“Empowered Woman”
Inspired by Men
If you ask author and
poet, CiajDiann Harris, where she got the idea for the name, “Empowered Woman,” for her line of
prints, canvas wraps, mugs, tote bags and electronics covers – all bearing her
copyrighted poems and prose, she’ll tell you: “From three wise men.”
“Women have always held each other up and
supported each other, despite what the “Housewives” franchises portray, Ciaj said. But there is no denying there are some men
who are in our corner -- fighting for us even if they don’t know our
names.” Ciaj (pronounced See-ah-juh),
however, will only give you the name of one of the men – her husband,
Michael. When pressed to name the others,
she prefers to leave it to everyone to identify their own heroes.
The “Empowered Woman” line will be available soon in retail stores. The
entire collection is available online now at www.zazzle.com/countitalljoy.
“I think every writer
wants to leave their footprints in the sands of time, but most often it’s done
in books, papers or lyrics, Ciaj said. To
be able to have my imprint on different things that are part of people’s
everyday lives is a gift.” And she’s
paying it forward. The online company
[Zazzle] offers several [styles] bags to choose from. However, at this time, she has chosen to exclusively
use the CTC Tote Bag, an eco-friendly, sustainable product, for her designs. CTC (Comfort the Child) International, a
non-profit, is providing training, a source of income and a means of providing
education to the children of the “Malaika Mums,” mothers of special needs
children in Kenya, Africa.
According to Ciaj, “The
single woman, in particular, has been somewhat under-served in the area of home
and office décor. The inspirational wall
art is fine but often doesn’t address her recent experience.” During the holiday season many will be
searching for gifts that relate to their lives in three major categories: 1)
women in love, 2) women who want to be in love and, 3) women who have been in
love and are experiencing a revival of their spirit. I believe my work addresses these milestones
in the journey; and beautifully enhances the physical surroundings of home and
office with color, nature’s art and words from the heart.” Her poem “It Won’t Be Like That” heralds a
new day for the woman having a revival of the spirit: “…It won’t be searching each heart - for some signs of life - or
making it fit - when I know it ain’t right…”
‘I’m Lovin’ You an Awful Lot, Today’ expresses the element of
surprise when, as Ciaj put it, “You thought you were healed. …Thank
God, I can forget - and this doesn’t happen every day. The hole you left inside me - isn’t always
open all the way…”
Ciaj calls her poem,
“Sisters,’ a tribute to the intrinsic spiritual beauty of Black women: …We are the Ninth Wonder- lost treasures -
and dreams that never die. We are Black
women, my Sisters and I.”
She assures us “Empowered Woman” isn’t all about hear
me roar. “There’s plenty of love to go
around,” she says. In fact, it was her
best friend Linda’s encouragement and love for the poem, “He…,” that made Ciaj
finally do something about publishing it:
“He…paved the road that winds its
way to the center of my soul…” And
she pays homage to the late Nick Ashford of the famed husband and wife singers/songwriting
team of Ashford and Simpson. “I’ll call
him the fourth wise man, Ciaj says. Several
years ago in a rare TV appearance without his wife, Valerie Simpson, Ashford
said: ‘She isn’t the same woman every day so I don’t treat her the same every
day.’ A man that finally understood! It’s that kind of rare insight and understanding
that nurtures an enduring love that stands the test of time. It also produces the kind of music that, as
Oprah said, ‘was the soundtrack for our lives.’” Ciaj says her poem, “The Uniqueness of Me,”
was inspired by the fourth wise man.
CiajDiann Harris, formerly
of Hartford, CT, currently resides in Ohio, with her husband, a newspaper
editor, Michael Buettner. She said, “Renowned
literary agent, Marie Brown, once asked where I was from in Ohio. When I told her Lorain, she said ‘Oh, Toni
Morrison.’ My reply was: ‘Yes, there’s
somethin’ in the water.’ The works of Lorain natives Morrison and Michael
Dirda, Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning authors, infused my possibilities with
the power of probability. However, we
had more than Lake Erie in common. We
grew up in the same neighborhoods, at different times, and had many of the same
teachers - teachers who challenged our minds, encouraged our achievements and
were instrumental in shaping our futures.”
Ciaj is the author of
“When I Stepped Out on Faith…True Stories that Prove God’s Word & Miracles
Still Work Today” available at www.bbotw.com
and www.Amazon.com. She also writes a blog at www.Ciaj-lovefaithrelate.blogspot.com.
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