Imagine a room filled to the brim with real life stories from a generation-spanning spectrum of women, representing every strand of the raw, unfiltered female experience. What if we said you could not only visit that room, but also add your voice to the chorus and inspire other women by contributing a story from your own life?
That’s the premise of HBO’s Inspiration Room, which will be open from March 18 to March 24 in New York City. At this public exhibition, diaries will be on display from women from all around the country, young and old, representing diverse backgrounds and experiences. You’ll engage with real women’s stories of losing love, facing death, struggling with motherhood, confronting illness, starting and leaving careers, and deepening friendships — everything we go through alone and together. You’ll see the full emotional range of all different kinds of women, in their own kinds of self-expression.
We know you have something to say too, and this exhibition won’t be the same without your voice. You can submit your own diary entry, poem, physical journal, story, written memory, or another form of self-expression through HBO's website. Your story might be included in the gallery, or read aloud by an HBO actor. (Can you imagine anything cooler than one of your favorite stars bringing your own true story to life? Neither can we!)
To spark your creativity, HBO has some suggested prompts on the submissions page, but we’ll add a few more. Write about a time you felt invincible. Tell your deepest secret (you can even do it anonymously). Write about the time you made an unlikely friend. Write about your proudest day on the job. Write about a time you had to take on a role you'd never imagined, like a caregiver or disciplinarian. Write about who you want to be a decade from now. Remember, this is your story so don’t tell anyone else’s. Also, don’t share identifying details about another person if your entry includes them.
We hope to see you at the Inspiration Room, and we can’t wait to read your stories there.
This article is sponsored by HBO. For a chance to be featured in the Inspiration Room, share your story here!
