By Dorothy Atkins
Santa Clara County Branch

I am an artist, writer, entrepreneur, storyteller, and a Pen Woman. I had been preparing for this all my life. As a youngster, I always colored outside of the lines. As an adult, I squirmed when meetings focused more on Roberts Rules of Order than advancing and fostering creativity.

Does that make me a rebel? Certainly not, but it points to my creative side.

Working in finance for years always felt like I had on the wrong pair of shoes. I was successful and well paid and received awards and accolades. Then life happened.

My life before Pen Women was long train rides into the city. In my briefcase, I carried crayons, a large journal, and pencils. Year after year, I wrote in my journal about what I heard and sketched what I saw. My appreciation for what was happening in real time kept my imagination alive and stimulated.

Fast forward, life happened, and my career job ended. On my last day at work, I stopped at Nordstroms and bought a large bag of Godiva Chocolate and a pair of shoes that were not on sale, then caught the train home. That same day, I started a greeting card company with vignettes and vintage family photos that I had kept over the years.

My cards sold all over the country, including Canada and Hawaii. I was on my way to becoming a successful entrepreneur with TV engagements and magazine coverage and once again, life happened. The recession hit and many of my clients went out of business. Women are tough, you know, and I always had a plan B. My artwork.

One day, a woman approached me about becoming a Pen Woman. I knew nothing about it, nor had ever heard of it, but I took a chance and joined. Here is what I found: an aura of creativity, strong and enthusiastic women changing their communities with powerful brushstrokes, written words that made me pause, photographs that took my breath away, melodies that touched my heart, poems that stopped me in my tracks, and stories that enlightened me.

Why then had I not heard about the National League of American Pen Women? This was so different for me, coming from an environment where women were in competition with each other and looked out for themselves. Could this be true, women supporting each other, marveling at each other’s talents, attending their shows, promoting other members.

Why then had this organization gone unnoticed or appeared as only tiny ripples in conversations? If I had not heard of it, others may not have either.

Slowly, I began to tell folks that I belonged to the National League of American Pen Women. I would say, “I am an artist, writer, storyteller, and I am a Pen Woman.”

Often, they looked puzzled, and I had to explain that it was Pen not Pin. What a mouthful.

In thinking back, I did not sing our praises enough to interest them in joining. I sat in meetings for years trying to absorb the order of things. After twisting through the reading of minutes, the treasury report, and correct motions, I heard women sharing their talents, their goals and what they were enthusiastic about, and I wanted more.

I was smitten. It was like falling in love for the first time. I could hardly wait for the next meeting to listen to all those encouraging stories.

I began to cherish those personal accounts of show and tell. I made deep friendships that I still enjoy.

Santa Clara Country Branch is amazing, with the most talented and interesting women. They gave me courage to do things I had only thought about. The courage to enter art competitions and the courage to enter more juried shows. The courage to come out of my writing closet and have my writings published.

A Pen Woman invited me to show my art at Gallery Saratoga year after year and see my work sold. This is where I belonged; I found my people. Women whom I came to admire were like kindred spirits and always giving me a gentle nudge, and I began to do the same.

Our branch is strong and committed to outreach in our communities. We have come full circle by attending outings related to the arts, doing readings in local schools, giving Pen Women presentations at Women’s Clubs, and contacting our local papers to draft stories about who Pen Women are.

I am a Pen Women because I must be. Giving support and receiving support from like-minded women is a sisterhood that I am proud to be a part of. My artwork is in the home of collectors around the world.

Dorothy Atkins is the president of NorCal Pen Women and outreach chair for the Santa Clara County Branch. Her story, “What’s in a Face,” was recently published in three local newspapers. She is an artist, published author, and storyteller. Her book, “Heady Scent of Lilac,” is both poetry and artwork.