Paula Williams knows shame takes many forms. There’s the shame she was made to feel as she sat in a dark confessional booth. She disclosed her “wrongdoing” in a whisper. She hoped for empathy and absolution; she received a scolding. There also is shame about her family, which hid turmoil behind a peaceful facade. She believes shame flourishes in secrecy and fear of judgment. She also believes shame weighs us down. She wanted to use art to help others break free of their shame.
The result: The SHAMEBOOTH experience. For the past five years, she and her team of Shame Dames set up shop on city street corners, offering passersby a chance to step into the booth to share and subsequently shed their shame. Paula joins Jennifer Malcolm on Jennasis Speaks to discuss the SHAMEBOOTH, what she’s learned, and what comes next.
