Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Alanis Morissette

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: 

Alanis Morissette

In my own, personal, big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to Those of the Heart. These are the singers, songwriters and muses who have spent a lifetime capturing various aspects of the human condition. Frequently, due to the whims of the music industry, their lives were not always their own... but they persevered... ultimately remaining true to their roles as seers of the heart. One such soul?

Alanis Morissette 

Jagged Little Pill was the shot heard 'round the world.

She gave voice to a whole generation of women. 

To do so, she had to step out of the role assigned her by an industry which loves young women to sing the songs they're given, to smile and look pretty. 

What they didn't realize? That inside that prefab Canadian pop star was a true artist, one who began to reveal herself bit by bit... step by step. 

Until the day came and the ties that bound her were shredded - and the world would never be the same.

As she's matured, she's continued to take us on her unique journey, sharing insights and lessons learned with all who would listen. 

Her most recent work, Such Pretty Forks In The Road, is no less revelatory or emotionally searing than the album which initially catapulted her onto the international stage. 

And, have no doubt... there's more to come. 

For a true artist is never stilled, forever divining, sharing and displaying their badges of courage for the world to see. 

And if there's one thing Alanis Morissette has proven herself to be? 

It's a true artist.

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topic? Anger

"We're taught to be ashamed of confusion, anger, fear and sadness, and to me they're of equal value to happiness, excitement and inspiration."

"My own approach has always been to push intense emotions down and attempt to deal with them later. When I was younger, I was terrified to express anger because it would often kick-start a horrible reaction in the men in my life. I was left to painstakingly deal with the aftermath of my avoidance later in life, in therapy or through the lyrics of my songs."

"Then I realized that secrecy is actually to the detriment of my own peace of mind and self, and that I could still sustain my belief in privacy and be authentic and transparent at the same time. It was a pretty revelatory moment, and there's been a liberating force that's come from it."

"I just feel compelled to continue to be transparent. It just really levels the playing field and eradicates the shame that I have, or that one might have, about being human. So I'm going to just keep going."
  

"What influenced me was Tori Amos, who was unapologetic about expressing anger through music, and Sinead O'Connor. Those two in particular were really moving for me, and very inspiring, before I wrote Jagged Little Pill."

"When someone says that I'm angry it's actually a compliment. I have not always been direct with my anger in my relationships, which is part of why I'd write about it in my songs because I had such fear around expressing anger as a woman."

 
"Anger has been a really big deal for women: how can we express it without feeling that, as the physically weaker sex, we won't get killed. The alpha-woman was burned at the stake and had her head chopped off in days of old."

"In the face of patriarchy, it is a brave act indeed for both men and women to embrace, rather than shame or attempt to eradicate, the feminine."

"The fear of this delicate and fierce feminine has more to do with our fear of being vulnerable again, getting hurt again, than it does by our actual distaste for the beauty of the feminine and Her qualities."

"Women are so powerful they're scary, and the incentive to squash this has been going on for so long that some of us actually believe we're subordinate."
 
"Typically, I would run away from conflict and write about it - that was easier than staying and dealing face-to-face with humans; that's terrifying for me."

"I found that the more truthful and vulnerable I was, the more empowering it was for me."

"There were a lot of people who were a little afraid of the rage or blaming stance I was taking, and find what I am doing now more refreshing."

"It's a joke to think that anyone is one thing. We're all such complex creatures. But if I'm going to be a poster child for anything, anger's a gorgeous emotion. It gets a bad rap, but it can make great changes happen."

You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette

Hands Clean - Alanis Morissette

Reasons I Drink - Alanis Morrisette

And one last parting shot...

I have not an ounce of regret. Every link is so valuable in forming the chain that is my life. Who I am today is because of those links, and I wouldn't change any of them.