship along the way.
Correction, the Combahee River Collective began gathering in 1974. Follow the link at the bottom of the show notes for a PDF of their statement.
Originally recorded March 4, 2021 in Brooklyn, NY
Show Notes:
The Power We Hold Podcast IG, website
If you enjoy The Power We Hold podcast, please consider supporting us in covering the costs to create it on Patreon via Coral Projects.
Host Vanessa Albury IG, website
Co-host Caleb Williams IG, website (She's got great swag for sale!)
Coral Projects IG, website, creating underwater, eco-contemporary art to rewild the ocean with oysters and corals.
Make a tax-deductible donation to Coral Projects and NY Oyster Reefs
Between the Windows IG, public art collaboration with Caleb
Music by Wael Elhalaby IG, Soundcloud
This is a clip from his song Clear Skys.
Audio Editor, and my cousin, making magic from my home recordings, Bryan Klausing of the Rain Junkies website, LinkedIn
Recommended Reading/ Watching:
Some powerful female unity reading, The Combahee River Collective:
View a PDF of the statement from Yale University's archive
I do not have the video artist's name yet that Caleb saw at the New Museum. Hopefully we can sort that out soon!
